FAQs

Questions:

• I'm not sure if I want to file a lawsuit. How much time do I have to decide?
• I don't have the money to pay an attorney. How can people like me afford to file a lawsuit?
• How much will it cost me to hire Gordon McKernan and the McKernan Law Firm?
• What if I am not able to come to your office?
• Are you available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?
• Will I meet with a lawyer?
• Will my case be settled or will I have to go to court?
• How much is my case worth?
• How long will it take me to get my recovery?
• An insurance adjuster wants me to settle without a lawyer, what should I do? Should I get one?
• Why should I hire Gordon McKernan and the McKernan Law Firm instead of another law firm?

Answers:

I'm not sure if I want to file a lawsuit. How much time do I have to decide?

The time limits for filing a lawsuit differ from state to state. For example, in Louisiana, you typically only have one year from the date you knew or should have known of your injury or disease to file suit.

I don't have the money to pay an attorney. How can people like me afford to file a lawsuit?

If Gordon McKernan and the McKernan Law Firm represent you in your lawsuit, you do not have to worry about having to come up with the money to pay for legal fees and expenses. Gordon McKernan and the McKernan Law Firm represent clients on a contingency fee basis. Under our contingency fee contract, Gordon McKernan and the McKernan Law Firm only get paid if you get paid. You pay no money upfront or while the case is ongoing. Once we recover money for you, we receive a percentage of your total recovery plus the reimbursement of our case costs. If your lawsuit is unsuccessful, we do not get paid anything and we lose our case costs.

How much will it cost me to hire Gordon McKernan and the McKernan Law Firm?

• It will cost you nothing unless we recover money for you.
• Your initial consultation and phone calls are free.
• Our attorney fee is a percentage of your recovery.
• We will advance all costs for investigators, experts, filing fees, and other expenses associated with obtaining the maximum recovery possible.
• If a recovery is not made, you pay none of these costs back, and you do not pay any legal fees.
• We do not charge any fee for helping you settle your claim for property damage to your vehicle.

What if I am not able to come to your office?

If you are not able to travel to our office for any reason, a lawyer or representative of Gordon McKernan and the McKernan Law Firm will meet with you at your house, the hospital, a restaurant or any meeting place you desire.

Are you available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?

Yes. We are open five days a week from 8:30-5:00. In addition, our lawyers and intake department is on 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. If you call after normal work hours, you will typically be connected to a lawyer.

Will I meet with a lawyer?

Yes. You will always meet with a lawyer during your case. In fact, if you ever desire to meet Gordon, he is always available to answer any questions.

Will my case be settled or will I have to go to court?

It depends. We work for you. We will give you our best advice about any offer the insurance company offers. If the insurance company for the person who caused the injury is willing to offer a fair settlement, you might not have to file a lawsuit.

How much is my case worth?

This is a very hard question. Many lawyers fall into the trap of answering this question without knowing all of the facts and issues. Worse, some lawyers intentionally exaggerate the value of the case to the potential client so that client will retain the lawyer.

Gordon McKernan and the McKernan Law Firm recognize that each case is unique. We believe that it is difficult for any attorney to determine how much compensation a person might expect from a lawsuit for a personal injury before your case has been fully investigated and litigated. Our ability to obtain compensation for you will depend on many factors such as the nature of your injury or disease, the causation connection between your injury or disease to the person or thing that caused your harm, the financial condition of the person or companies responsible for your injury or disease, and the laws of the state or jurisdiction governing your claims.

Gordon McKernan and the McKernan Law Firm believe that no amount of money could ever fully and fairly compensate a person for the loss of health, life or a loved one. Further, it is not our regular practice at the outset of a case to give a specific amount that a potential case is worth. We will give our clients a realistic general range. If they need a more specific figure, we would first have to investigate the case before we could determine a more precise figure. We do not want to mislead our clients at any time and we believe that it is wrong to just throw out a figure in the beginning simply to impress the client.

How long will it take me to get my recovery?

Every case is unique and has a different set of factual and legal issues. Therefore, it is hard to quantify the time process of each case. Our experience is that almost ninety percent of all cases are settled out of court, usually between three – nine months from the date of the accident. However, if you have to file a lawsuit, it typically takes longer, between one – three years.

An insurance adjuster wants me to settle without a lawyer, what should I do? Should I get one?

First, the adjuster works for an insurance company. His or her job is to settle the case as cheaply as possible. Most likely, he or she will not explain to you all of your legal rights and consequences of your settlement. This is why it is a good idea to consult with an attorney before accepting any offer made to you by an insurance company.

Why should I hire Gordon McKernan and the McKernan Law Firm instead of another law firm?

Choosing an attorney to represent you in your lawsuit is a personal decision. You should feel good about the people at the law firm that you deal with and be satisfied with any answers to your questions before you hire an attorney.

When deciding to hire an attorney for any kind of legal service, you should feel confident that they have the experience and knowledge to represent you well. You might ask the following questions of attorneys who would represent you in an asbestos or toxic tort case:

• How long has your law firm been in active trial practice?
• How many cases has your firm tried? How many cases like mine has your law firm actually handled? Have you taken any to trial? What kind of verdicts have you obtained in such cases?
• Will your law firm actually work on my case, or will you refer my case to another law firm? If you are likely to refer my case elsewhere, what is the name of the law firm(s) that you might send my case to?

Because we are prepared to take any client's case to trial, have lawyers who are seasoned trial lawyers and have been very successful in winning major trial victories, we believe that we are in a position to obtain an optimal outcome for our clients. Even if you prefer to settle out-of-court, our strong trial record helps us negotiate a good settlement for our clients. Do not be afraid to ask a potential law firm interested in your case about their trial record.

As a law firm that has over 100 years total legal experience, Gordon McKernan and the McKernan Law Firm has the knowledge and ability to represent almost any type of case which would require a skilled advocate. Not only will your case be handled by a great legal team, it will also be handled with compassion, conviction and care. You will always be able to speak with a lawyer about your case.

When deciding on a law firm to hire, we invite you to consider Gordon McKernan and the McKernan Law Firm. We believe that you will be favorably impressed by our experience, track record, reputation in the legal community, and the caring, friendly attention you will receive from our attorneys and staff.