By Adam Baron
If you have been injured on the job and thought about hiring an attorney, here are five reasons why someone like myself should represent you:
1. Getting in contact with the adjuster
If you’ve ever tried to get ahold of your adjuster when you needed something or had a question about your case, you know that rarely will they ever pick up when you call. Even rarer is a call back once you leave a message.
Unfortunately, you’re among hundreds of files they handle, and when you’re not represented, you pose no threat to them, so why should they bother to get back to you? When you hire me, I file a petition for benefits for the things that you need, which they have to respond to by law. Otherwise, they will face penalties and fees.
Also, I can compel the most stubborn adjuster to appear before me and make them answer my questions by setting her deposition and making her testify under oath.
2. Making the right medical decisions.
Most doctors that the workers’ compensation insurance companies send you to are never on your side and do their best to please the insurance companies by putting you back to work as quickly as possible.
When I represent you, oftentimes, I will need to get you a change in doctors to someone better or sometimes even send you to a doctor I choose for you to get a third opinion.
3. Getting paid the right amount of money
When workers’ comp pays you, they pay you two-thirds of what you used to make before the accident. But sometimes, the adjuster doesn’t calculate your wages correctly because you have a second job they didn’t know about. Or perhaps they didn’t take into account bonuses or commissions you would get paid.
As an attorney, I make sure that my clients get paid the right amount of money they are entitled to based on an accurate reflection of their pre-injury earnings.
4. Settling your case
At some point near the end of your treatment, or soon after the doctor releases you, you might be given the opportunity to settle your case for a lump sum of money, ending your right to future medical care. But how much do you know to ask for?
Having practiced for almost thirty years, I know how much your case is worth because I have seen what many people with similar injuries have been able to get in the past. I look at what future medical care you need, sometimes even conferencing with your doctor, and figure out how much your treatment is worth over the rest of your lifetime.
I then negotiate with the adjuster or their attorney to get the most money possible for your settlement. For one particularly injured client, requiring a lifetime of medication and treatment, I got her $1.85 million.
5. Going before the Judge
There will be times when what you want from workers’ compensation will be impossible to get without them being ordered to provide it from the Judge of Compensation Claims. Sometimes cases are denied in their entirety, and they refuse to pay any benefits altogether.
You need an experienced workers’ comp attorney, like myself, who is not afraid to try your case before the Judge and get the benefits you need. Recently, I had a client who fell off a roof, and the general contractor refused to admit he was their employee. I went to hearing on this case, and the Judge found they were responsible for treating his injuries.
Two Locations
Located in Coral Springs at 3111 N. University Drive, across from The Walk, the Law Offices of Adam Baron have been helping injured workers for almost 30 years. I also have a second office in North Miami Beach. Our staff also speaks Creole and Spanish.
Hiring me to represent you for your case will only make this difficult time you are going through easier. Feel free to call me about your particular case at 305-770-2131.