6 Red Flags of Unreliable Work Comp Attorneys

Getting injured at work isn’t something you should take lightly. Even if it’s a seemingly minor injury, it can cost you a significant amount of stress, loss of income, and even produce high medical bills down the road. For this reason, it is essential that you document and report the accident in a timely manner to your employer.

In an ideal world, filing the claim with your employer or insurance company would suffice and you would be able to take your time to obtain your workers’ compensation benefits. Indeed, many insurance companies use clever tactics to try to minimize your claim or deny you the benefits to which you are entitled. Therefore, you may want to seek legal counsel from an experienced solicitor. Unfortunately, not every lawyer would be able to carry out their job in an equally professional or committed manner.

Whether you’re seeking professional assistance when trying to file a claim or enter an appeal process if your claim was already denied, keep reading. Here you will learn more about what to watch out for when hiring a workers’ compensation attorney.

How to Recognize if Your Workers’ Compensation Lawyer is not Up to their Role?

There are warning signs you should look out for when you count on a workers’ compensation lawyer to handle your case. Even when you have heard positive things about the selected firm, keep these 6 signs in mind:

Your Lawyer doesn’t Return Calls

While it’s perfectly normal that you might find your lawyer to be busy or on a phone call with another client, repeatedly forgetting to call you back or ignoring your calls is clearly a red flag. Not only is it unprofessional and uncourteous, but it can also be detrimental to the status of your claim, as it might be necessary to treat it with a sense of urgency.

They Delegate the Better Part of the Work to the Paralegal

While it’s perfectly normal that an attorney will use certified administrative staff to help them with sorting and filing the documentation, if you notice that the bulk of the actions are handled by the paralegal rather than the professional you are paying, this could mean trouble.

Weekly Paychecks Abruptly Stop without Explanation

So, you have noticed that your weekly work comp benefits have suddenly stopped. Although it might be a purely technical issue, this could also be a sign that your lawyer has agreed with the insurance company or your employer to reach a settlement without informing you, which is a clear violation of your rights.

You Receive no Guidance through the Process

If you feel lost or disoriented during workers’ comp filing or litigation process, you should be able to rely on your attorney to give you the necessary clues. Even more, an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer would put some real effort into educating you about all the details. On the contrary, an attorney that doesn’t respect your money and time will mostly skip informing you about even the most basic details.

They are not Putting effort into Negotiating a Settlement

Unfortunately, here are some legal practitioners that just want to close the case as soon as possible, without keeping your best interests in mind. This could be a sign of a lack of experience or focus, or in the worse case, a sign that your lawyer is not being honest with you, and that they are consciously working behind your back.

You are Pushed into Agreeing with the Settlement

Keep in mind that you have the final say when it comes to accepting or declining the settlement with your insurance carrier. Any solicitor that tries to push you into agreeing with a settlement that doesn’t cover what is lawfully yours doesn’t deserve to keep you as a client. If you have a gut feeling that they just want to jump to the settlement, it might be time to consider hiring someone who is truly committed to defending your rights.