2 Questions To Ask Yourself When Determining Whether You Need A Worker's Compensation Attorney

If you were recently hurt at work, you may be wondering if you need to hire a lawyer to help you with your worker's compensation claim. Ask yourself the following two questions to give you a clearer picture of your situation and to help you make a decision.

How Severe Are Your Injuries?

The extent of help you are going to need depends a lot on the severity of your injuries. When you have been hurt badly, you may end up being out of work because you will temporarily be unable to perform your job. In this case, you could need a lawyer to help you receive your checks and file your claim.

However, if you have minor injuries, you may only be out a couple of weeks or less. If this is your situation, you probably do not need an attorney because there will not be extensive medical bills or time off from work.

For example, if you cut your hand and require stitches, you may be out for a couple of weeks. Your employer may be more willing to work with you because it will not greatly impact the amount of money they have to spend on medical bills or a percentage of your pay.

However, if you herniated a couple of discs in your back, your doctor may place you on severe restrictions for months. They may also send you for physical therapy and pain treatments during that time. They could even recommend surgery.

Because you will be out for longer and be a large medical liability to your workplace, you may need a lawyer to fight for you to pay your bills and your wages.

Do You Have Time And Energy To Devote To Managing Your Own Case?

Another question you should ask yourself is whether you have both the time and energy to devote to managing your own worker's compensation case. Especially if you have severe injuries, you would have a lot of work ahead of you.

When you handle your own case, you are responsible for filing your own claim paperwork. You are also required to keep track of all of your medical bills and records so you can submit them to your employer's worker's compensation insurance company. You also have to speak on your own behalf and be willing to learn the various worker's compensation laws yourself.

If you are highly organized and believe you can keep track of all of the paperwork involved, you may be able to handle your own case by yourself. Also, if you have a basic understanding of the law in general and have the time, you may be able to study your state's statutes to ensure everything is done properly.

However, if you are seriously hurt, you may not be able to keep up with speaking to your employer, filing papers, and keeping up with the progress of your case. You may also have family and home obligations that require your attention, leaving you without time to learning the various laws and keeping track of your claim paperwork and medical bills.

If you do not think you can handle the time required or learning involved with handling your own case, you may want to hire a lawyer. They can then take care of the paperwork for you, as well as take over communicating with your workplace and the insurance company.

After answering the above questions yourself, you should have an overall idea of whether you need help or not. If you have any other questions or want to discuss the situation, you may want to set up a consultation with a worker's compensation attorney for more information to help you make a decision.