How To Find the Best Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
If you have sustained a work-related injury and need to file a workers’ compensation claim, an experienced attorney can help navigate you through your case. Cases with severe injury, permanent disability, or occupational disease are particularly complex cases that a personal injury attorney should always handle. A lawyer will provide you with sound legal advice and get you the compensation you are owed under the law. When hiring a lawyer, how do you find the right workers’ compensation lawyer for your needs?
Signs of a Good Workers’ Comp Lawyer
While every lawyer and law firm is different, there are some common factors that you should look out for:
Workers’ Compensation is their Primary Practice Area
Much like medicine, law also has specialized fields, and lawyers typically focus their work on a few main areas of practice. By specializing in a couple of practice areas, they gain more experience and knowledge to be the most effective for their clients. It’s important then that you need a workers’ compensation lawyer to handle your workers’ comp case just as you’d go to a neurologist for brain troubles. While this may seem obvious, it might be tempting to ask an attorney you already know to help you, but if they don’t have a background in workers’ comp, their inexperience could be a hindrance to your claim. When you are dealing with lost wages or needing compensation for permanent disability or other medical care, you want to make sure you hire the right attorney. Trusting an attorney without workers’ comp claim experience could result in not getting your full benefits or, worse, your claim being unnecessarily denied. That’s why it’s important to hire an attorney who dedicates a large amount of their practice to workers’ comp.
They Have Plenty of Experience in Workers’ Comp
When trying to find the right lawyer, they should have substantial experience in workers’ comp cases in your state. As workers’ comp is a state-run program with specific statutes and procedures for each state, knowing your lawyer is experienced in these details will ensure your claim is filed correctly.
They Will Fit Your Case’s Specific Needs
Even within the practice of workers’ comp, every attorney has a different approach to handling a claim, and you might find that one is a better fit for your needs than another. For example, if you started the process on your own but then decided to hire a lawyer to help you, you will need to find a lawyer that will take on a case once it’s already begun. It’s important to note that some lawyers only want to take cases from the beginning, especially if you are dealing with a denied claim. Also, some claims that involve occupational diseases like mesothelioma require lawyers with experience with those exact claims.
They Have a Good Reputation
When deciding on the attorney you want to work with, don’t be afraid you read past clients’ reviews and feedback about their experience to ensure that the lawyer has a reputation for successful work. You can also see if the attorney you are considering holds positions in legal associations or communities that would add to their favorable position in the legal field. Awards or accolades that show the attorney has been recognized for their work and respected by their clients, peers, and profession are a good sign.
They Have Good Communication
A common complaint clients have about their attorneys is poor communication and feeling that they cannot get in touch with them when needed. Not knowing the status of your claim or what work your attorney is doing can only add to the stress you have experienced from your injury—you should know exactly where your case is and feel confident that the attorney is moving it forward. After you have an initial consultation with a potential lawyer, a good indication of this is how much they communicate with you after this meeting. If you feel you have been “ghosted” after your meeting and can’t get in touch with them for an update, this is probably a sign that they will continue to have such poor communication after you’ve hired them.
Final Thoughts
It is important to remember that a lawyer is there to help you, and if you feel that they are making the workers’ comp claim process more stressful, this is a good indication that they are not a good fit for you. By looking for these key signs of a good lawyer, you can ensure you hire an experienced and effective workers’ compensation lawyer who will provide you with expert legal assistance to get you the compensation you are owed.
