Atlanta Workplace Injury Lawyer
If you were injured on the job or developed a medical condition because of your work—such as a cumulative trauma like a repetitive strain injury (RSI) or lung disease from exposure to toxic chemicals—you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. The process of seeking workers’ compensation for a work-related injury can be challenging. Having an Atlanta workplace injury lawyer can help ease the process and save you from the stress, headache, and hassle of dealing with the insurance companies and their adjusters, and increases your chances of getting the compensation that you deserve. But how do you choose the right workers’ comp attorney to handle your claim/case? Read on to find out.
Preparing to Meet with a Workers’ Comp Lawyer
One of the most important steps that you can take after you have been injured on the job is to contact an experienced and reputable Atlanta workers’ compensation attorney to review your case and determine the appropriate legal option to pursue.
The first meeting with an attorney provides you with a good idea of the strengths and weaknesses of your workers’ compensation claim as well as the lawyer’s skills, experience, and expertise to handle the claim successfully.
What to Bring to the First Meeting with a Workers’ Comp Attorney
You should bring as much information about your workplace injury as possible for the attorney to review during your first consultation. Coming prepared with relevant documents, materials, and other pieces of supporting evidence can help the attorney determine whether you have a valid claim.
You may want to consider gathering the following documents:
- A summary of the workplace accident, including the date of the injury
- The name and contact information of the supervisor who received notice of your injury and the date the notice was given
- A copy of the written notice provided to your employer
- Employment records indicating the date of hire, position, and job duties
- Recent pay stubs or bank statements, which will help an attorney give you a better estimate of what you can expect to collect in benefits if your claim is successful
- The name and address of the facility where you received treatment for your injury
- Contact information for your treating physician
- The dates of treatment
- Medical bills incurred for treatment
- Medical records related to your diagnosis and treatment
- Photographs of the injury
- The contact information for any eyewitnesses who saw the accident
- A copy of any accident reports created by your employer, and
- Emails or letters between you and your employer about your injury claim.
Having this type of information available can help the Atlanta workplace injury lawyer assess your claim properly and gain a better understanding of the issues that may be involved before advising you on the way forward.
Remember, the earlier the information is collected, the quicker the claim can proceed.
Ask Questions
In addition to the lawyer reviewing the details of your workplace injury, your first consultation with a workers’ compensation attorney will also give you a good opportunity to ask important questions to determine if you can hire him/her to represent you and handle your claim.
Some of the pertinent questions you should consider asking your attorney include:
- How long have you been practicing law?
- What portion of your caseload are workers’ compensation claims?
- Have you represented clients with injuries like mine?
- What is your success rate on workers’ compensation claims/cases?
- Will you personally handle your case?
Once you are satisfied with the attorney’s background, credentials, experience, and expertise, you may want to discuss strategy. For example, you can ask the lawyer to explain the strengths and weaknesses of your case, discuss whether mediation or settlement is an option, and request an estimate of the value of your claim.
At this point, it’s also important to discuss fees and costs, including how much the lawyer will charge and whether there are other legal expenses related to filing the claim.
Ask these questions upfront to prevent any misunderstandings that could later prove troublesome, expensive, or even jeopardize your claim.
Workers’ compensation is a complicated area of law. The initial consultation with your attorney can be very helpful in giving you a better understanding of what filing a workers’ compensation claim will involve and what you should expect.
Here are more crucial questions you may want to ask your Atlanta workplace injury lawyer:
- What benefits can I expect to collect if my claim is approved?
- How long will it take before I start receiving benefits?
- How long will I receive benefits?
- Can I continue to collect workers’ compensation after I return to work?
- Do I have to be treated by an employer-approved physician?
- What options do I have if my employer doesn’t have workers’ compensation insurance?
- How long do I have to be out of work to be eligible for replacement of lost wages?
- How much can I expect to receive in wage replacement benefits?
- How long will it take for a claim to be either approved or denied?
- What steps can I take to be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits?
- How long do I have to report an injury?
- What happens if I become permanently disabled as a result of the injuries?
- What are my legal options if a third party’s negligence or recklessness caused my injuries?
An injured employee should report an injury to his or her employer within 30 days of the workplace accident to be eligible to collect benefits.
The actual amount that you receive in workers’ comp benefits depends on a number of factors, including the laws in your state, the nature of your injuries, and how much you earned before you were injured. The length of time that you can collect them will depend on the severity of your injury.
For temporary disability benefits—payments intended to replace part of your wages when you cannot work while you are being treated for your injuries—most states pay about two-thirds of your average pre-injury wages, up to a maximum that varies from state to state and from year to year. Permanent disability benefits are usually determined by a complicated formula in state law that is based on which part of your body is affected and the extent of your impairment.
That is why it’s important to come prepared with the specifics about your case when you first meet with an attorney.
Schedule a Free Case Evaluation Today
At Bobe & Snell Law Office LLC, we understand that you want to get the compensation that you deserve as soon as possible to aid your recovery and get your life back on track after a work-related injury. That is why we are ready any time to engage you and offer free, no-obligation case review and more importantly, we will do our best to fast-track your workers’ compensation claim as much as we can.
We also advise you to get in touch with one of our workers’ compensation attorneys as soon as possible after the accident so that we can get started on your case early and file a claim on time to pursue your compensation.
Atlanta Workplace Injury Lawyer
Our attorney will treat you with compassion and respect and explain to you diligently the legal options for your case. Remember, choosing an experienced Atlanta workplace injury lawyer who understands Georgia workers’ compensation law can make a significant difference in the outcome of your claim.
We have a team of workers’ compensation attorneys who have over 35 years of experience having handled over 10,000 cases related to workplace injuries. Further, our attorneys have completed additional training in workers’ compensation law and are State Board-Certified specialists in workers’ compensation law by the State Bar of Georgia.
Please don’t hesitate to call us at (470) 268-5802 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a Free, No-Obligation Consultation with a member of our workers’ compensation legal team.
