What Questions Should I Ask My Charlotte Work Comp Lawyer?

A work comp lawyer might be a good professional to know. No matter how diligent a person is at their job, chances are they might get in a work-related accident or suffer injuries. Similarly, a work hazard may cause a person to develop an occupational disease or illness. In either case, the affected employee deserves compensation, and a crucial part of getting it involves an experienced Charlotte work comp lawyer.

However, in our years representing Charlotte residents, we’ve seen many workers hire the wrong attorneys to represent them in their work comp claim. This mistake is based solely on the fact that they did not know what to watch for when hiring a workers’ compensation attorney. To help with this otherwise avoidable mistake, we put together a list of questions you should ask a work comp attorney before hiring them.

These questions ensure you cover your basis and find out all the relevant details about your lawyer. If you need an experienced attorney, you can contact us at Waple and Houk. We will painstakingly answer all your questions and give your expert legal advice.

Questions Every Injured Worker Should Ask Their Work Comp Lawyer in Charlotte

Whether you’re about commencing a workers’ compensation claim or you did, and your claim got denied, you need to know the right questions to ask at your initial consultation. So to help you start on the right note, we put together three key lines of questioning every Charlotte worker should follow.

• Questions About Experience and Practice

It’s not enough for a person to say they are work comp attorneys, their years of practice matters a lot. This is because you do not want a rookie handling your case. Insurance companies are ruthless when dealing with claimants, so you need a lawyer with experience dealing with them. An experienced attorney knows every trick in the book that might discredit your claim and will do everything they can to disprove them.

Furthermore, note that work-related injuries are seen as personal injuries, and workers can file a personal injury claim in certain instances. However, this does not mean that a personal injury lawyer has the experience to handle a work comp claim. So, ensure you clarify with the attorney their area of expertise.

You should also find out the work comp lawyer’s success rate. If you’re dealing with a law firm and not a specific lawyer, find out the firm’s success rate. Then, take things a step further by checking online reviews from past clients. Lastly, ask if you’ll be working with the lawyer conducting the consultation or another in the firm. This way, you’ll ensure you contact the person in charge of your case directly and not a subordinate or paralegal.

• Questions About Your Benefit and Claim

The first step to winning a workers’ comp claim is qualifying for workers’ compensation. North Carolina laws clearly state out who should get workers’ compensation and who shouldn’t. Your work comp lawyer knows the provisions of the law, so find out from them if you qualify for workers’ compensation.

If you do qualify, the next question is, what benefits are you eligible for. The answer lets you know what to expect. For example, an injured worker in Charlotte would likely get medical, lost wages, and disability benefits. In addition, find out how long you have to commence the work comp claim as the Statute of Limitations gives you limited time to bring an action.

• Questions About Your Workers’ Compensation Settlements

Here, the first thing to ask is how much you’re likely to get and if you have to file a lawsuit. You should also ask about retaliatory termination and whether your employer can fire you for filing a work comp claim. Generally, it’s illegal to fire an employee for requesting work comp benefits, but your work comp lawyer will give you more details.

Furthermore, find out about the attorney’s legal fees. You should settle this before hiring a lawyer to avoid problems. If the lawyer would charge you for other services like hiring expert witnesses or filing court processes in a lawsuit, you should know ahead of time. This is because expense deductions would affect the final amount you take home as settlement.

Let Experienced Charlotte Work Comp Lawyers Help You!

At Waple & Houk, PLLC, we understand the physical and financial hardship a work accident can cause. This is why we aggressively pursue our clients’ cases until we get them the compensation they deserve. We’ll do the same for you while you focus on recovering from your injury. Contact us today for a case review with one of our attorneys.