Top 5 Questions To Ask Your Workers’ Compensation Attorney In Wake County, NC

In this article, you will discover:

• What you should consider when choosing a workers’ compensation attorney in North Carolina
• What you should expect during an initial consultation with a workers’ compensation attorney
• What are the most common questions prospective clients ask workers’ compensation attorneys

What Should I Look For When Choosing A Workers’ Compensation Attorney In North Carolina?

There are many considerations when someone looks for an attorney to help them pursue a workers’ compensation case. First, you want to ensure the attorneys you’re speaking with have represented clients before the North Carolina Industrial Commission in the past.

You also want to see that they’ve had some experience presenting their case to the Industrial Commission before a Deputy Commissioner. That’s just as important, as the defense firms and insurance companies know which attorneys aren’t willing to take that extra step.

You do want to have a history with your attorney, knowing that they can go forward and find success at the next step. Apart from that, you want to make sure that they’re board-certified. Several attorneys in North Carolina have board certification status from the North Carolina State Bar as specialists in workers’ compensation.

Finally, as you are in a very difficult situation, you want to be sure that the attorney and staff you’re dealing with have compassion and flexibility and truly care about the success of your case.

What Experience Do You Have Handling Workers’ Compensation Claims In North Carolina?

Cardinal Law Partners is unique in that we have four attorneys, all with years of experience, who are board-certified in North Carolina workers’ compensation. We are very proud of that fact.

We can handle cases for anyone injured in all 100 counties of North Carolina. We all focus our practice on North Carolina workers’ compensation.

We work in other areas – social security, personal injury, and South Carolina workers’ compensation – but ultimately, the attorneys at Cardinals Law Partners have handled North Carolina workers’ compensation cases.

Attorney Justin Wraight is a seasoned lawyer based in North Carolina who has helped countless clients just like you navigate the intricacies of Social Security Disability law. With more than 20 years of experience and a certification in workers’ compensation law, he can help you prepare for your Social Security Disability hearing and get the benefits you deserve.

Still have questions? Ready to get started? Contact Cardinal Law Partners today to schedule an initial consultation.

What Should I Expect During My Initial Consultation With A Workers’ Compensation Attorney?

The most important part of learning the case is understanding the procedural happenings to date, meaning:

• When was the date of injury?
• When was medical treatment first sought?
• What were the early diagnoses, restrictions and recommendations?
• When did the employer know?
• When did the employer turn it over to their insurance company?
• Did you go back to work?
• How much time did you miss?
• What were you paid?

All of those answers present themselves as a timeline. I need to know the timeline from the date of your injury to the day I’m talking to you. With that information, several things can be accomplished. We can:

• Determine whether we can help you
• Determine what the appropriate next steps are in your case
• Explain what we would do if hired

Most people want to know the costs, the expectations on both sides, what they need to do to retain us, and what to expect moving forward.

The initial consultation should be document-intensive and fact-intensive: it will cover the date, time, people involved, your doctor, and your employer. I like to call these “people, places and things.” This initial meeting is all about what happened on this timeline and where we go from here.

What Is Your Style Of Communication When Updating Clients On Cases?

A good attorney will help you make important decisions based on their experience and knowledge of the law. That kind of communication is important. For me and my partners, communication is on a case-by-case basis.

Sometimes, your case is all set. You’re receiving benefits, and it’s just a matter of going from doctor visit to doctor visit. In those situations, you’ll simply keep us updated after each visit.

In other situations, you’ve got issues at work. There’s talk of retaliation. The doctors aren’t being helpful. The insurance company’s not being fair. In those situations, communication will be more ongoing and more frequent.

Using that case-by-case basis, you can tell us the best way to keep you informed. You may prefer a phone call; alternatively, you may prefer email. I found that sometimes, the best way to communicate is by text message. We’ll choose a method to receive and convey information that works best for you.

We aim to be supportive and informative in our communication. You should be comfortable communicating with us. Every client in our firm is assigned a paralegal. The paralegal is more available by phone, good at moving documents back and forth and available for routine follow-up. Often, when the attorney is in a hearing or mediation, you can reach somebody else with our firm easily.

Attorney Justin Wraight is a seasoned lawyer based in North Carolina who has helped countless clients just like you navigate the intricacies of Social Security Disability law. With more than 20 years of experience and a certification in workers’ compensation law, he can help you prepare for your Social Security Disability hearing and get the benefits you deserve.

Still have questions? Ready to get started? Contact Cardinal Law Partners today to schedule an initial consultation.

What Is A Question During The Initial Consultation That I Should Be Prepared To Answer?

The first question is: Do you want help? I understand that sometimes, you may call me and just want information. Other times, you don’t yet know if you want help, but we’ll clarify this so I can do the most effective job possible for you.

Sometimes, you may assume that you can handle the situation yourself or that the insurance company’s dirty tricks will stop and everything will work out. You need to know I’ll be aggressive in trying to help you and accept that help.

Next, I’ll ask about your expectations. If you’re expecting an unrealistic windfall based on something you read online or something a relative told you, we need to clarify that. I won’t take your case if you’re demanding a result I can’t get.

To be clear, for workers’ compensation in North Carolina, you don’t get pain and suffering for your injuries. You don’t get money for the trouble you’ve endured during your case.

What you get in North Carolina for workers’ compensation is strictly defined by statute. My most important duty on your behalf is to help you put your best foot forward, make the best arguments we can, and get you as much as possible.

What Is The Most Common Question You Hear From Workers’ Compensation Clients?

Most clients ask:

• Is this going to settle?
• Is this going to court?
• How much is this case worth?
• Am I going to have a job?

The honest answer is: I don’t know. I know that most people want to get better, get back to work, and have this case behind them, and we’ll work hard to make those things happen.

We can certainly help move things along quickly, but we can’t always tell you how it will look when it’s done. If an attorney tells you how your case will end before the doctors and the other side have spoken, seek another attorney.

Still Have Questions? Ready To Get Started?

For more information on hiring a workers’ compensation lawyer in Raleigh, NC, an initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (833) 444-4257 today.