Your First Meeting with a Workers’ Compensation Attorney
Being hurt on the job can be a painful and stressful situation. Having to hire an attorney to represent you can also be a stressful process. At Harris Guidi Rosner we want to ease some of that stress. So we want to give you an idea of what to expect in your First Meeting with a Workers’ Compensation Attorney.
The following is a preview of the appointment process.
How long is the First Meeting with a Workers’ Compensation Attorney ?
Ordinarily, the first appointment is between thirty minutes and an hour. There are some basic forms that we will ask you to complete, so you are welcome to come a few minutes early. Once the paperwork is complete, we will sit down with you and learn about you and your injury.
Is there a charge?
We want all injured workers to feel welcome to contact us for a no obligation, free consultation. The first appointment for an initial consultation for a work-related injury is 100% free. This is true whether or not you choose to engage us or whether or not we are able to accept the case.
What Should You Bring to the First Meeting?
Bring everything you feel is important. However, there are a few items in particular that will help us evaluate your case.
- Information about the work accident. This includes the date and time of the accident, where it happened, and any names of witnesses.
- A list of any medical providers you have seen. Bring any records you may have like discharge paperwork from the emergency room or urgent care center.
- Any paperwork you have received from the insurance company involved in your claim.
- A paycheck that shows an average week of your wages right before your injury. If you worked for more than one employer, bring a paycheck from each employer.
- Your health insurance card if you have used it for the work accident.
- Your identification.
What Documents of Forms Will You Have to Sign?
If we can help you with your case, there will be a few documents that you will need to sign.
First, we will ask you to sign medical releases so that we may get all necessary medical records as your case progresses. Medical professionals cannot release records without the proper HIPPA documentation.
We will also ask you to sign a document called the “Certificate of Good Faith Effort to Resolve Dispute”. We use this when an insurance company is not responding to your requests. This will help compel the insurance company to provide you the medical and/or money benefits you deserve.
We will give you a mileage form to help you keep track of your medical mileage. You will track travel to and from Doctor appointments, screenings, lab work, etc.
Lastly, we will review our firm contract and fee agreement with you. In workers’ compensation cases, we help our clients on a contingency fee basis which means there is no money required up front. We will review all this with you and answer all your questions.
Most importantly…
Our potential new workers’ compensation clients are never pressured to retain our firm. We want you to have a good experience on your first meeting with a workers’ compensation attorney. The purpose of the initial consultation is to meet each other. Get a feel for us as a firm and as a representative for you.
If you do not feel that we are a good fit, we understand. Better to know up front rather than weeks or months into the process.
We also want to make sure we have all the information we need to make an evaluation of your case. What should you expect from the process? What are your rights, and what you should expect? Also, we will explain time-frames, expenses, and fees when we sit down together.
We will also discuss with you the benefits of our legal representation. Our team of experienced Jacksonville Workers’ Compensation attorneys has represented quite a few individuals in the Jacksonville area. We would love to opportunity to help you as well.
If you feel we can help you with your workers’ compensation claim, please call us at (904) 777-7777 to set up your free consultation on your first meeting with a workers’ compensation attorney.
