An injury on the job is a serious thing as it may affect your ability to provide for your family and to continue in your current line of work. When this is the case, you need to have a Work Injury Attorney in Wichita representing you throughout the process. The lawyer’s job is to make sure you get the compensation you are entitled to while also protecting your rights. When you meet with a Work Injury Attorney in Wichita for a consultation, what factors should you be considering? How should you go about finding a lawyer to represent you?
1. Research the background of each attorney you are planning to meet with. Spend some time learning about their education, their personal history and their practice areas. Don’t hesitate to review the attorney’s website, but use information from third parties also to get an accurate picture of the lawyer. The state bar association is often a good resource as you go through this process.
2. See if the attorney represents employees, for the most part, or if they typically choose to work for employers. You may wish to ask if anyone on staff has experience with working for an employer as this gives them a good understanding of how the attorney for the other side will approach the case. If an attorney you are considering using doesn’t have someone on their staff who has worked for the other side, this doesn’t mean you have to drop them from your short list. It’s just one factor of many to consider, but it could be of assistance in your case.
3. Speak to staff members to see how they treat clients. You are likely to interact with the staff regularly during your case so you want to make sure they are professional, polite and helpful at all times.
4. Ask the attorney if he or she has experience with the insurance company representing your employer or their attorneys. Having a relationship with the other side can help to make the negotiation process easier.
5. Be sure to ask for a retainer agreement at the initial consultation and review it carefully before signing. If there is anything you don’t understand, be sure to have it clarified before you sign the agreement. Typically, there is no retainer fee as work injury attorneys work on a contingency basis, but you should ask about expected expenses, such as expert witness fees.
