If you’ve experienced an injury on the job that leaves you unable to work for a period of time, you are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits as long as you have notified your employer within 30 days of your injury. It’s a good idea to consult with a lawyer during this process to ensure that you have filled out all the correct documentation, see that other relevant parties are completing the steps they are responsible for, and have any questions that you may have throughout the process answered.
Some key questions to ask a workers’ comp attorney include:
“Do I really need a lawyer for my workers’ compensation case?”
The New York State workers’ compensation law does not require you to retain an attorney. If you are injured on the job, you will have to deal with your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance department or its insurance carrier. You will be dealing with insurance adjusters and insurance attorneys who are very familiar with workers’ compensation claims. The people you will be dealing with will know more about the workers’ compensation law than you do, and they will be working to protect their own interests – not yours. If you end up having to appear at a workers’ compensation board hearing, the law judge will generally recommend that you obtain a lawyer. The insurance company will be represented by a lawyer, and you should be too.
“Will I be able to meet with or talk to my lawyer?”
At Lewis & Lewis, our attorneys meet with all new clients, unless the client prefers a telephone conference. At the first meeting, your lawyer will explain that you can always schedule an in-person or telephone meeting. You will also be informed of the legal assistant handling your case so that you know who to call when you have a question or problem. The number one complaint about lawyers is that they don’t return phone calls. At Lewis & Lewis, we have a 24-hour return call policy, and our clients can always schedule telephone or in-person appointments. We make it a priority to see to it that your questions are answered and your concerns are addressed.
“How much will it cost to hire a lawyer?”
You will never pay a Lewis & Lewis workers’ compensation attorney a retainer fee or other out-of-pocket payment. We only get paid if we generate money for you, and our fees are sent to us from the insurance company. At our initial office meeting, we will go over our fee agreement in detail, but generally, our fees are equivalent to 15% of any money generated for you. All fees in workers’ compensation claims must be approved by the judge handling the case.
At Lewis & Lewis, we understand how important your case is and understand that you will have questions before deciding to hire an attorney. Our firm has fought for injured workers for over 70 years, allowing our team to bring a high level of knowledge and experience to any workers’ compensation claim. If you do choose our firm, we will strive to answer all questions to your satisfaction.
