Attorney James M. Hoffmann

Unlike large, multi-practice firms, James M. Hoffmann focuses exclusively on workers’ compensation cases, handling:

• Workplace injuries, including falls, machinery accidents, and repetitive stress injuries.
• Denied claims and employer disputes.
• Permanent disability and catastrophic injuries.
• Employer retaliation and wrongful termination after a claim.

Every case is personally overseen by Attorney Hoffmann, from the first review of the medical records through the decisions that shape what a Missouri workers’ comp claim is worth.

James earned his undergraduate degree from St. Louis University’s John Cook School of Business before obtaining his Juris Doctor from St. Louis University School of Law.

Over his career, he has represented thousands of injured workers across Missouri, frequently deposing medical professionals, accident experts, and industry specialists to build strong cases.

He is a member of the Missouri Bar Association and the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys.

TV and billboard firms run on volume. Settling fast and cheap funds the next round of advertising, and the case that needed trial preparation gets treated like the case that did not. Some large national operations are referral desks that hand your case to another attorney you have never met.

A small firm with a single practice area works differently. The attorney whose name is on the door reviews the file, takes the depositions, and answers your questions before you settle, not after. That is also why a trial firm changes what a case is worth.

In 2025 alone, our firm spent over $700,000 on expert witnesses. Cases are proven the same way they are won: physicians who connect the work incident to the injury, and preparation that treats every disputed claim as one that may need a judge.

Our firm handled roughly 1 in 4 of recent workers’ compensation trials at the St. Louis Division of Workers’ Compensation, out of hundreds of attorneys representing Missouri workers. Insurers know which firms will actually try a case, and it changes how they negotiate.

When the claims administrator knows a trial firm is on the file, refusals of care get reconsidered.

Will I work directly with Attorney Hoffmann?

Yes. When you call, you talk with the attorney handling your case, not a call center and not a junior associate. Attorney Hoffmann reviews every inquiry and personally oversees every case the firm takes.

How much does it cost to hire the firm?

Consultations are free, and the firm works on contingency: costs are advanced by the firm, there is no hourly billing, and the fee comes only out of a recovery. If there is no recovery, you never receive a bill.

Can I switch to the firm if I already have an attorney?

You are allowed to change attorneys in a Missouri workers’ compensation case. Many clients come to the firm for a second opinion before they settle, often after being released while still in pain or receiving an offer that ignores future medical care.

What kinds of results has the firm obtained?

The firm has recovered over $100,000,000 for injured Missouri workers, including trial awards where employers refused additional care and hardship rulings that forced denied surgeries to be covered. Recent outcomes are collected on the case results page. Every case is different; results depend on the facts.