Meeting with a workmen's compensation attorney can be a daunting experience, especially if you have never before navigated the lanes of workmen's compensation before. Retaining an attorney can be expensive, so it is best to be as prepared as possible in advance of your meetings. This will require less time for your lawyer to get up to speed on your case and get the paperwork processed. Faster processing means faster filing, and that means a compensation judgment sooner.
So, do your homework in advance. Select your workmen's compensation attorney with care and be ready to ask questions. Among other things, you will want to find out what your legal and non-legal options are, how many cases has your attorney handled and what were the judgments on those cases. Many workers compensation lawyers work for larger firms, so ask if your case will be passed over to another attorney, or if you will be working with the same person from now on. Be sure to find out what the process will be; every workmen's compensation attorney is different, but they all must file your case in the same legal system. Find out what documents and information your attorney will need and when.
Once you've selected a workers compensation lawyer and prepared the questions for him, start working on the information your lawyer will want right away. This will include your basic information: name, contact information, place of employment, and employers' name and address. Additionally, prepare a detailed description of your accident. Note the date, time, and location it occurred, and what injuries were sustained. Identify the supervisor to whom you reported the injury, and what events led to the injury occurring. If you had to stop work, note the date and time, and also the date and time you came back to work, if you were able. Your workmen's compensation attorney will need this information for the variety of government paperwork required to file a claim.
If you have any medical records relating to your accident, be sure to bring copies of those for your lawyer to review. There may have been witnesses to your accident, and if so, ask them to write a factual statement of what they saw. Workers compensation lawyers will use these statements to build support for your case and use as proof if someone questions the events as you remember them. If you are unable to get statements, bring the names of the witnesses and their contact information for your attorney.
Once you've compiled all this information, assemble it in a logical order for your attorney. There are many workers compensation lawyers in the business, but many more workers filing claims, and your lawyer will want to have organized access to your information so he can more easily file your claim. The key to a successful claim is finding the right workmen's compensation attorney, and asking the right questions. Preparation and organization will pay off in the end.
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