This is a common question work injury victims face. Besides the stress of not being able to work, injured workers face many other issues. They sometimes are concerned that their employer will become angry if they hire an attorney. They worry the insurance company will stop their benefits, or take other adverse action against them if they hire an attorney. They worry how they are going to survive financially while they are out of work. Some also ask themselves: when should I get a workers’ compensation attorney?

The bottom line is all injured workers should hire an attorney as quickly as possible. Here are a couple of reasons why:

• The lawyer can quickly file a claim for you when your claim is denied or when your benefits stop
  Upon receiving the claim, the insurance company has a limited amount of time to decide if they are going to deny or start paying your claim. Many claims are denied. You want to have a lawyer on your side ready to file a claim for you should the claim be denied.
  Also, at any time within the first six months after your accident, the insurance company can stop paying you benefits at any time. This is the ‘pay without prejudice period’. They can this without even needing a judge’s permission to do so. If your checks suddenly stop, you want to make sure you already have a lawyer in place that is familiar with your case, and who can quickly file a claim in court on your behalf.
• The lawyer can quickly file a claim when the insurance company refuses to pay your medical bills
  Sometimes workers’ compensation insurance companies refuse to pay for the needed medical treatment of workers’ compensation claimants. If the medical provider follows the correct procedure and the insurance company still refuses to pay for needed medical treatment that is “reasonable, necessary and related” then your attorney can file a claim for you. If you did not have an attorney, you would have to spend time looking for and hiring the attorney, then the attorney would have to get up-to-speed, and all the while you dearly need to get a medical procedure done.
• The attorney only gets paid if successful
  The attorney will only be paid if he/she is successful in getting you on workers’ compensation benefits, defeating the insurance company’s efforts to reduce or terminate your benefits, or, if the case lump sum settles. You don’t have to worry about advancing money to the attorney or paying hourly bills. Since the attorney only gets paid if successful, hiring one sooner, rather than later, makes all the sense in the world.  Hiring a lawyer as quickly as possible after your accident will only serve to help you, and protect your rights.

The Earley Law Group Injury Lawyers is dedicated to helping workers’ compensation claimants. We stand ready to help you with your case. Call today for help with your case. Consultations are always free of charge at our office.