The Inspiration:
In 1950, Joe Paterno ("JoePa") began coaching football for Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania. Sixty years later, he has won two NCAA national championships, and is a living legend in college football. Throughout his success, he has remained humble by keeping his telephone number listed in the local white pages. Of course students would prank call him. He did not care.
According to white pages.com, Joe Paterno still has his telephone number public even in 2010. Throughout the years, the student body became protective of JoePa, and it was frowned upon if anyone discussed making a prank call to him. Joe Paterno was a man of the people who kept his humility even through success.
Can I Screen Your Call Please?
We believe that too many injured clients call law firms to talk about their injuries, and too often are speaking to case administrators rather than the lawyers themselves without a full and adequate evaluation. The cases are getting screened and good cases are getting lost.
We believe this has harmed the reputation of lawyers. We disagree that somehow a lawyer's time is more valuable than a person's calling, especially when they are injured.
Over time, we are changing the reputation of lawyers, one client at a time. Many of our current cases come from clients who could not speak to a lawyer right away until they called us. They had immediate questions, and they needed immediate answers. The Red Phone, and treating all people as though there time matters, is the answer.
Only the Red Phone allows you to have personalized service with a lawyer right now.
Cases handled by non-lawyers (i.e. receptionists or case administrators), are skilled at getting the information only, not answering your legal questions. Have you ever called lawyers who advertise that their phones answer 24 hours a day? Try it. Are you speaking to a lawyer or to a receptionist in a different time zone? When you call the red phone, you speak to us.
Our red phone lets clients know that we are there for them. Our red phone is a hot line so that injured clients can speak to us, the actual lawyers, immediately because it is important to them and their time is just as important as ours.
Our Rule #1: No Screening Telephone Calls.
There will be no screening telephone calls at our office. If you call us, we will talk to you. Even at our main office (412.802.6666), secretaries and receptionists are asked to forward calls to the available attorneys immediately without asking questions. You will never have to give your name or purpose of the call to speak to a lawyer at our law firm.
The purpose of your call should not matter. The client has to be more important than the lawyer. If we are on another call, you will be given the opportunity to hold, or we will call you right back.
The example starts at the top. Both Partners
Shawn T. Flaherty, Esq. and
Noah Paul Fardo, Esq. have settled million dollar and multi-million dollar cases. They have had much success in the courtrooms and in their legal careers.
However, both partners, Shawn and Noah, still give their direct office lines to every single client and will continue to do so. We do not avoid client calls ever. We publish our direct office lines on this site.
Shawn Flaherty: 412.802.8366 office direct line
Noah Paul Fardo: 412.802.7080 office direct line
Our Rule #2: It is your money, not ours.
Lawsuits are about money. If you are injured, you need to keep as much money as possible in your pocket. If you are seriously injured, and liability is strong, you need to negotiate your fees with your lawyer and watch costs. (Read
Understanding personal injury fee agreements).
The same is true if you or your business is owed money. You need to be able to collect, without losing more money. You should be able to call your lawyer without worrying about the cost of every telephone call. Our clients appreciate us being available and not having to worry about charging for 5 minute phone calls.
This is changing the reputation of lawyers.