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| About the Firm | ||
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The
firm started in 1996 with a focus on small business representation
and employment law. Over the years the firm has helped dozens of
new entrepreneurs start their businesses and navigate the complexities
of starting a new business. In addition to formation, small business
cases include tax and zoning disputes, contract
disputes, customer complaints and employment law
issues. |
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In
response to requests from area doctors to help their injured patients,
the firm started handling workers compensation claims in 1997. Growing
to one of the biggest workers compensation firms in the State by
2003*. |
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Many
clients who have been injured on the job also have third party claims
arising from how they got hurt (for example they may have been on
a construction site or in a car accident) so in
order to fully protect the rights of these clients, the firm expanded
into personal injury claims in 1999. By 2003 the firm was handling
hundreds of personal injury claims ranging from motor vehicle accidents
to falling objects on construction sites, to slip and falls. |
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The
firm has recovered millions of dollars in benefits for injured persons!
However, the firm is not just about dollars. We work with our clients
to help them find retraining and housing assistance to get their
lives back on track after devastating injuries. The firm prides
itself on being tough on their own clients – not allowing
clients to sit back and wait for a lawsuit to fix their problems
and motivating them to get fully treated and retrained so that they
can reenter the workforce as soon as possible in the highest and
most productive fashion. |
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As
a full service firm, we also handle a variety of real estate
closings for our clients who have bought or sold a home
and wills for clients that do not have estate planning
documents in place. |
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| *Based
upon data published by the Texas Workers Compensation Commission
about the billing and number of clients handled by attorneys before
the TWCC in 2003. |
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| The Attorneys | ||
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| Joan Durkin | ||
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Joan
Durkin is the President of the firm and is the Senior Attorney.
She has been practicing law for over a decade. BUSINESS EXPERIENCE - In addition to holding an MBA degree, she is a business owner and has served on the Board of Directors of the Hurst-Euless-Bedford Chamber of Commerce, which gives her a unique insight into the needs of small business. MEDIATION EXPERIENCE - Joan has resolved over 500 unfair labor practice cases, over 200 disputed benefit cases, over 50 U.S. Air Force employment cases, dozens of private sector employment disputes. Additionally Joan has mediated dozens of general civil and family law cases for Dispute Resolution Services of Tarrant County. TRAINING - Joan is a highly sought after speaker and trainer. WORKERS' COMPENSATION - Joan has served as a former hearing officer for the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission, so she is very familiar with the workers compensation laws and the operation of the TWCC. She has handled over 500 disputed benefit cases and has a success rate in excess of 90%. While past performance is not a predictor of future results, it shows that experience counts! EDUCATION BA from the University of Texas at Arlington MBA from the University of North Texas JD from Southern Methodist University Law School. Ms. Durkin is also an experienced mediator with over eight years experience. She has over 200 hours of specialized alternate dispute resolution training including courses from the: Attorney-Mediator Institute Dispute Resolution Services Federal Labor Relations Authority Resolution Group Dallas Bar Association |
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| Support Staff | ||
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LITIGATION
LEGAL ASSISTANT Cases that have been filed in State or Federal Court are handled by a legal assistant who has at least ten years experience with drafting pleadings, scheduling hearings, drafting discovery and responses, preparing witnesses for deposition and hearing. The legal assistant handles most of the communication with the client in gathering facts and data needed by the attorneys to evaluate and litigate the case. |
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PRE-LITIGATION
LEGAL ASSISTANT Cases that involve employment claims or injuries (other than work comp), as well as non litigation matters such as wills and real estate are handled by the prelit assistant. The legal assistant handles most of the communication with the client in gathering facts and data needed by the attorneys to evaluate and negotiate the case. |
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WORKERS
COMPENSATION ASSISTANT Cases before the Division of Workers Compensation involve a high degree of specialized knowledge of the forms, deadlines and systems. Legal assistants that handle these cases are well trained and knowledgeable about medical terminology, work comp terminology and deadlines, work comp forms and case handling strategy. The legal assistant handles most of the daily communication with the client, health care providers and adjusters as well as the Division of Workers Compensation. |
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INTAKE
COORDINATOR Potential clients will speak with an intake coordinator whose job it is, to gather as much relevant data as they can in a short period of time so that the attorneys will have enough information to evaluate the case and the caller will not have to repeat the same information again and again. The intake coordinator must ask for a great deal of detail in order for us to be able to determine if we can help the caller. |
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FRONT
OFFICE Front office staff deal with walk in clients, mail handling and billing. They are the firms first contact with potential customers and they are continuously trained in customer service techniques. |
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| Durkin
Law Offices, P.C. 669 Airport Freeway, Ste. 107 Hurst, Texas 76053 817-545-9700 817-268-8899 (metro) 817-545-5071 (fax) |
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