5 Tips for Working with a Workplace Injury Lawyer
Mar 21, 2020 10:55 PM EDT
Injuries are bound to happen even in the workplace. In the United States, workers file close to 3 million claims related to workplace injury or illness per year. The process of getting compensation after a workplace injury is usually a stressful process. If you are a victim of workplace injury, then you should have tips on how to handle the issue with a lawyer. Here are 5 tips you should consider working with a workplace injury lawyer.
1. Learn Your Rights
You need to know your rights before filing a compensation claim. This is because understanding your rights will also play a crucial role in helping you decide on the right workplace injury lawyer. If you get the chance of having a lawyer before filing a claim, you should ask them to inform you of your rights.
When you get injured while on the job you are entitled to a workers' compensation. The compensation is meant to help you pay for the expenses that arise as a result of the injury. The expenses that are paid for are medical expenses, hospital fees, rehabilitation or retraining expenses, and compensation for the period of inactivity as a result of the injury. You should go through your insurance to learn what compensation you are entitled to incase an injury occurs. This will also help you in giving the right details to your lawyer.
2. Get the Right Lawyer
You should always get a qualified workplace injury lawyer. You should also consider the licensing of a lawyer to know if they can represent you. For instance, If you have been injured in California, you should get an injury lawyer for California workplace. To get reliable contacts for a lawyer, you can always check online, on directories or get a referral. Referrals are always the best way to get a lawyer as you get better reviews. Referrals are from friends, family or colleagues and usually provide first-hand experience.
You should research on the services that the lawyers offer and check their track record of similar cases they have handled in the past.
3. Discuss with your lawyer before signing an agreement
Before signing the agreement with your lawyer on the claim, it is important that you agree on what is to be done. You should discuss the fees that you will be charged for consultation upfront before you get billed even more than what you are seeking as compensation.
From this point, it is apparent that you should meet with your lawyer before and face-to-face instead of phone conversations. During the meeting with the lawyer, you will be able to understand them and even make a judgment on their capability to handle the case. At this point, it is always good to go with your gut when making a decision about hiring the lawyer.
4. Get help in Filing a Claim
Once you get an injury while on the job, you should first seek medical attention. After getting medical attention, you should always file a claim for compensation. This will help in alerting your employer and the insurance company of the accident or your injury. If it is a minor injury, you can always file a claim on your own. However, if an injury occurs and you consider it to be serious or even fatal, then you need to get a good layer.
The very first thing that the lawyer will help you with is to file a workers' compensation claim. The claim is submitted to your employer for processing. You should file the claim properly to avoid dismissal by your employer. There is no reason to worry about this as all your doubts will be cleared by the lawyer.
5. Legal Proceedings take Long so get an out-of-court Settlement Agreement
You should be prepared for prolonged proceedings once you have filed a claim. When an accident occurs in the workplace, you should take care of yourself. This includes spending your own money on medical treatment before compensation comes. Once you have submitted the claim, your lawyer will probably not take care of you medically; after all, the lawyer is not your personal doctor. As a result, it is important that you take care of yourself during the process. Remember that the process could even take longer if you go to court with the matter. Therefore, your lawyer should provide information on the best settlement agreements you can get with your employer out of court.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there is no one who would wish to get a workplace injury. However, if it happens, you need to be compensated and at times this involves the help of a lawyer. The tips provided above will help you in circumstances when you are working with a workplace injury lawyer. Stay safe!
