There were over 4,700 workplace-related deaths in 2021.
Although there were that many deaths, there were many more workers’ compensation cases that didn’t result in death. While it is great that the cases didn’t result in a fatal accident, it doesn’t mean that they are easy to deal with. There can still be extreme injury and disability involved in this type of case.
When it comes to workers’ compensation cases, it’s best practice to hire a lawyer to help you. But how do you choose a workers’ compensation lawyer?
It can be really difficult to know where to start.
This guide will walk you through how to hire a lawyer for a workers’ compensation case!
Get Recommendations
One of the easiest ways to find a great lawyer is to ask around for great recommendations. You should ask your friends, your coworkers, and your family if they have used a lawyer in your area for a workers’ compensation case.
By asking those that you know for recommendations, you know that you can trust them to give you the expertise that you are looking for.
While recommendations are great, you may not know anyone that has used a workers’ compensation lawyer yet. And that’s okay. You can still find a great lawyer in another way.
Read Reviews
If you didn’t get any recommendations from friends or family, you’ll need to do your own search online. You can start off by searching for something like ‘good workers’ compensation lawyers near ____.’ This will bring up popular lawyers in your area.
From here, you can start to read reviews. There are most likely going to be good reviews and bad reviews. It’s important not to go in with blinders and only look at one side of the reviews.
You can also look at the star ratings to see how they rank. Going with anything above a 4 is going to be a great idea to help you find the best lawyer.
Reading online reviews is just the first step in the process!
Call and Ask the Right Questions
Many lawyers offer free consultations to learn more about what you need. During this consultation, it is important to ask the right questions. This is when you can learn more about who they are and what they can do for you.
Here are a few questions to ask a lawyer:
- Do you specialize in my type of case?
- How long have you been practicing in the workers’ compensation field?
- How much do you think my case is worth?
- Do I have a case worth filing?
- Who will be handling my case?
- How does payment work, and what are the fees?
- When will I have to pay?
- What happens when changing workers compensation doctor?
- What is the success rate you have with cases like mine?
- What is your preferred method of communication?
Making sure you are hiring a lawyer for your specific type of case is important. It is not going to benefit you to hire a general lawyer. You need to have one that specializes in workers’ comp.
Determine Your Budget
Lawyers aren’t cheap, so it’s important to determine the budget you have to work with. If you don’t have a lot to work with, you will want to have this conversation with the lawyer right away.
They may be able to put you on a finance plan or help you figure out a way to pay for the services.
It is also important that although you may be able to find a cheap lawyer, this doesn’t mean that’s what you should go with. It could be because they don’t have experience or their services are subpar.
If you find an expensive lawyer, that doesn’t always mean they are the best lawyer, either.
It’s usually your best bet to find a lawyer somewhere in the middle price range. They most likely have the right experience and knowledge, but charge a reasonable price for it.
Follow Your Instincts
It can be easy to get caught up in what you should be doing when trying to find a good lawyer. However, sometimes it’s not about the right thing to do, but rather how you feel going through the motions.
If you feel that something is off, it may be. It’s best to walk away and find someone else that you feel confident with.
Or, you may feel like things clicked right away. This is extremely important when it comes to working with a lawyer on your case. It means you’ll be able to have great conversations, ask the right questions, and feel comfortable during the entire process.
Since communication is key during this process, you want to ensure you feel good about who you may be working with. Your intuition will tell you a lot.
Choose a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Dealing with workers’ compensation claims and a case is a lot on its own. But add in trying to choose a workers’ compensation lawyer, and it gets even more confusing.
How do you decide which lawyer to go with? How do you know if the lawyer will do their best job and represent you to win your case?
By following these above tips, you will be choosing a workers’ compensation lawyer that is on your side.
Did you enjoy reading about the process of finding a lawyer for your needs? Be sure to check out other articles like this on the site!
