Have you recently been injured at work due to the negligence of someone else? Are you worried that your financial situation will be complicated by the cost of medical bills? If so, then you need to learn all that you can about hiring a workers’ comp lawyer.

Doing so can help you in many ways. They can give you sound advice, take over communications, and help you receive the maximum amount for your compensation.

See below for an in-depth guide on how to hire the right workers’ comp lawyer. The perfect fit will enhance the opportunity for a life-altering settlement.

1. Look for Great Reviews

Workers’ compensation settlements aren’t for the faint of heart. If you choose to go it alone, you’re going up against an insurance company that has one job: to get you to settle for as little money as possible. Similar to how they low-ball you for car insurance settlements.

For that reason, you can expect the entire process to be drawn out. Insurance companies go to great lengths to try and thwart a workers’ compensation case before it gets its legs underneath it.

You can’t guess wrong on the workers’ comp lawyer that you hire. You have to make sure that you’re hiring the best fit for your needs. Someone who has successfully helped others with cases just like yours.

Thankfully, there’s an easy way to get a peek behind the curtain: browse through online reviews. You can find these by either Googling the lawyer/firm that you’re considering or reading the customer testimonials on their site.

As you read through the customer reviews, here are a few questions you can ask to determine if they’re the right fit:

• Were the clients satisfied with the level of communication they had with the lawyer?
• How knowledgeable was the workers’ comp lawyer throughout their process?
• Did the lawyer get the client a settlement that was higher or lower than what they’d expected?
• Do the clients mention whether they’d recommend this attorney to others?

2. Notice the Signs

There are some people out there that try to go it alone, thinking that it will help save them money in the long term. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

They think that hiring a lawyer will cost them more; when in reality, a lawyer can help you get higher compensation in the first place.

There are plenty of tell-tale signs that you need to bring in a workers’ compensation attorney. If you aren’t careful, the process can get quite messy. Here are some of the most obvious signs you need a workers comp lawyer right away:

• You’ve missed out on over 1 to 2 weeks of work from the injury
• The insurance company has denied your workers’ comp claim
• Your injury required you to receive any form of medical treatment
• You never received compensation for your injury
• You’re experiencing side effects or illnesses from long-term exposure to something at your job
• The insurance company seems to be stalling

Remember, insurance companies don’t care about your well-being. All they care about is paying you as little as possible, regardless of your situation.

3. Look into Strength of Communication

The best workers’ comp lawyer prioritizes communication with their clients. There are a few different layers for you to look for regarding this process.

First, be sure to learn about their preferred points of communication. How do they prefer to be contacted when you need something? Call? Text? Email? There isn’t a right answer here. Just find one that accepts your preferred method of communication.

Second, look into how much communication they’ll take over in your case. A reputable lawyer takes over all communications with the insurance company so that you can focus on your recovery and getting back to work.

Lastly, how often will they communicate with you? There should be a balance, there. You want them to update you on any major happenings in your case without needless updates.

4. Keep an Eye Out for Success Rates

Don’t ever ask a lawyer “What is your success rate?” That’s a general statement that allows lower-quality lawyers to lie to you.

Instead, you want to ask them what their success rate is with cases like yours. Have they ever had a case with the same circumstances as yours? What was the result of that case?

If their answer is “no”, it isn’t a deal-breaker. Let them explain similar cases to yours and how those panned out. What did they do to get higher compensation for their clients?

5. How Much Compensation You Could Get

This is where pursuing workers’ comp without a lawyer can come back to bite you the most. Unless you understand the inner workings of the law, you have no idea how much compensation to ask for.

An experienced workers’ compensation lawyer will have a firm understanding of what your case could be worth.  They will also understand how much the insurance company or the employer may be willing to negotiate.  They will gather the details of your specific case along with their knowledge of what the other side may be thinking and come up with a number that will not only cover all your expenses, but any other additional compensation you could be entitled to receive.

In your first meeting, ask them about what they’d consider when calculating your compensation. While no reputable personal injury firm can guarantee results, they can give you a rough estimate of the amount they’d pursue, as well as more information on how they’d build evidence to support that number.

Hire the Best Houston Workers’ Comp Lawyer Today

Now that you have seen an in-depth guide on the five tips for hiring the best Houston workers’ comp lawyer, be sure to use this information as you decide on which firm is best for your case.

Take the time to browse this article for more information on how to improve your injury case fast. If you’re ready to get started, call 713-538-1332 to speak with an experienced workers compensation lawyer about your case.