Do Lawyers Specialize in Work Comp? Here’s a short ‘how-to’ guide on what you should look for when you need to Hire an Ohio Workers’ Comp Lawyer.
You’ve been injured in a workplace accident, now what? In today’s OhioBWC climate you should retain an Ohio workers’ comp attorney. And, it’s critically important find a lawyer who is Board Certified in Ohio Workers’ Compensation.
There’s a lot of attorneys out there who take on Ohio Work Comp Claims, but they might only be doing a few. Think about your family doctor. You go to him/her for chest pains and the doctor sends you to a board certified medical specialist. In that instance, a cadiologist.
Well, when you get hurt on the job and need an Ohio work comp lawyer, don’t you think you should look for a board certified Ohio work comp specialist attorney to take on your claim?
Before hiring a work comp lawyer, there are things to think about.
Call several attorneys who take Ohio Workers’ Compensation Claims. You should interview the lawyer, either by phone or in person, before making your hiring decision. Check out their websites. See if there are client testimonials.
Interviewing Ohio Workers’ Comp Lawyers
After gathering the name of one or more Ohio workers’ comp lawyers, call each one to set up an initial consultation. This is a brief interview where you can introduce yourself and talk about your on-the-job accident. Make sure that you ask each lawyer you call if he/she is a Board Certified Ohio Workers’ Compensation Specialist Attorney. If not, it’s probably because he/she does not do that much work comp.
You can accomplish many goals at the initial consultation. You’ll learn about the attorney’s background, skills, and strategy. You’ll be able to get some feedback about the strength of your Ohio workers’ comp claim. You will be able to ‘get a feel’ as to whether this is the attorney you want to represent your legal interests. Remember, your decision will affect you and your family.
Get a free initial consultation. Ask if the lawyer charges for the initial meeting. If he/she does, call someone else. Initial consultations should be free of charge.
Whether you are in Cleveland, Lorain, Elyria, Akron, Canton or any other part of Ohio, make sure you prepare ahead of time for your free initial consultation. Bring your questions with you, along with some writing materials to record the answers and bring any documents you have received from your injury claim.
Background & Experience
Ask the Ohio workers’ comp attorney about his or her background and experience. Questions can include:
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- Are you a Board Certified Ohio Workers’ Compensation Specialist Attorney?
- How long have you been practicing Ohio Workers’ Compensation law?
- Do you take other kinds of cases? If so, what kinds? How many Ohio Work Comp Claims do you handle at any given time?
- Have you had a client before with a workplace accident similar to mine or with injuries like mine?
To understand or ‘get a feel’ of how the lawyer approaches Ohio workers’ comp claims, think about this:
- How do you approach handling Ohio workers’ comp claims?
- Do you aggressively seek as many allowances/awards as are available?
- What allowances/awards are available in an Ohio Work Comp Claim?
- When it comes to making a decision in my comp claim, do you communicate with the client? Do you present various options to the client in the decision making process?
- Do you tell the client what you would do in the claim, if it was your injury, using your experience?
You should also ask the attorney what his/her opinion and assessment of the claim might be.
Fees
You’ve probably wondered how much an Ohio workers’ comp lawyer costs. The fee is usually a contingency fee. So getting a Board Certified Ohio Work Comp Specialist Attorney won’t cost more than the general practitioner who happens to take in work comp claims along with any other legal issue. But you should ask how each lawyer you call handles fees. You should ask if the attorney charges by the hour? If so, how much?
What is the contingency percentage you take of funds I receive. What funds are subject to contingency fees?
Hiring an Ohio Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Once you’ve talked or met with each attorney on your list, it’s time to choose one to represent you. If you only interviewed one and he or she was fantastic or if you interviewed several but one was a real stand-out, than your decision is easy.
After you have gone through the interview process, you should have the answer to the most important question: Which is the best attorney to handle your Ohio workers’ compensation claim? When you have this answer, you are ready to move forward in your efforts to get compensation for your workplace accident and injuries.
There are many nuances to a BWC claim. There are time limits and taking the wrong course of action can severely impact on any Ohio BWC claim.
Call Mike Gruhin, The Comp Specialist, to discuss any aspect of your Ohio Workers’ Compensation Claim. Act now, Call now!
Additional Resources
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