Do you really need an attorney when you get hurt at work?

In short, the answer is yes. Most people don’t call an attorney right away when they get hurt. Usually they wait until a problem arises and only then do they call an attorney. The problem might be a medical bill the insurance company refuses to pay, treatment the insurance company refuses to approve, or it might be that the injured worker hasn’t gotten a paycheck in a few weeks. The bottom line is that problems do come up. Very few injured workers get through an injury without any issues at all. And if you wait to hire an attorney until after a problem occurs, it takes that much longer to get things corrected. Or worse yet, sometimes problems arise that cannot be fixed.

It is highly recommended that you get an attorney from the beginning. When you hire Black & Jones Attorneys at Law to represent you early on in your injury, you get the assurance that you will know your rights and your rights will be protected. It’s our job to make sure that you know what your rights are. For example, the right to see a doctor of your own choosing, a right to follow your doctor’s recommendations regarding your ability to work, the right to seek a second opinion if you are not happy with your treatment, and the right to refuse to undergo certain medical treatment. By hiring an attorney before a problem arises, we can get in front of things before they become issues. So, if your temporary total disability check normally arrives on Wednesday but fails to show up one week, you let us know and we start pushing to get it issued right away so that you can minimize the amount of time you go without a paycheck. If you wait to get an attorney until your check hasn’t arrived for a couple weeks, it will take the attorney that much longer to get involved and get things corrected.

Hiring an attorney also ensures that you have a trusted source that you can turn to with questions. So if your employer starts treating you differently because of your injury retaliates against you, your attorney will be able to explain to you what actions are available to you and whether you have a right to pursue a retaliatory discharge case. Whether it is a question about your work abilities, your medical treatment, or even about what to expect down the road, Black & Jones will be there for you. Remember that you hire an attorney to work for you. Call Black & Jones Attorneys at Law today for a free consultation.