If you have been injured on the job, you deserve compensation. However, the process of pursuing compensation can be tricky, especially if you lack sufficient legal expertise in the area. Fortunately, you can always hire a workers compensation lawyer to protect your rights. Understand that not all legal practitioners would have your rights at heart, making it critical to take your time when choosing a lawyer. You should also research the traits of a dependable workers compensation attorney before starting your hunt for one. Below are timely guidelines to help you find a dependable legal practitioner.
Firstly, you need a practitioner that is available for you. Your case should start as early as possible, particularly where there are extensive medical bills to settle. Therefore, you need a provider that would start working on your case immediately. Ask about their availability after taking the case. It could be that they are willing to sign you up and start gathering evidence immediately. If they would start dragging their feet afterward, however, working with them would be a bad decision. Since the case is likely to go to trial if mediation fails, ensure that your legal practitioner is available throughout the trial.
How experienced are they? While any legal practitioner can represent you, it would be a mistake hiring just anyone. Since insurance adjusters are difficult to work with, you need a practitioner with expertise handling them. Most importantly, your lawyer must be capable of taking your case to trial and winning it. Since different states have different workers compensation laws, you should work only with a professional familiar with your local laws. It pays to ask about their experience handling cases similar to yours. If the case is likely to go to trial, you need proof that they have won a good percentage of the cases they take to trial. Most importantly, they should have secured substantial compensation amounts for their clients.
Will they manage your case personally? Understand that some lawyers delegate or even outsource cases.A lawyer with a big law firm, for instance, is likely to focus only on bigger and more promising personal injury cases. If your potential one does, you should ask whether they would outsource yours. While outsourcing can work, there is no guarantee that they would entrust your case to a competent and reliable practitioner. Your potential provider should be clear from the beginning regarding who your legal team would comprise.
Are their services affordable? While you should not choose a legal practitioner based on fees only, it would be a mistake hiring one without asking about their fees. Most workers compensation lawyers have multiple billing methods including a fixed rate, an hourly charge, and a contingency fee. Evaluating the billing methods available would help you choose one that works for you. If you prefer one that works on a contingency basis, you should inquire regarding their terms before committing. You should be sure that the expert would not demand for a ridiculously high proportion of your compensation at the end of the day.