Since deciding to transition from insurance defense work to working on behalf of injured people, Dana Jacobs has become an invaluable member of the Coker Law team. Her clients and her team benefit from her decade of experience representing insurance companies and their insureds from her years spent sitting across the aisle.
It all began at the University of Florida where Jacobs graduated in the top five of her class from the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communication where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in public relations and a minor in criminology. Before returning to UF as a “Double Gator” for law school, she spent a year working at a medical malpractice firm in south Florida.
During law school, Jacobs shares that personal injury work wasn’t initially on her radar. Although she enjoyed her classes focused on trial practice, appellate advocacy as well as legal research and writing, she initially thought she was going to pursue a career in family law. In her third year, however, she interviewed with a female attorney from a Jacksonville insurance defense firm where she ended up practicing immediately after graduation.
“By working on the defense side, I learned the ins and outs of personal injury law and developed a passion for it. I can’t imagine any other type of law being a better fit for me,” she said.
She joined Coker Law in 2019.
“When I think back on the time I decided to switch sides to do personal injury work on behalf of injured people and their families, I recall feeling extremely anxious,” Jacobs said. “I worried I had been programmed a certain way that would make relating to clients difficult.”
She quickly discovered her worries were unfounded. “Getting to know my clients and helping them navigate their way through the claim and litigation process has become my favorite part of this job,” she added. “Personally, I feel a great sense of pride and satisfaction when I am able to help my clients.”
Today, in addition to her practice, Jacobs is involved in many community organizations including the Jewish Community Alliance, her Temple, as well as the Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association and the Jacksonville Bar Association.
Outside the office, she spends as much time as she can with her husband, Kyle, and their son, Benjamin. She enjoys playing board games, reading, swimming and traveling.
She also has a passion for music. “Singing, dancing and playing the piano have always been my passion, but especially singing,” she said. “Whether it’s in the car, around the house, or in the hallways of my office, I’d sing pretty much any song stuck in my head. Also, my husband and son know I can take almost any phrase they speak, and find a song to even remotely fit those words and begin singing lyrics from a song to match the words that had been spoken. I may not always be correct with the lyrics, but I’ll sing whatever I think they are as if I’m right!”
Looking ahead in her career, Jacobs hopes to get enough trials during the required time period so she can apply for board certification in civil trial law.
