Many people find themselves looking for a good workers comp attorney once they have become injured or ill while being at work. It’s a good idea for the attorney to work with getting you what you deserve and handling all of the paperwork. The first step though is finding a good attorney to make this happen for you. You are already under a lot of stress, the last thing you need is to be stressed out from this too. Keep reading to find out how best ways to find the best comp lawyer in your area.

Asking for recommendations from your friends and family is a great way. If you know none of them have ever had to hire a workers comp attorney before, ask them if they know anyone. A referral is always a great way to know that a lawyer is trustworthy and will get you the results you are looking for. This does not mean you should always pick that attorney, but it is a good place to start and if that person was happy with the lawyer, they should be one of your top few choices when narrowing it down.

The internet can be so helpful when trying to find information on a certain person or business. Go to a site like Google, Facebook or Yelp and see what people have to say about them. Remember, seeing the occasional bad review does not mean the business is necessarily bad, one person just may have had a different experience than most. If the reviews are overall good, this is a good sign the lawyer does a great job for their clients. If your case is specific, try and read the reviews and find some similar to yours. You can always try and reach out to people and click on their username and ask them to go into more detail than what they shared on the review. The internet can be an overall great and trusted source for reviews.

 

It’s important not to just pick the first lawyer you speak with or hear about. Just because they appeared at the top of Google does not necessarily mean they are the best choice. Just because you liked what the secretary said when you called should not mean you pick that lawyer right away. Make a few appointments and chat lay out your options. Ask to schedule a meeting. If this meeting can’t take place for a few weeks, this probably means that the lawyer is overbooked already and may not put the time and energy into your place because they are already at their maximum capacity. With that said, if the lawyer says their schedule is wide open, this can also be a reason to run the other way.

 

When you meet with a few different lawyers it’s important to go in prepared. You also want to go in the exact same during each meeting so that each lawyer has the same baseline. Do your own research before meeting with them to find out a little about them. Know what the specialize in, find out how long they have been in business and what their goals are. Do they take a lot of small cases or do you focus on larger ones? Really notice the body language of the lawyer when meeting with them. Are they listening to you? Are they understanding and seeming responsive? Or are they rushing it and just telling you things you want to hear. Look at the little things and not just the answers they are saying.

 

Treat this initial meeting like an interview. You are the interviewer and the lawyer is the interviewee. What do you want to know about them? Like we just talked about, you want to ask them questions about their history in law and what they focus on. You also want to know answers that will specifically help your case.

 

Here is a list of questions you may want to come prepared (you can even write them down) with you during your initial consultation. Makes sure you also write down the answers so you can separate the answers at a later date and don’t get confused with who said what.

Here is the list:

• How many years have you been practicing law?
• What is your experience especially with workers comp cases?
• Do you specialize in anything else besides workers comp?
• Can you take me through the process of how my case will run?
• What parts will you specially handle and what will your assistant be doing?
• Are there any references you can give me for cases you have handled similarly to mine?
• What happens if I have additional questions during my case?
• How does your billing work? What will this cost me?
• Do you require me to receive a medical examination?
• What is your success rate in workers comp cases?
• Tell me a little bit more about you as a person.

 

We recommend adding in this last question simple to get to know the person on a personal level too. It’s important to do business with people you respect and it helps keep the communication open when you know a few of their hobbies and interests outside of work.

 

The process can be longer than you think and a great attorney can greatly help you with each step. If you find a great attorney that will work with you every step of the way, you will be so happy with the outcome. For more information on finding a good comp attorney, or to chat with us about your case, contact us today!