Referrals

Garmer & O'Brien, LLP, is a highly-respected, AV^®-rated Lexington, Kentucky, personal injury law firm with a statewide practice. We devote our practice to representing plaintiffs who have suffered catastrophic injury or death, and we have earned a reputation for achieving excellent results for those clients. Among our areas of practice are medical negligence, products liability, and nursing home abuse, but we have the experience and resources to take on almost any tort action involving severe injury or death. Our experience ranges from single-victim acts of negligence to mass torts and federal multi-district litigation.

Our attorneys are active trial lawyers and appellate advocates. Our philosophy is to prepare every case under the assumption that it will ultimately be decided by a jury, and the lawyers of Garmer & O'Brien are always prepared to stand before the court and say, "The Plaintiff is ready, Your Honor." We take a comprehensive approach to every case, and handle each one from investigation to verdict through the last appeal.

Our attorneys have been innovators and trendsetters in Kentucky law for more than three decades. Attorneys here are responsible for the decisions in cases like Hilen v. Hays, 673 S.W.2d 713 (Ky. 1984), in which the Kentucky Supreme Court adopted comparative negligence, and Williams v. St. Claire Medical Center, 657 S.W.2d 590 (Ky. App. 1983), in which the Court adopted the doctrine of ostensible agency, holding hospitals liable for the acts of physicians acting as independent contractors. Among them, they have more than thirty published cases, have handled more than 150 cases before Kentucky's appellate courts, and have been called on to file Amicus Curiae briefs on behalf of the Kentucky Justice Association.

We practice in every state and federal court in the Commonwealth. Whether your client's cause of action accrued in Lexington, Louisville, Covington, or anywhere else from the Big Sandy to the Mississippi, we stand ready to help you and your client.

Let us be your litigation practice group

Major personal injury cases require an enormous expenditure of time and money, and may take years to reach a conclusion that results in a return on the lawyer's substantial investment. It can be a risky proposition and heavy financial burden to take on a single plaintiff's case. If you are an attorney or firm who does not routinely handle contingency cases, or who just does not have the time or inclination to give a catastrophic injury case the attention it demands, please contact Garmer & O'Brien. Catastrophic injury cases are all we do. We have the experience and the staff resources to evaluate your case, and then work with you through final resolution.

Let us be your local counsel

Sometimes a resident of another state is hurt while in Kentucky. Other times, a Kentucky resident seeks counsel from an out-of-state attorney who has particular experience fitting the client's personalized legal needs, but who is not licensed to practice in Kentucky. Or, it may be beneficial to file your case in a Kentucky state or federal court when your client has a choice among several proper venues.

We are always glad to discuss these legal issues with other attorneys, and provide our analysis to help you decide where to file your case. Should you decide to file in Kentucky, we will support your motion for admission pro hac vice, working closely with you throughout the case. Or, if you prefer, we will take responsibility for the case from top to bottom, alleviating you of worry about idiosyncratic rules of procedure and tricky foreign law, as well as the burden of frequent travel to a far-off venue.

Kentucky's Statute of Limitations, generally found at KRS 413.010-340, is often just one year in personal injury cases. If you are an out-of-state attorney with a possible cause of action in Kentucky, contact us or another Kentucky lawyer as soon as possible.

Fee arrangements

We are never a "silent partner." At Garmer & O'Brien, if we put our name on a case, we will be actively involved in every stage of the litigation. Our fee-sharing arrangements are negotiated on a case-by-case basis, and reflect the high level of involvement and experience we bring to the case. Agreements are based on many factors, including the relative participation of each firm in the day-to-day conduct of the case, provision of administrative support services, and division of expenses. If you prefer not to remain actively involved in a case, we will take full responsibility for the case.

All fee-sharing agreements are designed to be in full compliance with the Kentucky Rules of Professional Conduct. We take our professional reputation seriously, and strive to conduct our practice in accordance with the highest ethical standards of our profession and our society; we expect that our co-counsel will always do the same.