When a person gets injured at work and faces the possibility of getting worker’s compensation, there are a few questions that come to mind. Do I need to hire a lawyer? If I need to hire a lawyer, how much will that lawyer cost me?
If you are injured in the scope of your job description, you can file a claim through the worker’s compensation board pro-se (without legal representation). You are not, however, allowed to have someone who is not an attorney represent you. This means that if your injury was bad enough to put you in the hospital, you will need contact a local law firm such as Gilbert Blaszcyk and Milburn LLP for help.
Representing yourself without having a lawyer is not a very easy task. The law is very specific about filing for worker’s compensation benefits. You have to follow certain steps, file out certain forms, and present specific evidence. If you fail to follow the steps and meet the requirements of the judge, you could end up getting your case dismissed. Reaching out to a law firm such as Gilbert Blaszcyk and Milburn LLP is the easiest way to prevent that from happening.
The worker’s compensation law actually prevents attorneys from taking a fee just for representing your case. These lawyers are only able to require payment from you if they are able to get the compensation benefits that you are owed. When you hire the attorney, you will be asked to sign an official contract. This contract just states that you do not have to pay the attorney unless they win your case. The contract also states that you agree to give them a certain percentage of your winnings if they win your case.
If your employer starts treating you differently or threatens to fire you over the incident, you should make your attorney aware of this as soon as possible. It is illegal and you would be entitled to even more compensation. Most lawyers are happy and eager to take cases that involve employers harassing and firing an employee just because they had to pay compensation benefits.
