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Home » Blog » Personal Injury » When you might need an attorney for personal injury claims

When you might need an attorney for personal injury claims

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If you have faced a work related illness or an injury, you might consider hiring an attorney to pursue with the case for workers compensation. Or if you are confused whether you need to hire an attorney to handle your case or if you can handle it yourself; we can help you decide.

To begin with, it depends on the severity of the injury or illness, the complexity if the case and the employer’s actions or reactions with regards to the case or those from their insurance company.

When You Can Probably Represent Yourself

There are several situations when you might not need to hire an attorney and would be able to go through the entire process yourself. Here are a few reasons when you might not need to hire a professional lawyer or an attorney:

  • You suffered from a minor injury or illness, such as a twisted ankle or a small cut.
  • You missed little work due to the injury or didn’t miss work at all.
  • Your employer admitted that the injury occurred on the premises.
  • You do not have a pre-existing condition or an injury that affects the part that is injured.

These situations are not that complicated and therefore you do not necessarily have to hire an attorney. Even then, it is always a good idea to meet a professional lawyer who specializes in workers’ compensation even if you do not plan to hire them to proceed with the case.

When to Hire a Lawyer

When you realize the case is complex compared to the situations mentioned above, you should hire an attorney. Here are some cases where you would need to hire an attorney to proceed with the case:

  • If your employer denies the claims, or refuses to pay for your benefits
  • Sometimes the employers agree but the settlement does not cover all of the medical expenses and lost wages. In other cases, you are not sure if the settlement you received is sufficient or not, you might need help from an attorney.
  • Your employer or your boss tries to stop you from filing for the claim or retaliates as you try to proceed. In some cases, the employer demotes or fires the employee who files for workers’ compensations. In such scenarios, there is a need for a worker’s compensation attorney to claim your legal rights.
  • The injury you faced was due to the employer’s misconduct. If the employer injured you intentionally or if they do not have workers compensation insurance, you should hire an attorney to help you find out what laws protect you.
  • If a third party (someone other than the employer), injured you. For instance, someone hit you on the road while you drove to the office.

Whatever the situation might be, it is mostly advised not to proceed with the process on your own. It is always better to hire a lawyer for most legal matters.