Practice Areas: Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Products Liability; view more
Licensed in Florida since: 1972
Education: University of Florida Levin College of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2006 - 2023 Details
A founding partner of Coker Law, Howard C. Coker has developed a well-deserved reputation as a leading civil litigation attorney. He has chaired well over 350 jury trials during his career, providing representation from the firm's office in Jacksonville to people throughout Florida who have been harmed by the negligence of other parties. The types of cases that Mr. Coker has been involved in have encompassed truck and other motor vehicle crashes, premises liability and defective products, and he has been certified as a specialist in civil trial law by The Florida Bar.
Mr. Coker has obtained numerous favorable settlements and jury awards on behalf of his plaintiff clients. Some of his representative successes include an award in excess of $2.7 million for a driver who was seriously injured in a rear-end collision and a $1.475 million jury verdict for a man who slipped and fell in a local football stadium restroom. His fellow attorneys have taken note of these and other results and have awarded him an AV Preeminent* peer review rating through Martindale-Hubbell. In addition, Mr. Coker has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, and he has been named to Florida Trend magazine's annual list of Florida Legal Elite.
Mr. Coker is frequently asked to deliver presentations on topics related to his field of practice at conferences held by The Florida Bar, the Jacksonville Bar Association and other professional groups. His affiliations include the American Association for Justice, the Southern Trial Lawyers Association and the American Board of Trial Advocates. Admitted to practice in Florida, Mr. Coker is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States.
*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.
Practice areas
Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff, Personal Injury - Medical Malpractice: Plaintiff, Personal Injury - Products: PlaintiffFocus areas
Motor Vehicle Accidents, Motor Vehicle Defects, Personal Injury - Plaintiff, Premises Liability - Plaintiff, Trucking Accidents
- 80% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
- 10% Personal Injury - Medical Malpractice: Plaintiff
- 10% Personal Injury - Products: Plaintiff
First Admitted: 1972, Florida
Professional Webpage: http://www.cokerlaw.com/about-us/our-attorneys/howard-coker/
- ABA-TIPS Award, Lifetime Pursuit of Justice, 2011
- International Society of Barristers, Fellow, 1998 - Present
- AV-Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
- Who’s Who in America?
- B.J. Masterson Award for Professionalism, Florida Justice Association, 2005
- Al. J. Cone Lifetime Achievement Award, Florida Justice Association, 2009
- Lawyer of the Year, Jacksonville Financial Times & Daily Record, 2007
- True Champion For Diversity Award, Jacksonville Bar Association, 2009
- Lifetime Achievement Award, Jacksonville Business Journal, 2017
- Gladiator Award for Strength, Skill, Drive and Heart, Florida Justice Association, 2016
- Phi Delta Phi, University of Florida
- Area Chairman of the Year, Florida Ducks Unlimited, 1991 - 1992
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- Lawyer of the Year, American Board of Trial Advocacy, 2003
- Perry Nichols Award, Florida Justice Association, 2006
- Selected Each Year Since Program’s Inception, Florida Super Lawyer, 2006
- Trial Lawyer of the Year, FLABOTA’s, 2007
- Best Lawyers, Personal Injury Lawyer of the Year, Jacksonville, FL, 2010
- Legal Elite, Florida Trend Magazine
- Ultimate Attorney Lifetime Achievement Award, Jacksonville Business Journal, 2017
- Florida Blue Key, University of Florida
- Business Champion of the Year, Learn To Read, 2007
- The Best Lawyers in America
- Golden Eagle Award, Florida Justice Association
- W. McKinley Smiley, Jr. Award, Florida Justice Association, 2006
- Top 100 Florida Super Lawyer
- Jacksonville’s Best Lawyers, Jacksonville Magazine, 2006 - 2009
- Prominent Florida Trial Attorney
- Best Lawyers’, Jacksonville Personal Injury Litigator of the Year, 2014
- Man of the Year, Community Service Award, Bob Hayes, 2017
- Masters in Trial Seminar, Direct of Plaintiff’s Expert, The American Board of Trial Advocates, Speaker, June 2007
- Products Liability: Danger in the Marketplace, Florida College of Advanced Judicial Studies, Speaker, June 2009
- Celebrity Roast Honoring Sheriff Nat Glover, Spina Bifida Association, Roaster, November 1998
- The Florida Bar’s Professionalism Seminar, Florida Bar Convention, Boca Raton, Panelist, June 2000
- Lessons from Courtroom Experience, Florida Justice Association, Jacksonville, Panelist, September 2007
- Delegation Member and Group Leader, People to People, Russia, November 2007
- Diversity Symposium, Jacksonville Bar Association, Moderator, February 2009
- Advanced Trial Advocacy School of The Florida Bar, Faculty, 1991 - 1994
- University of North Florida, Torts: Personal Injury Litigation, Adjunct Professor
- University of North Florida, Legal Investigation for Legal Assistant Students, Adjunct Professor
- Induction of Candidates for Admission to The Florida Bar, Speaker, October 1998
- How to Motivate Members to Use The Florida Bar, Collier County Bar Association, Naples, Speaker, December 1998
- Ethics and Professionalism, 1st DCA Appellate Seminar, Tallahassee, Speaker, January 1999
- Independence of the Judiciary, Clearwater Bar Association, Speaker, March 1999
- State Mock Trial Competition, Tallahassee, Speaker, March 1999
- Professionalism – It Counts, St. Thomas University School of Law, Miami, Speaker, April 1999
