Using a Workers’ Compensation Attorney
If you were injured or suffered an illness as the result of your work, you might be considering hiring an attorney. If you want to know what you can expect an attorney to do for your case, here are some ways that attorneys are useful when filing claims or appeals for workers’ compensation benefits.
Attorneys have experience interpreting the laws related to workers compensation in your state
As an employee who suffered an injury or illness at work, you probably have not been through the workers’ compensation process many times, or ever, and you might not know exactly what evidence and information you will need in order to make a successful claim. An attorney will know what you have to prove, and will know what other sorts of cases have been successful.
Your attorney will review your file and medical records
An experienced attorney will be able to go through your file and see if there are gaps in the medical evidence for your claim. You can then get extra expert opinions to bolster your claim before it is too late.
Your attorney will know how to negotiate your claim
Most workers’ compensation claims end up settling. But if you have not been through many claims and seen how various different types of injuries are compensated, then you likely will not know how much you should expect your injury to collect. An attorney will have a better way of assessing when an offer is sufficient, or when the compensation offered is inadequate.
Your attorney will plan for a hearing
Hearings can be like trials in some ways. You might be required to testify, and you might have to have evidence from witnesses and experts. If the insurer has an expert, your attorney will have to challenge that person by asking them questions about their opinion. Sometimes your attorney will be deposing individuals who witnessed the accident, or family members who see the way the injury or illness has impacted your everyday life. There might be vocational experts to depose about what sort of physical work your job required and why you can no longer do some of those tasks and of course, there could be medical experts who have diagnosed or treated you for your condition, and the attorney may question them as well. The attorney will also have to put all of this information together into a case strategy.
In some cases, the attorney may see other potentially responsible parties to pursue for compensation
While workers’ compensation programs prevent employees from being able to sue their employer, there are times when an injured employee may have a workers’ compensation claim, and still be able to file a suit against a third party. For instance, if you were injured by a product that malfunctioned, you might have a case against the manufacturer, or if you were injured in a traffic accident while delivering something for your employer, you might have a case against the other driver, in addition to your workers’ compensation case.
If you are not sure whether or not you want to hire an attorney, call for a free consultation to get an assessment of your own case, and ask the attorney any questions that you have about their ability to help you.
Contact Stern Law, PLLC for A Free Consultation
At Stern Law, PLLC, we have compassionate and caring attorneys ready to work with you in order to find the best strategy for seeking compensation for your job related injuries. Contact Stern Law, PLLC today at (844) 808-7529 for a free consolation with an experienced attorney.
