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The Crucial Decisions You’ll Make When Pursuing Workers’ Compensation

You will play an active role throughout the workers comp process, and especially in making the most crucial decisions regarding your case.

Though obtaining benefits after a work injury is a somewhat complicated process, your St. Louis workers compensation attorney should handle most of the logistical aspects of it. That being said, you will play an active role throughout the process, and especially in making the most crucial decisions regarding your case.

workers hard hats

Whether to Make a Claim or Not

Your first significant decision is whether you should make a claim or not. The conclusion that you come to will be based on the severity of your injuries. On one end of the spectrum, you may have something like a small cut on your hand. You will likely receive a bandage, but this ailment shouldn’t keep you out of work or cause you to amass medical bills. As a result, you may opt to not make a claim. On the other end, you might have a more severe injury, like a broken bone. These cases will most likely call for you to make a claim. One thing to note is that if you’re ever not sure about this decision, talking to a workers’ comp lawyer can provide clarity.

Which Lawyer to Hire

Next, you should decide if you want to hire a lawyer or not. What makes this decision so important is that this professional is the person who will guide you through your case. Not only will that mean doing paperwork and making deadlines, but it will also include negotiating for a better deal and giving you advice along the way. One of the primary factors that leads to a favorable outcome is an attorney who has the skill and desire to fight for you, so don’t take this decision lightly. Instead, do some research and find a local provider who you can trust.

How Much to Settle For

Lastly, you have to decide how much compensation you will accept before settling. The truth is that nobody involved in these claims wants to go to court. In most cases, all that does is drive up costs and time investment. The better outcome is settling with the opposing insurance company relatively quickly. This process usually starts with an initial offer from them that is a bit low. Your lawyer negotiates, raises the price some amount, and then it is time to make a choice. As long as that offer is fair, there is a good chance that you will take it, as further discussions tend to have diminishing returns the farther you get into a claim.

The three crucial decisions that you will make in your workers’ compensation case are whether or not you want to make a claim, which lawyer to hire, and how much you’re willing to settle for. Perhaps the most important of them is hiring your St. Louis work injury attorney. The reason is that if you have an excellent lawyer at your side, that professional will give you advice at every step of the way. That kind of expertise will go a long way in getting you a favorable result.

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