What Should I Bring to My Initial Consultation with Black & Jones for my Worker’s Compensation Claim?
At Black & Jones, we offer a free initial consultation, which is an important first meeting between you and an attorney from our team that you can hire to represent you in your worker’s compensation case. To make sure this meeting is as productive as possible, and avoid delays or rescheduling, come to your consultation prepared with the information the attorney needs to properly evaluate your case.
Here is everything you need to bring to your appointment to be best prepared:
1. Proof of Employment
The attorney will need to know the name of your employer and how long you worked there. This should include the employer’s name, address, and phone number. If the employer does payroll through a third-party company, you should have both companies’ information. If you were placed to work through a staffing agency, the attorney will need the name of both the loaning and borrowing employer. A paystub will also allow the attorney to verify how much you were paid for the work you perform.
2. Date of Accident
Be sure to make note of the time and date of when you were injured. For specific traumatic injuries, such a concussion or a bone break, it is easy to know the date of accident. In those cases, the attorney needs to know the exact date it occurred.
But what about those injuries where the pain came on over time? These are known as repetitive trauma injuries. The accident date is not as clear in those cases. For those cases, it is helpful to be able to tell the attorney when you began working, when approximately symptoms began, when you first sought medical treatment and when your doctor first told you to stop working. It’s okay if you do not know those specific dates, but, if possible, you should be able to identify a month and year that those things occurred.
3. Who Did You Notify About your Injury?
The attorney will ask you to identify the employee you gave notice to of your injury at work and when you told them. This may also include questions about whether there were any witnesses to the injury. Also, if you have a written accident report, it’s helpful to bring that to your consultation.
4. Your Medical Condition and Progression of Your Treatment
During your consultation, the attorney will need information about your medical condition(s) and the progression of your treatment(s). If you have been to several doctors, it is important to indicate which doctors referred you to others.
5. Medical Providers Contact Info
To confirm that you have sought medical treatment since your disability began, the attorney will want the contact information of medical providers you’ve gone to. Be sure to have names, and, if possible, addresses and phone numbers of the doctors, hospitals, therapy facilities, diagnostic facilities or clinics that you have received care from.
6. Letters from the Worker’s Compensation Insurance Company
Bring copies of all letters you may have received from the workers’ compensation insurance company or your employer about the injury. It is not unusual for injured workers to seek an attorney even before they know anything about the insurance company. If that’s your situation, don’t worry, the attorney will find that information for you.
7. Missed Hours & Wages
Make sure you know dates that you were instructed not to work by a doctor due to your injury and whether you received any compensation for your wages missed over that time. We want to make sure you get compensated for any missed time from work, so this information is crucial.
8. Additional Concerns
Finally, the attorney will ask you about any other questions, problems, or issues that need to be taken care of. Come prepared to let the attorney know of other concerns like unpaid medical bills or denial or lack of approval for treatment.
Come Prepared to Helps Black & Jones Evaluate Your Case Effectively
Upon scheduling your free consultation, we will ask you to either provide this information ahead of time via email or fax or have this information readily available at the time of your appointment. It’s especially helpful for you to send your information ahead of time if you choose for your consultation to be over phone or video call.
Your time is valuable and struggling with a workplace-related injury is hard. You want to work with an experienced attorney who is on your side and understands the full extent of your case. It’s vital you come prepared to your consultation and provide the attorney with the information they need to best prepare you for the worker’s compensation claims process.
Contact us today to set up your free consultation to discuss how to best approach your worker’s compensation claim. Request a consultation with the Black & Jones team online here or give us a call at (815) 967-9000.