The aftermath of a work injury can be physically, emotionally, and financially exhausting. Having legal representation can really help you in this situation. A lawyer who specializes in work-related injuries can efficiently handle claims for compensation and disputes with employers and insurance companies. It is important to find the best work-related injury lawyer for your particular situation. This guide will walk you through the necessary steps of locating the right lawyer near you.
Comprehend what you require.
It is necessary that you have a good understanding of the situation at hand before you begin your search for an attorney. Work injuries can take many forms––both common and extreme. Sometimes they are relatively mild, like a common slip and fall, whereas other times they are much more severe, like an explosion. And this is just the home base of the attorney you are going to choose. As with any lawyer, it is also vital that you understand the attorney’s office culture and what you should expect during the process of retaining and working with your employment law attorney.
Research qualifications and experience are both very important if you want to do good research. They are what you bring to the table when you want to do research. But what counts as research qualification or experience, and how do these elements impact a research project? These questions seem relatively simple, but when I ask them during my workshops, the answers are anything but. In fact, when I ask workshop participants if they feel they lack either research qualification or experience and if they feel that not having enough of either affects their work, they just about uniformly say yes. And when I ask them why, I get answers like these from nine out of 10 of them.
What you’re searching for is an attorney with a work comp specialization. When you retain a specialist, you retain someone with the experience and the knowledge required to ensure that you get the outcome that you want. Be suspicious of an attorney’s claim to “handle all sorts of cases from Criminal to Wills,” or to “go after any dollar that’s owed; especially bad guys.” You aren’t looking for a Jack-of-all-Trades; you’re looking for someone who knows the way to the office and someone who knows the rules of the game inside that office.
Lawyer’s Background: Think about the amount of experience a lawyer has in dealing with cases like yours. How many trials, mediations, or arbitrations has the lawyer done? Has the lawyer covered the same kind of legal matter before?
Look into the attorney’s standing in the legal community. You can read evaluations and see declarations from past clients, and also find out if the attorney has received any commendations from legal organizations.
Ensure that all credentials and licenses are in order.
It’s important to make sure that any attorney you’re thinking of hiring is allowed to practice law in your state. Normally, you can confirm that by looking at your state’s bar association website, where they might call the attorney a member of the bar. That means they’re licensed to practice in your state. Also, it’s a good idea to make sure the attorney you’re considering has no problems in their past; no threatening email sent to a referee, for example, or ethics charges that were never substantiated.
Arrange Meetings
A lot of lawyers give free consultations at the start, and that can be a really good time for you to talk through your case and see what you think of the way the lawyer talks and thinks about legal problems.
Before you come to the consultation, gather together any papers that might be useful. These could include your medical records, any incident reports, and anything you have written to your employer or their insurance company.
Seeking Consultation: Pose pointed questions about the attorney’s background, successful cases they have tried, and their impressions of your particular matter. Examples of meaningful inquiries might include:
Have they handled any cases like this before?
What were the results of those cases?
What are the payment options for their services (an hourly fee, a contingency fee, etc.)?
Who will be in charge of your case on a daily basis?
Determine if something is compatible.
The lawyer-client relationship holds great importance. When you meet with a potential attorney, it’s crucial to evaluate how well they communicate and what kind of approach they take. Their styles need to mesh with what makes you comfortable. After all, you’re searching for an advocate, someone who will be competent, supportive, and communicative for the duration of your case.
Grasp the concept of fee arrangements.
The majority of lawyers who handle work-related injury cases get paid only if you win your case. The downside of this is that the lawyer keeps a large part of the compensation, which means the injured worker might end up with precious little after paying the medical bills and the lawyer.
Inquire about the portion or fraction of the lawyer’s fee that would be taken as a percentage of the settlement or award.
Ask if there will be any other charges, such as court fees or the cost of obtaining medical records.
Ensure the material is accessible.
Think about a lawyer’s location as well as their availability to talk to you when the two of you need to figure something out. Lawyers who live in the same area as you are just plain easier to get in touch with. If you both are in the same time zone, there’s a better chance that when you call during regular business hours (9 to 5), the lawyer you’re working with can talk right then and there. If both of you are night owls and you like to chat about your case after dark, you can still reach that local attorney more easily. Being in the same area makes communication on your attorney’s and your part more relaxed and fluid.
Decide.
Once you have met with several attorneys and amassed a good amount of information, it is time to compare and contrast all of your options. In order to do this effectively, consider the various elements that make up each attorney. What are their qualifications? What kinds of experience do they bring to the table, especially related to your specific case? Did you get along with them on a personal level? Did you find their fee structure appealing at all, or, conversely, was it hard for you to get a solid number from them? All of these questions, and more still, are worth taking the time to mull over.
Ensuring you hire the most competent attorney for your work-related injury case takes time and detailed analysis of each candidate’s qualifications and compatibility with your specific needs. Lawyers exist in abundance, but the professional who fits the delicate criteria of your situation isn’t just going to come waltzing through the door. Speaking of work-related injuries, they are far too important to the injured person to be handed off to just any attorney and expect a favorable return. “Specialize or perish” is the timeless dictum of the professional who wants to deliver maximally and who wants to be there for their client through thick and thin.
