The law firm of Kerrigan Estess Rankin McLeod & Thompson LLP maintains a statewide practice concentrated in Northwest Florida that is devoted primarily to matters of personal injury and accidental death. Our objective is to provide each client with a complete range of services necessary to secure maximum compensation for the damages and distress he or she has suffered. To that end we have assembled within the firm an association of highly skilled specialists: a team consisting of attorneys, medical advisors, investigators, paralegal personnel, secretaries, and others, all of whom are available to serve the client.

ALL OUR LAWYERS ARE PARTNERS WITH EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE

Robert G. Kerrigan and George W. Estess formed the firm of Kerrigan & Estess in Pensacola in 1975. William Rankin joined the firm in 1978, and in 1980 the name was changed to Kerrigan Estess & Rankin. The addition of T. Michael McLeod occurred in 1984 and he became a partner in 1990. Randle D. Thompson joined the firm in 1993 and became a partner in 2002.

THE BENEFITS OF SPECIALIZATION

The firm began specializing in the area of personal injury and accidental death in 1979. There were several compelling reasons. It was an area of law in which the partners enjoyed practicing and one which permitted them to assist people directly, at perhaps the most distressed periods of their clients' lives. It also satisfied the partners' preference for trial work. Furthermore, personal injury litigation was a highly challenging field, and one of ever changing and growing complexity. It was the firm's belief that the clients' interests would best be served by a firm which gave all its energy to this specialty. The concept also included the development within the firm of all necessary support services. This has resulted in a high staff-to-attorney ratio. The client can be sure that his or her case will receive the attention of one or more of these proven specialists.

SUCCESS IN THE COURTROOM

Kerrigan Estess Rankin McLeod & Thompson LLP was the first firm in this part of the Gulf Coast to take this purely specialist approach. Since 1979, the wisdom of that decision has been amply proven in practice. Whereas most suits are settled out of court, in the past five years alone the firm has achieved jury verdicts of well over 14 million dollars. Our firm has all of the resources that larger firms offer, but as a firm of five lawyers we can provide the kind of hands-on, personal service to our clients that is usually unavailable from large firms. This means that clients can expect their phone calls to be returned promptly. We will keep you informed on the status of your case every step of the way. We speak to our clients about their concerns in plain language. Our lawyers are available to travel to meet clients and their families in hospitals, nursing homes, and their homes.

We have years of experience representing clients before judges and juries. We are tenacious and we move cases toward resolution whether through trial, settlement, or alternative resolution. We thoroughly research, analyze, and prepare each case and we will not enter a courtroom or a settlement conference unless we know each and every legal, factual, and strategic detail. We understand how to work within the justice system and use its rules and procedures for our clients' best advantage. Our years of experience and reputation for tough-minded advocacy on behalf of our clients frequently enable us to reach a timely and successful resolution with opposing lawyers through negotiation and settlement. But we will never hesitate to proceed to a jury verdict when it is in the best interest of a client.

Our firm understands that a personal injury or trauma can change a client's entire life and the legal matters that accompany the injury frequently cause additional stress and anxiety. As your legal representative, we will be aggressive advocates on your behalf and we will do everything we can to make your experience with the legal process as free from emotional and personal frustration as possible.