The biggest Peoria workers' compensation lawyer mistake ever (almost)
Without naming names, there are a handful of workers compensation attorneys in Illinois that have a reputation for "settling short." This basically means that they will tell their client to settle the case even when they know the claim is worth more money?
Why do they do this? Our belief is that these firms feel that it's easier and thus better to get a case in and out the door rather than do the hard work to actually get a good result for the client. Or they are just lazy.
Sometimes there laziness only costs their clients a couple of thousand dollars. Other times it leads to tragedy.
We won't name names, but a Peoria workers' compensation lawyer who is notorious for selling out his clients told one client who had a major injury to settle the case for $55,000. The client couldn't return to work and realized that this amount just didn't seem right. He came to us for help and we recommended a central Illinois law firm that is known for fighting for their clients.
Not too many months later after getting the case ready for trial and making the best case possible, the new lawyer we suggested was able to resolve the case for $250,000.00, almost a $200,000.00 improvement.
Of course this doesn't always happen, but it happens way more than it should. It's not easy to find a new lawyer if your current one isn't doing the job and a settlement offer has already been made. Quite honestly it's best to switch before an offer has been given to you as more lawyers will consider your case. But no matter what happens, if the settlement just seems too low for what you've gone through, don't be afraid to ask around. Usually when other attorneys hear who is representing you they can tell you if you have someone who is reputable or not.
The crazy thing is that the lazy lawyer lost almost $40,000 in attorney fees that could have been easily had if they just did the right thing.
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 your questions or find the right lawyer for your situation.
