Maine has the highest number of reported workers' compensation cases, according to LawFirms.com, workers' compensation claims are filed all the time in all 50 states. Unfortunately, many of these cases aren't smooth and you may need help from a workers' compensation lawyer. Like with most legal cases, a workers' compensation case requires that you gather a lot of evidence. Before you meet with your worker's compensation lawyer, you will need to know what information, questions, and documents to bring.
The Context of Your Injury
Inform your workers' compensation lawyer about:
- When you were hired
- What caused your injury
- When your injury occurred
- What steps you took to notify your employer
- Who received the notice of your injury
- Where you sought medical treatment
- Which medical treatments you received
This summary will help your worker's compensation lawyer not only understand the nature of your injuries but also help the lawyer identify whether you have missed any essential treatments.
Contact Information
Your lawyer must know how to contact your employer, doctor, the workers' compensation insurance provider, witnesses, and any other parties relevant to your case. However, if you're not sure how to contact the witnesses, your workers' compensation lawyer may be able to help you with this as well.
Reports
Provide any written reports of your injury. If the police were involved, such as in a work-related car accident, give your lawyer the police report. Also, if you have any evidence that your employer has been cited for other violations, include these reports. Include any correspondence with your employer as well.
Medical Records
Provide past medical records that could explain risk factors and pre-existing conditions, and include medical records related to your injury. If you have had any previous injuries with a body part, list them.
Give Your Workers' Compensation Lawyer a Call
A workers' compensation lawyer will often offer you a free initial consultation and you can ask him if there are any documents you'll need to bring. However, before you call your workers' compensation lawyer, you will want to prepare a list of questions to ask such as whether the lawyer has past experience with a case similar to yours, whether the lawyer sees any strengths or weaknesses in your case, and who will be handling most of your case.
Collecting documents for a workers' compensation case might seem tedious but it is the most important part of having your claim approved by the insurance provider. Even though you may appeal the case, part of the appeal will involve supplying all necessary documents to the insurance carrier.
