When it comes time to make an important decision, many people take a closer look at the benefits and drawbacks by making a pros and cons list. We’ve found that this is also helpful in determining whether or not you should hire a lawyer to help with your workers’ compensation case. So in today’s blog, we examine the pros and cons of working with a lawyer to help collect compensation after a work injury.
The Pros Of Hiring A Workers’ Compensation Attorney
As you might imagine, there are a number of benefits to hiring a lawyer to help with your workers’ compensation case. Some of those pros include:
Simplified – Outsourcing your case to an expert attorney will make the whole process a lot simpler. You don’t need to worry about collecting evidence or filing the paperwork. It will be easier on you because your lawyer will do all the heavy lifting.
Peace of Mind – Similarly, you’ll also have the peace of mind that everything is being done correctly if you trust your case to a workers’ compensation lawyer. You won’t need to worry about meeting deadlines or ensuring you’re getting fair value, because your lawyer will take care of all of this.
Bigger Payday – Studies have shown that workers with similar injuries average a much bigger settlement award when they hire a lawyer instead of trying to win their case on their own. In many instances, the lawyer will more than offset the cost of their services by helping you get a much bigger award.
Won’t Get Taken Advantage Of – Insurance companies are profit giants because they oftentimes take advantage of injured parties who are not familiar with the system. Odds are you don’t have much experience taking on an insurance company, which means you may not even be aware that they are trying to trick you or take advantage of you. That won’t happen with a lawyer.
Additional Benefits – When you sync up with a lawyer, they’ll be able to ensure you get all the benefits available to you. It’s not just about getting compensation for medical bills and lost wages. They can also get you set up with a qualified rehabilitation consultant or re-training services to help you get back on your feet if you can’t return to your job in the same capacity.
The Cons Of Hiring A Workers Compensation Lawyer
As with anything, there are some potential drawbacks to going with a lawyer. However, these cons aren’t all that bad when you truly consider them.
Lawyers Cost Money – If you go it alone, you won’t need to pay any of your award to a lawyer. If you hire an attorney, they will be entitled to a small percentage of your award, so you won’t get to take home the full amount of the award. But as we mentioned above, a lawyer can typically get you a lot more than you could receive on your own. Paying a small portion to your lawyer won’t seem all that bad if they earn you a $150,000 payday when you only would have settled for $50,000 if you didn’t have a lawyer to help guide you to a fair valuation.
You Become A Middleman – Instead of just working back and forth with the insurance company, now a third party has entered the game, and that can make communication a little more cumbersome. That being said, it’s really not all that much of a hassle to just forward all information you receive to your lawyer or to inform the insurance company that they can relay all questions or concerns to your attorney. Your lawyer typically steps into your role, and you can step back and focus on your health, so you’re not really acting like a middleman.
Time Consuming – Finally, cases tend to take a little longer when a lawyer gets involved. We understand that you want to put your injuries and the claim behind you, but the most important thing is that you get a fair and accurate award. Sometimes that takes a little longer, but it’s almost always worth it in the end in the form of a larger payday because you didn’t jump at the first settlement offer.
As you can see, the benefits of hiring a workers’ compensation lawyer outweigh the cons, so if you want to reap those benefits for your case, reach out to the experienced injury lawyers at Hey Workers today.
