UPDATED 10/28/20
Did you know that, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than three million Americans are injured on the job every year in the United States? Additionally, 6,000 American workers are killed annually while discharging their duties. In these situations, it is one of your rights as an employee to have your employer help you with medical bills, make reasonable accommodations to get you back to work, and to compensate your family in the event you lose your life. Of course, as you’re unfortunately well aware, it’s too often the case that businesses violate employee laws, choosing to keep their pockets lined instead of doing the right thing.
In this type of situation, it’s best to find experienced injury attorneys to help find justice. As IBIS World statistics show, there are more than 400,000 law firms in the United States. How can you possibly weed out the experienced injury attorneys worth your money from the rest? Well, you can start by avoiding any so-called experienced injury attorneys who have any of these characteristics.
Three Signs You Shouldn’t Hire That Lawyer
- They Clearly Don’t Care
For About.com, the clearest sign you shouldn’t hire a lawyer is when they seem like they’d rather be doing anything else than dealing with you. Whether they take two weeks to respond to an email or they always seem to be avoiding your calls, a lawyer that can’t be bothered to give you the time of day shouldn’t be trusted to help you with your legal issues. ‘Nuff said.
- Your State Bar Has a List of Violations for Them
Your State Bar Association can be an incredible resource for tracking down a great lawyer. It can also be a good way to avoid a crappy one. Not every state does this, but many Bar Associations will maintain a list of qualifications for its lawyers, in addition to any marks against their record. It’s worth contacting your Bar Association to ask, especially when you realize that could mean not wasting a lot of time and money on someone who shouldn’t be in the field.
- Beware of Unsolicited Interest from Personal Injury Attorney Law Firms
The simplest way to tell that you shouldn’t be working with a lawyer, perhaps, is when they start getting in contact with you when you haven’t even asked for help. These so-called “ambulance chasers,” as LegalMath.com details, really just want to push you into a lawsuit, hoping to get rich off of your misfortune, regardless of whether you actually need to go to court. If you get a letter or a phone call out of the blue from a lawyer, chances are they fit in this category. Avoid their services at all costs.
How to Find a Lawyer Online
When injured on the job, you do need to consult a lawyer. Each US employer must carry workers compensation insurance to cover injuries employees receive while on the job as well as illnesses they develop from exposures incurred on the job.
Your first consult should be with your doctor though. You must document your injury and begin treatment for it as soon as possible. As soon as you have visited the doctor, report your injury to your employer and ask to start the workers compensation process.
At this point, you should obtain a legal advocate or attorney. While all types of attorneys exist, you need one that specializes in workers compensation matters and personal injury. When you think, “Okay, I need a attorney; where do I go?” answer that question online by visiting specialty legal sites like NOLO or Legal Zoom. These provide searchable databases of US attorneys. Your attorney will help you continue to document your injury and may know of specialists who will work with you to help you get back on your feet more quickly.
