What You Should Prepare Before Meeting a Workers’ Comp Lawyer

If you have been injured on the job in the Spokane, Washington area, one of the most important decisions that you can make is to contact an experienced workers compensation attorney. A consultation with an attorney can provide you with a good idea of the strengths and weaknesses of your claim, as well as give you a better understanding of the attorney’s skills and experience in such matters and how they can better assist you through the process. However, there are a few things that you should do before you meet with a workers’ comp attorney.

The First Meeting

For your initial consultation, you should take as much information as possible about your workplace injury for the attorney to review. Taking the time to prepare the relevant materials and documents will help the attorney better understand the case and determine whether or not you have a valid claim.

You should consider preparing the following for your consultation:

• The date and location of the injury along with a summary of the workplace accident.
• Any documents you’ve received from the Department of Labor and Industries.
• Medical records related to the injury, diagnosis, and treatment.
• Dates of all invasive treatments such as surgeries.
• Medical bills incurred for all related treatments.
• Copy of any accident reports created by your employer for this incident.
• Your employment records showing the date of hire, position, and duties.
• Pay stubs for 3 months prior to your date of injury.
• Any letters or emails between your employer and yourself regarding your injuries.

Having this information available for your first meeting with a workers’ compensation attorney will help expedite their understanding of the entire scope of the case and their ability to assess your claim. The faster that your attorney has all of this information, the quicker that your claim can proceed.

Questions for Your Workers’ Comp Lawyer

Take the time to write out a list of questions beforehand for your consultation with the attorney. All too often we find ourselves remembering questions we wanted to ask after the meeting has concluded. Preparing your questions beforehand can help ensure that you do not overlook or forget anything.

A few to consider:

• Has the attorney represented clients with injuries similar to yours?
• What portion of their caseload is workers’ compensation claims?
• Will the attorney personally be handling your case?
• What are the fees?

Schedule a Consultation with Experienced Washington Workers’ Compensation Attorneys

Serving all of Central & Eastern Washington, Carlisle & Byers offers a free consultation with our workers’ compensation lawyers in order to ensure that you get the representation, treatment, and coverage that you deserve. Contact us today and let us help you determine the strengths and any weaknesses of your claim and what your goals should be for rejoining the workforce and getting back on your feet.

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