- Preparing & Presenting the Effective Opening Statement, Advanced Trial Skills Seminar, Orlando, Speaker, November 1999
- The Role of the Judicial Assistant with Lawyers, 2000 JAAF Winter Educational Conference, Jacksonville Beach, Speaker, February, 2000
- Successful Jury Selection Techniques, Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, General Session Annual Convention, West Palm Beach, Speaker, June 2001
- The Nuts & Bolts of Final Argument, Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, Al J. Cone Trial Advocacy Institute, Orlando, Speaker, August 2001
- Presentation of Voir Dire Examination in Areas of Pre-Existing Injuries and General Damages, Jacksonville Trial Lawyers Association, Jacksonville, Speaker, May 2002
- Voir Dire/25 Mistakes Made by Attorneys, Inaugural Raymond Ehrlich Trial Advocacy Seminar, Jacksonville, Speaker, June 2002
- Navigating the Minefield: Avoiding and Reacting to Improper Statements During Closing Arguments, The Florida Bar 2004 Advanced Evidence Seminar, Orlando, Speaker, April 2004
- Florida Conservation Association, President, 1994
- The Florida Bar Foundation, Life Member
- Florida Supreme Court Historical Society, President, 2005 - Present
- Florida Ducks Unlimited, Life Sponsor
- Learn To Read, Kiss the Pig, Top Fund Raiser, 2007
- The Florida Bar Foundation, Fellow
- University of Florida, President’s Council, 1992 - 1994
- Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, Board of Directors, Chairman
- Spina Bifida Association of Jacksonville, Board of Directors
- University of Florida, National Alumni Association Charter, Life Member
- United States Supreme Court Historical Society
- The Florida Bar, Budget Committee
- American Board of Trial Advocates, Charter Member
- Courts of the State of Florida
- The Florida Bar, Executive Council of the Trial Lawyers Section, Chair, 1992 - 1993
- American Board of Trial Advocates, Charter Fellow
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
- The Florida Bar, Council of Sections, Chair, 1993 - 1994
- Florida Justice Association (Eagle Member), President, 2002 - 2003
- Jacksonville Bar Association
- Advanced Trial Advocacy School of The Florida Bar, Co-Chairman, 1991
- Florida Lawyer Association for the Maintenance of Excellence, Board of Directors, 1995 - 1997
- The Florida Bar, All Bar Conference Committee, 1996
- American Bar Association, Fellow
- Southern Trial Lawyers Association
- The Florida Bar, Section Leadership Conference, Chair
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Board Member, 2003 - 2004
- Florida Innocence Commission, Florida Supreme Court, Member, 2010
- The Florida Bar, Executive Council of the Trial Lawyers Section, 1987 - 1994
- American Board of Trial Advocates, Diplomat, 1995
- U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
- The Florida Bar, Council of Sections, 1991 - 1994
- Florida Federation of American Board of Trial Advocates, Jacksonville Chapter Representative, 1989 - Present
- Supreme Court of the United States
- The Florida Bar, Faculty and Workshop Leader, 1981 - 1992
- First Coast Trial Lawyers Association
- The Florida Bar, Board of Governors, 1994 - 1998
- American Bar Association, House of Delegates, 1997 - 1999
- The Chester Bedell Memorial Foundation, The Chester Bedell Inns of Court Master, 1997
- The Florida Bar, Board Review Committee on Professional Ethics, Chair
- Roscoe Pound Foundation
- Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission, 2008 - Present
- The Florida Bar, Program Evaluation Committee, Chair
- American Board of Trial Advocates, Jacksonville Chapter, President, 1988
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida
- The Florida Bar, Executive Council of the Trial Lawyers Section, Executive Committee, 1989 - 1992
- Florida Federation of American Board of Trial Advocates, President, 1997
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit
- The Florida Bar, Basic Trial Advocacy School of The Florida Bar
- Florida Justice Association (Eagle Member), Board of Directors, 1995 - Present
- The Florida Bar, President, 1998 - 1999
- Advanced Trial Advocacy School of The Florida Bar, Steering Committee, 1992 - 1994
- The Chester Bedell Memorial Foundation, Board of Trustees, 1996 - 2001
- The Florida Bar, Annual Meeting Committee, 1996
- International Academy of Trial Lawyers, Fellow, 2001 - Present
- University of Florida Mock Trial Team Adviser, 1991 - 1996
- Board Certified Civil Trial Specialist, National Board of Trial Advocacy, 1987
- Board Certified in Civil Trial Practice, The Florida Bar, 1985
- University of Florida, Bachelor of Science, 1969
- Slip on Movie Theater Floor Results in Jury Award of $233,000, 2014
- Jury Awards $11.4 Million To Father After Insurance Companies Deny Claims, 2019
- Coker Law Wins Client $11 Million Verdict After Frightening Crash On Mathews Bridge, 2019
- Jury Awards $1.4 Million To Sisters Hit By Truck While Stuck in Traffic , 2019
- Family Vindicated By Jury Verdict of More Than $850,000, 2014
- Insurance Attorney Turns to Coker Law for a Jury Verdict for $2,641,811.74, 2018
- Avid Athlete Receives Jury Verdict and Additional Awards of $3,090,717, 2018
- $22.5 Million Awarded For Catastrophic Highway Crash, 2014
- Jury Finds Stadium Management Negligent in Slip and Fall Accident for $1.475 Million , 2014
- Teamwork Successfully Proves Brain Injury for Jury Verdict of $2,215,000.00, 2018
- Devastating Car Crash Case Concludes with $1.4 Million Verdict & Settlement, 2014
- Jury Awards $3.6 million to Truck Driver’s Family, 2014
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2006 - 2023
Top Lists
Top 25: Jacksonville Super Lawyers: 2019 - 2023Certificates and credentials
Civil Trial
Additional sources of information about Howard C. Coker
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Recent activity
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