Ben Cochran Interviewed by NBC17 on Durham Manhole Cover Deaths
The Hardison & Cochran Kings
In August of 2011, Hardison & Cochran sponsored a youth basketball team from Raleigh named the Kings. To keep up with the progress of the team, please view our updates on our blog. If you would like to view more pictures of the team, please view our photo gallery on our Facebook page.
Hardison & Cochran featured in recent newspaper article
The article, in its entirety, is below:
Since Attorney Ken Hardison launched his North Carolina based law practice in 1982, the firm has undergone numerous name changes based on different partners, as well as shifts in the types of cases it primarily handles. In 2000, shortly after its focus became what it is today—injury and disability law—Ben Cochran was in his second year at Campbell Law School in Buies Creek when he responded to an ad for a summer clerkship.
Then known as Hardison & Leone, the firm needed someone to assist doing motions and briefs, especially in the area of workers’ comp. Cochran secured a provisional license—which allows someone to practice law under the guidance of a supervising attorney from the North Carolina State Bar–so that he could take on more duties even though he had not yet graduated.
Hardison and Cochran hit it off immediately, bonded by the same goals and value system, and Hardison was able to mentor Cochran and bring him along at a faster pace than most clerks. In the small knit community of workers’ comp lawyers in North Carolina, Cochran—who grew up in High Point, not far from Raleigh–was able to establish himself quickly as a force to be reckoned with and was participating in all levels of litigation by the time he graduated. Once Cochran was out of school and hired on full time, Hardison had full confidence that the young attorney could make an impact in the area of workers’ comp; the firm handled several hundred cases at any given time and Cochran got right to work.
“When I joined the firm originally, it wasn’t definite that I would become a workers’ comp specialist,” he says. “But it was clear to me very quickly that I had a knack for it. Workers’ Comp is a statutory construction based on statutes in North Carolina, so it’s not a heavily practiced area. Most of the lawyers that do it have a long history in it already. It’s not typical for new plaintiff’s lawyers to dive into because it’s so complex.
“To be successful at this,” Cochran adds, “you have to be able to relate to your clients, which I feel I can because I have been working from the time I was 15 years old. I grew up in a working class home and my father worked in textile mills most of his life. Then he moved for a job to New York and I became the man of the house and continue to worked all through school and college. I enjoy having the opportunity to help educate clients through each step of their claim. The challenge is to explain very complex issues to common working folks in ways that are factual yet comforting and reassuring.”
Cochran, who has the rare distinction of being a Board Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation, became Hardison’s partner in 2006. Hardison & Cochran, whose website slogan says “We Make It Happen By Putting You First,” has grown since then from six to 11 lawyers—and Cochran has been the firm’s highest earning attorney since he came on board. As the Managing Partner of the Firm, he holds memberships in the American Trial Lawyers Association, the North Carolina Bar Association, and the North Carolina Advocates for Justice where he is in the Leaders’ Forum. As a compassionate believer in educating others of their rights, he often speaks publicly and has authored a book for residents of the Tar Heel State entitled “Nine Common Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Workers’ Compensation Case And How To Avoid Making Them.”
Cochran believes in a team approach when it comes to handling a client’s case. He feels that everyone in a selected division should be intimate with the details of a case. This way not only one person can help the client, but everyone on any given day can be of assistance.
From the start of their unique partnership, Hardison and Cochran were dedicated to the belief that a new type of law firm was needed in today’s day and age. Their vision centers on providing outstanding results gained from an experienced team of professionals with personal attention to the client and uncompromising integrity. Offering much more than just words, every attorney, paralegal, and staff member at Hardison & Cochran is committed to meeting the needs of the client.
The firm’s focus on making things happen and putting the client first has proven successful. From the original office located in Dunn, North Carolina (some 35 miles east of Raleigh), the firm has grown to add offices in Raleigh, Fayetteville, Southern Pines, Durham, Wilmington, and New Bern. Among the types of cases they handle are: personal injury, car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, worker’s compensation, catastrophic injuries, dog bites, swimming pool accidents, bicycle accidents, school bus accidents, traumatic brain injury (TBI), burn injuries, dangerous drugs, defective medical devices, nursing home negligence and social security disability.
“In regards to workers’ comp,” says Cochran, “we mainly handle claims where the client is unable to return back to his or her position, where their insurance doesn’t provide appropriate medical treatment, or the insurance company denies their claim flat out. Most of our claims are neck and back injuries, from folks performing manual labor on the job. They’re usual one time injuries rather than progressive occupational diseases that happen due to the repetitious activity of the job but we do handle those as well.”
