You were injured at work. In Virginia, injured workers are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. For the uninitiated, workers’ compensation insurance is a no-fault insurance, and you don’t have to blame your employer to get the due benefits you are entitled to. At the same time, you cannot sue your employer directly. No matter the worth of your claim and the circumstances surrounding the accident, you can benefit hugely by working with a reliable Virginia workers’ compensation lawyer. If you are meeting a lawyer for the first time, below are some relevant questions you should ask.
- What percentage of your practice is dedicated to work injury claims?
Not all attorneys are workers’ compensation lawyers, and you need someone who deals with work injury claims on a regular basis. Knowing your workers compensation attorney indianapolis in is important, and you can ask pertinent questions to discuss their experience. While personal injury lawyers do take up cases related to work injuries, you should know if they are skilled enough to handle your case. Ask the lawyer if they have worked on cases similar to yours.
- Will you work on my case directly?
A bunch of attorneys may work for the same law firm, so the attorney you meet may not work on the case directly. You need to have access to your workers’ compensation lawyer, so make sure that you know the attorney working on the case.
- Do you have experience of trial?
Lawyers always try and settle things outside of court. Eventually, the goal is to come to an agreeable settlement. Therefore, the lawyer must do everything possible to negotiate with the insurance company. That said, a considerable number of workers’ comp claims do end up in trial, and if that happens, the courtroom confidence of your attorney will matter. Ask the number of times a lawyer has been to court for workers’ comp claims in particular.
- What is my claim worth?
Just because you were injured at work doesn’t always mean that you settlement will be huge. If you suffered a minor blip, your attorney may recommend accepting whatever the insurance company is offering. Talk to your workers’ comp attorney about what benefits you are entitled to and get a realistic overview of the expected settlement.
Finally, ask the lawyer about their experience with the same insurance company. The first meeting should help in understanding what your workers’ comp claim is worth.
