5 Steps to Selecting the Best Workers' Compensation Attorney

Selecting and retaining a reputable workers’ compensation lawyer is crucial to winning your case in court and/or attaining the highest possible lump sum settlement. Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Law is extremely specific, and you want the best workers’ compensation attorney to help you present your case in court. You don’t need to — and should not — simply choose a lawyer out of the Yellow Pages. It will benefit you to do a little research to confirm that the lawyer you hire is reputable and focuses on workers’ compensation cases.

5 Steps to Selecting the Best Workers’ Compensation Attorney

• Start with word of mouth. The best way to find a reputable lawyer is through personal referrals. Talk to anyone who has been in your situation and ask who represented them in court and what their personal experience was like. Anyone who has had to file a workers’ compensation claim can tell you who is reputable and was responsive to their unique needs. No two people are alike, and thus no two cases are ever identical as to what needs to be done to protect the client’s interests.
• Check the attorney’s disciplinary history. You will want to review the attorney’s disciplinary history with the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and whether they are certified as a practitioner in workers’ compensation law by the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Section on Workers’ Compensation Law as authorized by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
• Find out how long the lawyer has been practicing. Find out how long the lawyer has been practicing workers’ compensation law. You want a lawyer who has been in this field for more than a few years. Retaining a well-seasoned lawyer will give you the best chances in your particular situation, as they will have both the knowledge and familiarity with the interworkings of the system, the judges, and even opposing attorneys’ tactics.
• Review the law firm’s website. Once you have narrowed down your choices, check out the law firm’s website. Most lawyers advertise online today, and their website can speak volumes about the individual lawyer. If the spelling is atrocious and the website is sloppy, that signals a lack of attention to detail and you should keep looking. Also consider whether the lawyer shows a personal, compassionate side, or whether it is all cold hard business. While strong legal knowledge is a must, a bit of receptivity, caring, listening, and understanding is unmatched.
• Contact the lawyer directly. The last step in hiring a good workers’ comp lawyer is to contact the lawyer you are considering. This will be the deciding factor, as you will experience firsthand how the lawyer interacts with you. You will want to meet face to face and ask questions during the initial interview to get to know the lawyer before making a final decision. If at any time during the consultation you feel uneasy or simply don’t like the lawyer, it’s best to end the interview and continue your research. Trusting your lawyer is one of the most important considerations when retaining a firm; if you don’t feel that you can trust him or her, it’s time to move on to another candidate.

Choosing the best lawyer to represent you in a workers’ compensation case can be a somewhat challenging experience; however, once you have found the right lawyer for you and your particular needs, it will make the litigation experience better. You deserve to be represented by someone who will care as much about you and your situation as you do. One suggestion would be Paula Robinson Esq.