Meet Richard A. Staggard
Rick Staggard is a Jacksonville auto accident attorney at Farah and Farah where he mainly concentrates on car accidents and commercial trucking cases. Having spent decades with the firm, Rick has cemented himself as a leader among leaders. With such a depth of experience to draw from, Rick knows auto accidents inside and out and can litigate any case from a local traffic accident to a complex commercial trucking accident even to the highest Federal courts in Florida and Georgia. The bottom line, Rick Staggard knows the issues and what to look for to protect his clients interests when the stakes are high. If you’ve been injured in any form of auto accident, Rick’s exactly the type of seasoned attorney you want leading your team.
We Have Everything We Need To Take on Even the Largest Cases
I’ve been with the firm since the early 2000’s and in that time I’ve seen a lot of growth. But even as big as we are, this firm still feels so personal and that’s deliberate from the very top with Eddie and Chuck. We are large enough and have the resources to do anything we need to take on even the biggest trucking and insurance companies in North America. What’s more, I can still walk right down the hall and sit down with Eddie or Chuck at any time. There is such a great balance between the resources we have and the family atmosphere, that this firm has never lost its personal touch.Â
The support I get makes me feel empowered with everything I need to seek the absolute maximum compensation available for my clients. Clients get the best of both worlds with a legal team that can spend whatever it needs to to prove their case, while getting the same level of attention as if we were a small boutique law firm. After so many years practicing law, I can tell you that this combination in a firm our size is indeed rare.
Serious Auto Accidents Means Serious Injuries
Because of the sheer size of the machines, trucking accidents can be quite serious. The max legal weight in the U.S. for a fully-loaded semi tractor trailer is 80,000 pounds which generates an unbelievable amount of force. In an accident, that force is transferred into the other vehicle and its occupants. Because the accidents are so serious, there are often serious if not catastrophic and life-threatening injuries. This heightens the importance of the job I do and every step of the way I’m working to maximize the settlement my client receives. There are so many decisions that have to be made that can affect the outcome of the case.Â
After doing this so long, I know each stage of the litigation process and what strategic decisions need to be made and at what time. Often the first issue is simply that the client needs a rental car and treatment. Then, we’ll need to take on the car and property damage claim with their insurance company and also look at other costs like lost wages. In the end, I’m looking to make the best decisions I can on behalf of the client to move their case forward.Â
There’s no complete satisfaction in personal injury. People who are hurt in accidents are often never the same. But at least we can help make their financial future more secure and help get them in and out of the legal system without too much complication or added stress. At the end of the day, my work is all about helping someone out who really needs it. That, in itself, makes it all worth it to me.
If You’ve Lost a Loved One, You Know
As a litigating attorney, I get my fair share of tough cases. There’s one I’ll never forget in Georgia where a husband and wife were out on the lake for a day of fun. During the course of the day, the husband was pulled under by a massive current and drowned. I helped litigate the case for the man’s wife. There were so many legal issues at play and the defending parties threw up a wide variety of defenses. One of the defendants was the GA Department of Environmental Protection and the other was a private management company that was supposed to maintain the property. This case went on for 2-3 years with over 30 different depositions and thousands of pages of documents. After a long and hard fight, I was finally able to get this widow a great settlement for the awful tragedy she endured because of someone else’s negligence.
Another case I’ll always remember was with a mom and dad who lost their son. The grieving parents showed me a scrapbook of their boy with so many touching pictures. This man was a genuinely wonderful human being, smart, and so good at this job. I made the insurance company see the young man as just that, a human being who didn’t deserve to die so young. I filed the lawsuit and negotiated on their behalf, being aggressive with the insurance company and simply a compassionate human being to the young man’s parents. These two grieving parents just lost a son and were grateful I recognized that and guided them through the process with empathy. As a parent, this case struck home. I hope I never have to endure the level of pain of losing a child, but at least I can be empathetic towards what my clients are going through and objectively give them the advice needed to navigate the road to recovery.
Family is Everything to Me
When I’m not in the Farah and Farah office handling cases from Miami all the way to Northwest Georgia, you can probably find me on the beach with my family. Ponte Vedra is one of our favorite spots to relax and unwind. My wife, Gail, and sons, Dylan and Caden, love taking our big, loveable Labrador Retriever rescue, Bear, to the beach as often as we can. If it’s during football season, it’s a sure bet I’ll be cheering on my hometown team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and childhood favorite, the New York Giants, every chance I get.
