How To Find A Good Worker’s Compensation Lawyer
Practice
Ask your lawyer how long they have been practicing law. This will help you gauge how comfortable you are with working with a lawyer who may be relatively inexperienced. You may find that you feel more comfortable with an established lawyer. On the other hand, some people find younger lawyers’ aggressiveness more desirable.
Specialty
There are various cases involved in workers’ comp, and if you want to know your lawyer’s specialty, ask them about their experience working on cases similar to yours. That way, you’ll know if a lawyer can prepare a good case and has experience in fighting for the kind of injury you have. It is ideal to opt for a lawyer who has already worked on a similar case.
The Number Of Work Injury Claims They Have Handled
If you want to get a feel of the experience of your lawyer in handling work injury claims, ask them about the number of work injury claims they have handled. Of course, the lawyer may not be able to give you the exact count on the spot, and that’s okay—a rough estimate will do. You just need to find out if the lawyer has handled more than enough workers’ comp claims to be familiar with the process of filing one in your state.
The Success Rate2
Your lawyer can provide you with information about their success rate when it comes to work injury claims. The rate should be high and ideally be at 90% and above.
The Work
Keep in mind that most firms have paralegals and case managers who handle a significant portion of the workload on clients’ cases. That is perfectly fine, but you still want to ensure that you can talk to your lawyer should you have any questions or concerns about your case.
Cases To A Trial
When it comes to a worker’s comp claim, your goal is to settle. However, you still want to know if your attorney is prepared to take the case to trial if needed. Ask your lawyer about past experiences in resolving cases through other means other than settlements.
Fees
Lawyers can work on keeping legal expenses as low as possible, but finding expert witnesses or gathering information can sometimes be costly. Most lawyers in the workers’ comp field will cover all of their upfront costs and deduct them from your award once the case is settled. However, this is not always the case, so it’s vital that you ask your lawyer about the kind of costs you will be responsible for if your claim is approved or denied.
Moreover, because states have different laws when it comes to workers’ comp lawyer fees, make sure you discuss them clearly with your attorney.