After getting injured at work, you have many things to worry about – medical bills, income losses, and your future. If your injuries are serious, you may have to miss out on work for a long time. In such distressing times, should you really consider hiring a workers comp lawyer Newport News? How will you manage the lawyer’s fee? In this post, we are discussing the key aspects of affording an attorney.
Hiring an attorney will help
You would expect the insurance adjuster to be kind and empathetic, but things are rarely rosy in the real world. Insurance companies deny hundreds of workers’ compensation claims each year, often using tactics that injured workers don’t understand. If you don’t know how things work in Virginia and the workers’ compensation benefits you are entitled to, hiring an attorney is your best bet.
The cost of lawyering up
Injured workers often wonder if they can afford a lawyer in such grave circumstances. First things first, most law firms in Virginia would be happy to offer an initial free consultation, which allows you to meet an attorney and understand what your claim is all about. Many good lawyers would even share a strategic plan after listening to the case. Here comes the big reveal – the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission is in charge of determining the lawyer’s fee, and there are standard rules that they follow. This is done to ensure that the injured worker doesn’t have to pay an outrageous amount in the fee.
How much do you need to pay?
The fee of your attorney would typically come from the back pay that you are owed. In some cases, your attorney may get a small share of the future checks, and it is very rare for insurance companies to pay your attorney’s fee. In short, you are responsible for your lawyer’s fee, but eventually, it costs nothing to consult an attorney and get their advice. What happens if your claim is contested? In this case, you will have to appear before the Commission for a hearing, and the Commission will decide the fee of the attorney. In general, the lawyer’s fee would be on the higher side if you win. Most lawyers can give you a fair estimate, but they cannot exactly say what the Commission may allow them to have. If you obtain an Award Order, the Commission will set an attorney fee that wouldn’t typically exceed $500.
Talk to an attorney today about your workers’ compensation claim.
