Countless Workers’ Compensation Lawyers – How to Choose One

If go to work everyday then there is a chance, however slim, that you may have an accident at work. It can be as simple as a trip that sends you tumbling down or a serious accident such as falling from scaffolding or a ladder. While I hope you stay safe, I know that whenever you suffer serious injuries at work, you may lose a lot of money if you do not to have a lawyer on your side. If you have been through a work injury before you know that your employers insurance company has an army of experience lawyers  and adjusters monitoring every aspect of your case. You deserve a fighter working on your behalf.

Considering that more and more of us start our search for a service or a product online, I thought you should know that a google search for a workers’ compensation lawyer in Maryland gives you close to fifteen million search results. Admittedly, not every result is related to lawyers, but it demonstrative of the breadth and depth of workers compensation law.

There is the usual paid advertising you see on top of the page. The advertisers are followed by a listing known as  google places/local pack which shows names of lawyers close to you.  For those living in large metropolitan area such as Baltimore, Annapolis or Columbia, there are a hundreds if not a thousands of choices in terms of work injury lawyers. How do you make an intelligent choice as to who should be your lawyer?

Differentiating between Workers Compensation Lawyers and those who take the occasional case

Those with a common work place injury case such as an ankle sprain can  roll the dice with a lawyer who occasionally handles workers compensation cases. On the other hand, workers who suffer serious injuries with long term consequence requiring significant medical treatment will be better served by a lawyer who regular handles such cases. There are several ways to know the difference between these two types of lawyers. H

Experience with Car Insurance Companies

Workers compensation lawyers deal with insurance companies every day. You don’t. Neither does someone dabbling in personal injury cases. Experienced work injury lawyers are well known to insurance adjusters and the lawyers on the other side. That experience and knowledge can be crucial in settling cases or deciding to go to trial. An attorney also understands how to negotiate with auto insurance companies to get you the fairest settlement possible.

Knows His/Her Stuff

Experienced workers compensation lawyers  or workers comp as everyday workers refers to it know the ins and outs of the law and the informal settlement process that occurs outside of the commission hearings over phone calls or in conference rooms. This knowledge is brought to bear in every case and gives you an advantage.

Being Able to Translate Injuries and their Impact into Powerful Words

Lawyers who focus in workers compensation cases review hundreds of medical reports and talk to several medical experts from physical therapists, nurse practitioners to physician specialists in any given year. Therefore, they talk legal almost as well as they talk doc. It is important because you need to break down diagnosis in ways that a judge and jury can understand. Complex medical terms can confuse a jury and leave them unable to relate to an injured person’s experience. Getting the jury to understand the impact of injuries increase the likelihood that a satisfactory judgment will follow.

Courtroom Experience

This one goes without saying. If the insurance company knows the  lawyer is not afraid of trial and can handle his own in the courtroom that may play a role in terms of the settlement offers presented. Your case may concluded much faster and for a higher amount than with another attorney.

Is there a Rapport

Ultimately, irrespective of a great resume and a ton of experience, I believe having a good rapport with your workers compensation lawyer is important. Especially, if it is a serious injury. Serous injuries take time to resolve and hence the claim is likely to be around for a longer period time requiring more interaction with your lawyer. Therefore, it is important for the prospective client and the lawyer to feel each other out. Sometimes certain personalities just do not work well together. It is important to set expectations early on so that there are no difficulties later on.

Do you like a personal approach  then you may want to go with a smaller law firm where you can interact directly with the lawyer and not an associate or paralegal.

These are just of the things I think you ought to think about as you make your choice. Now that you have this information narrow down those million-plus results to three or more workers compensation lawyers and reach out to them to pick the one that is right for you.

If you have a question do not hesitate to contact me at 410-849-9529 or jgithuku@410law.com