Chicago workers' compensation attorneys- location, location, location
The key to hiring the right Chicago workers' compensation law firm??? It's just like real estate, location is key. Well it's not as important as finding someone who makes handling work injuries the majority of their practice and it's not as important as finding someone who will deliver you customer service (return phone calls, answer questions, not talk down to you, etc), but it matters.
Case in point a recent client who had been working with a law firm that is based up in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago. It's a wonderful place to live, eat and do touristy things like go to the Lincoln Park Zoo. Head a few blocks north and you can catch a game at Wrigley Field or this time of year go ice skating outside of Wrigley. But it's not a very popular area for finding workers' compensation attorneys.
The reason that is true is because all Cook County work injuries are heard at the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission which is the 8th floor of the Thompson Center. The Thompson Center is located downtown at 100 W. Randolph St.
It's not uncommon for an attorney who focuses their practice on representing injured workers to have to be at the Thompson Center five days in a row, sometimes for hours on end or both in the morning and the afternoon. If your law firm is based in Lincoln Park or on the south side or out by O'Hare it would be a real disruption to your practice and clients if you were commuting back and forth or spending your whole day out of the office.
On the flip side, a downtown lawyer can get in to the office at 8 a.m., leave for the Commission at 9:00 a.m., get there by 9:05 and if they need to come back later in the day it's no big deal. This leads to an easier practice life and better customer service for their clients.
It's not that a non-loop lawyer couldn't handle a work injury case, it's just that it's more likely that a downtown attorney has more experience with these cases, better relationships with the Arbitrators and probably makes work comp their focus. This is what gives you the best chance of success in your case. And since you only get one shot at this and your lawyer fee is 20% no matter who you hire, it makes sense to go with someone who really focuses on Illinois work injuries. The firm in Lincoln Park the caller was with handled work injuries plus traffic, divorce, civil litigation, real estate transactions, personal injury and landlord tenant problems. Jack of all trades master of none is our guess.
We are workers' compensation attorneys that help people with Illinois work injuries anywhere in IL via our statewide network of attorneys. Contact Us and we will answer you questions or find the right lawyer for your situation.
