LAWYERS

[ddbird]

This is new to me,(forum) though I have been on WC for 16 years, i am still dealing with it, and from the looks of it, it will never go away . Why? Because i retaind a lawyer. And that is my problem. I would like to relate the latest issue that has come up and ask for your advice. Then in future forum's i would like to explain what happend to me, and maybe someone can learn from my experience.
After my work related injury, and dealing with WC i retaind a lawyer, then a year or so went by and there was a hearing, and a settlement. I was told by my lawyer that he was trying to get a large cash settment, and that he was dangling a carrot in front of them and to be patient. So i was given a small cash award of a few hundred dollers a month ( no retraining , lost my job and could not work at anything pertaining to that line of work again) the money goes to my lawyer, from WC, he takes out a lawyers fee and then his office sends me a check. After the hearing i decided that the whole episode was so horiffic that i just wanted to get on with my life and not look back. So i did. A couple of months ago i received my check and with it was a slip of paper, simply stating if i wanted more money he (the lawyer) would go back to WC and do a "Earning Capacity Evaluation-Rearrangment" so that my money could be increased. So, i went for it. After going back to doctors and many letters, and a phone interview with a "labor Market Evaluation Person" i was informed that WC had rejected the request, but that they would try again some time in the future. Then when i received my monthly check it showed that i was being billed for the phone interwiew for $440.00, that it would come out of my check at $25.00 a month. So instead of getting more money i am now getting less money fore the next 17 months. I was never told ahead of time that this was going to cost me, or i would never have gone fore it, especialy concidering the odds of success with WC. (Oh, after 16 years i guess a large cash settlment is out of the question, DUH!) Well there you are. So! If we hire a lawyer to protect us from WC, who do we go to, to protect us from lawyers ? After reading a lot of the postings, and being new to this, i find somthing very disturbing in the system, and how LABOR is treated. Very disturbing.
I will waiting to hear from you. From the "LABOR SLAG HEAP"[/size][/font]

[Manley2]

When my wife was injuried we hired a lawyer. Things went okay but then we had never been thru this before. We knew she would need future medical care but he told us it was too hard to get and to take the offer. We did. About a year ago now we got called to court over some of her medical bills from that injury. Called her lawyer and they said he had settled it and was going to do nothing more. These bills were suppose to be paid, it says so in the paperwork we have but he will not do anything about it. My only thing was to hire another lawyer to make him pay the bills. Well we didn't because who has the money. The collection agency could tel these were WC bills and that they should have been paid but that was not their job. Not sure how this is going to come out. This lawyer is no longer with that firm and I think it was because we were not the only people he did this to but I don't think anything will get fixed. He is still a lawyer in his own office so all I can do is tell local people not to go to him

[jayne]

my lawyer was a god send like all professions there are bad and good....

[borninabarn]

DD Bird Sounds like you got a Bad Attorney.Best Luck To You!Born

[lfoster21]

Same here, I lucked out with a good one. She found me over 8,000.00 right away, that the i/c had already not paid me, that they owed me and I did not even know about it. She also found out that the i/c had intentionally kept quiet for 1 1/2 years abut me needing to file wih the w/c commission, knowing that after 2 years, they could legally drop me and the state could no longer help me. Thank God, I got a lawyer 6 months prior to being dropped!

But I will say, I have not settled yet, I can only pray that I have a good lawyer, when it comes to that time in the case. Please pray for that part of the process for me.

[Still in Limbo]

Mines been Great!! I Personally think You have held on to this One Way Too Long, and need to get a Better One!! Maybe a Friend, or the Local Bar Association, can Guide You to One that Actually Cares! They are Out there, there are Good and Bad in All Professions, and I'm Sure there's a Good One Out there for You! Best of Luck!!

[Manley2]

Don't get me wrong in my post I was talking about my wife lawyer. In my case I believe I have a very good lawyer. There are time you wonder if they are doing the right thing for you but I think you will find out that if you speak with them you will understand what is going on. I think lawyers are kind of like doctors and bedside manner, they do a great job but just don't spend the time making you understand that.

[Elizabeth K]

All I can say is lawyer shop. Use all Internet resources at your disposal. Check local bar associations and injured worker groups. Google the lawyers' name to see what comes up. Read their blogs or articles, if any. It can tell you a lot about a person. I also use Best Lawyers in America, Workers' Compensation. I'm not so sure Super Lawyers is all that reliable. Does anyone have an opinion on that resource? I check awards given out, including those by the LexisNexis Workers' Compensation Law Center. They did a notable workers' comp lawyer thing awhile ago.

[charliebrown]

i feel you on lawyers. I have similar problem with not trusting my lawyer and know that if i get rid of him he is goin to charge me an unknown fee for his services and if they r too big i am goin to have to get another fkning lawyer to pay less. Its vicious cycle. i would do what im about to do an get a free consultation from another lawyer about your situation to see if your original lawyer is liable for any charges. Other than that gl

[bronco54501]

I too under stand where you's are comming from. My lawyer is also listed as a super lawyer, and personaly I dont believe that makes them a good lawyer. So far I have been on WC since nov 07 and other then signing with him and a lien waiver from my private INS, I have not needed him. He has not been very info helpfull. I have found more info and advice on this forum and the people here are just awsome. I have done all the leg work myself, and like some I have not had any real bad problems with my employer nor WC.

Dont quote me on this but if you search old posts by( bad boy bad boy ) or timothy belt you will find info on a petition for the judge for not having to pay lawyer. Not sure on the correct wording....................Bronco.