When we say we’re different,” he adds, “it’s because we have been able to create an efficient working environment where we will only take on cases where we think we can offer benefit to our clients. If we assess from what they give us up front that they can solve their claim without us, we won’t take it. I will encourage them to resolve it without having to incur an attorney fee when it is unnecessary when the insurance company makes a good offer. The difference between workers’ compensation and regular personal injury cases is that employees with a workers’ compensation claim are not compensated for their pain and suffering. To the insurance company, it’s all about the numbers—the injured workers’ loss of wage earning capacity, permanency, and medical expenses based on their injury. This can reach into the millions for people who are permanently disabled and require years of attendant care. But to us, it is not about the numbers, we’ll take the case for any injured worker who is recommended for any medical treatment but whose employer’s insurance company denies the need for it.”
Hardison & Cochran’s website has a tab that reads “How We’re Different,” that includes three sub-tabs: Client Bill of Rights, Client Advocate and Satisfaction Guarantee. The “bill of rights” is as follows:
We believe as our client you have the:
1. Right to talk to your attorney the same day you call.
2. Right to be updated regularly and in a timely manner as to the progress of your case.
3. Right to our respect.
4. Right to expect competence from our firm and all who work here.
5. Right to know the truth about your case.
6. Right to prompt attention from us.
7. Right to have your legal rights and options explained in plain English without legal mumbo jumbo.
8. Right to a fair written fee agreement with our firm.
9. Right to a fair fee for the work we do.
10. Right to make the ultimate decision on your case.
Hardison and Cochran also has staff member Marilyn Beasley as the firm’s Client Advocate. Her duties include: talking to our clients if they are unhappy with their services; taking steps to investigate and remedy the concern of the client; offering same day response to any complaint from a client; receiving praises and compliments for attorneys and staff; making sure attorneys and staff who are complimented by our clients receive the proper recognition; and doing random client surveys to make sure we are meeting our goals of personal attention to our client. Marilyn also has direct access to both partners to resolve the concerns of our clients and anything told to her about your case is protected by the client confidentiality imposed on our law firm.
In the workers’ comp department, Cochran assigns each client a dedicated licensed adjuster—there are currently four who work for the firm–who is there to answer any questions and give ongoing updates in the case. If legal advice is requested, the adjuster will get the attorney on the phone.
“We’re not as concerned about the value of our clients’ cases as we are about providing them with exceptional legal services and making them realize the importance of the case to them,” he says. “They all have injuries which impact them differently, but no matter the specifics, our goal is always to make their lives easier and better. The good part about workers’ comp is that there’s always something going on. My ultimate enjoyment comes from helping people get the appropriate medical treatment they need, which had been denied, and getting them back to work at the earliest possible time at a decent wage. We may not be able to give them everything they’ve lost but we give them the means to have as normal a day to day life as they can. I know we’ve done a good job when we get a referral of a friend or family member from a satisfied client. A lot of folks thank us for what we do, but when someone trusts us enough to send a loved one our way, it lets us know we’ve truly done well by them.”
Hardison & Cochran and Ben Cochran picked as favorites in Raleigh
In the April 2011 edition the “Raleigh Downtowner”, the magazine unveiled their readers favorites in over 100 catagories for the city of Raleigh. Topping the list of “Favorite Law Firm” was Hardison & Cochran. In the “Local People” section, Hardison & Cochran Managing Partner, Ben Cochran was listed as the city’s second favorite attorney.
The “Raleigh Downtowner” is a monthly magazine which is dedicated to the coverage of downtown Raleigh. To see a PDF file of the April 2011 edition of the “Raleigh Downtowner”, please click here.
Lawyer’s Weekly highlights Hardison & Cochran Workers’ Compensation case
Lawyer’s Weekly recently published the case of Lassister v. Glover Printing, Inc., represented by Ben Cochran, Partner of Hardison & Cochran, as one of its Top 100 Opinions in North Carolina law for 2007.
Barbara Lassister suffered work-related injuries that prevented her from continuing her job at Glover Printing. Her employer hired a vocational specialist to find her a different position – however, when the new job she was offered paid one fifth of her previous wage and required a 31-mile commute, Ms. Lassister turned it down.
Glover Printing, Inc. contended they had met their obligation by finding the new job for Ms. Lassister, and that they should not have to pay further benefits.
Ben Cochran of Hardison & Cochran, Supervising Partner [Workers' Compensation], argued that such an unsuitable job was not enough compensation for her injuries – and that Ms. Lassister was entitled to financial damages.
In a groundbreaking decision expected to impact future cases, The North Carolina Industrial Commission agreed and awarded Ms. Lassister Workers’ Compensation benefits.
