What to Look for in a Workers’ Compensation Attorney

Posted in Workers Compensation on July 6, 2021

If you or somebody you care about has sustained a workplace injury, you should be able to receive compensation for the losses. However, securing the money you need through the workers’ compensation system in Arizona can be daunting. Often, work injury victims need assistance from an attorney to help ensure that they recover the compensation they are entitled to. Here, we want to discuss what you should look for in a Phoenix workers’ compensation attorney when you need help securing money for your medical bills and lost income.

Finding a Workers’ Comp Attorney in Arizona

It can be challenging to try to find an attorney who you will be comfortable working with for your injury case. Most people have not dealt with an attorney to handle a work injury case, so a good place to start will be asking friends and family members if they have had to do so. You can ask for recommendations and whether or not they think an attorney would be a good fit for you.

However, you may need to use your preferred search engine and type in your location and the words “workers’ compensation attorney.” Look through the first few pages of the results and make a list of attorneys that you think may be able to help you. Most workers’ compensation attorneys in Arizona will offer a free consultation of your case so you can get a good idea of whether or not they would be a good fit for your particular situation.

The Points That Matter When Selecting a Work Injury Lawyer

When you meet with a prospective attorney to help with your Arizona work injury case, there are various qualifications that you should be looking for.

1. Their specialty. When you speak to an attorney, you need to ask them directly about their legal focus. You want to make sure that you have an attorney who has an extensive history of handling injury claims. It is important to understand that not all attorneys practice the same areas of law. Some handle estate law, while others handle family law. Some attorneys handle only business law issues. You need to make sure that you have an attorney focused on personal injury cases.
2. A successful track record. You need to find an attorney who has a successful history of helping injured workers recover the benefits they are entitled to in Arizona. There is nothing wrong with asking an attorney for the names of other people they have successfully represented. Additionally, look at reviews left online about the attorney or law firm (try not to focus too much on the reviews directly on the attorney’s website). 
3. Strong financial resources. You need to make sure that your attorney is on sound financial footing so that they can handle every aspect of your case. Find an attorney who will handle your case on a contingency fee basis, which means that you will not be responsible for any upfront or out-of-pocket costs. Additionally, your attorney should not charge you any legal fees until after they successfully recover the compensation you are entitled to.
4. How long they have handled workers’ comp claims. Directly ask your attorney how many years they have spent handling workers’ compensation claims. Even some personal injury lawyers do not have extensive experience handling work injury cases, which are different than typical injury claims.
5. Open communication. You need to have an attorney who provides open communication to you throughout your entire case. Even though your attorney will not be able to work on your case all the time, you should still be able to get ahold of them if you have any questions or concerns while your claim is ongoing.
6. A good support staff. It is critical that an attorney has a solid support staff that can provide the help you need if you have a simple question or with any paperwork you have to fill out. This can include paralegals, legal assistants, or an intake specialist. 

We encourage you to choose an attorney to help you with your injury claim very carefully. This will be the person by your side throughout every step of the process, and you need to make sure that you are working with someone trustworthy and with a track record of success.