Have you recently been injured on the job and don’t feel as though you’re getting justly compensated? You may want to consider looking into hiring a worker’s compensation attorney. With the right attorney in your corner, you could walk away with thousands of dollars more in your pocket than if you attempted the legal process on your own. If you’ve never hired an attorney before, you may have some questions about what to look for and where to start. Luckily, these tips were designed to help you navigate the vetting process to ensure you hire a qualified, knowledgeable attorney to handle your worker’s compensation case.
Get a Free Consult
When you’re working with an attorney, you’ll first have to go in for a consultation. A good worker’s compensation attorney won’t charge you for an initial consultation so if you’re meeting with someone and they want to charge you, that should be a major red flag to walk away. Your initial consultation should also be in person, not over the phone. In-person consultations give you a better chance to feel the attorney out to see if he’ll be a good fit for your case.
Ask Questions
When meeting with your attorney, you should come prepared with some questions. One of the first things you’ll want to ask if how much time they’ll be able to dedicate to your case. Some attorneys handle numerous cases at a time and may not be able to dedicate the time you need to handle your case. Other firms hand off cases to junior-level attorneys who may not have as much experience to handle your case. When you meet with your attorney, be sure they’ll be the one handling your case and that they’ll have the necessary time to dedicate to it.
Meet with More than One Attorney
As is with any situation, you should never go with the first attorney you meet or you may end up finding you aren’t getting the best professional or best deal for your case. Plan to interview at least two to three attorneys before you decide you who want to handle your case. This will give you time to determine who is the best fit, who will be able to dedicate the most time, and who will get you the best return on your case. You should also research each attorney you meet with to see what their success rate is with their cases and whether or not clients have had issues with them in the past.
Be Careful when Signing
Read through any contracts or paperwork your attorney presents you very carefully before you agree to sign anything. While it makes sense for your attorney to handle most of the nuances of your case to expedite the process, you ultimately are the decision maker of whether or not you want to accept a final settlement. If an attorney requests in the paperwork that you sign away your right to agreeing on a settlement, it could be a red flag and you may want to consider working with somebody else.
Getting a settlement for your on-the-job injury can take time. However, with the right attorney behind you, you should have no issues getting the settlement you need.
