Chicago workers' compensation lawyers- If it doesn't look like a duck
There's an old saying that if it looks like a duck and talks like a duck then it's probably a duck. That's a good thing to think about when hiring a Chicago workers' compensation lawyer.
A caller with a major injury came to us for advice on his injury. He had found his lawyer through his doctor (side note, there are a lot doctors and lawyers that make their living by referring clients back and forth to each other regardless of what is best for the client. We don't do this as we feel it's sketchy, but we get approached about this all the time). The lawyer has an office in the northwest side of the City. We had never heard of him so we looked him up. His website said he handles workers' compensation, personal injury, real estate, bankruptcy and criminal cases.
Now we aren't saying that a lawyer in that location with multiple practice areas couldn't do a good job for you. But it certainly doesn't paint a picture of someone who would. First off, all Cook County work injuries are sent to Arbitrators at the Thompson Center which is downtown. To have an office on the northwest side of town where it's 45 minutes or more by el to get to court and back would be very disruptive to a law practice, especially if you have to go back and forth to hearings a couple of times a day and do it every day.
Second, if you are in that location and don't regularly appear at the Thompson Center then you won't know the Arbitrators. If you don't know them and the defense attorney does then you are fighting with one hand tied behind your back.
Finally, when someone is also a real estate attorney, bankruptcy attorney, criminal attorney, etc., it tends to lead to that lawyer not being up to date on the law. In the case of our recent caller, he was being hounded by a collection agency over an unpaid bill that was part of the work comp case. His lawyer didn't know that the law changed in 2006 making it illegal for a collection agency to try and collect when a case is active. The client dealt with at least ten phone calls and had this put on his credit report. If his attorney knew the law that could have been stopped easily.
So if it doesn't look like a duck (e.g. the lawyer does lots of areas of law, isn't located near a hearing location, etc.) then you better keep looking.
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.
