We love helping people. LOVE IT! I don’t like insurance companies or employers who do wrong by their workers. So if I can help you, I will do whatever I can. I will also always give direct, honest advice.
Wanting to help people does not mean we can or will help everyone that contacts us. We try to help people with legitimate work related injuries. If we think you are lying or scamming or being deceitful, we will not get involved.
Those reasons are rather general, but they apply to specific situations. My legal malpractice insurance carrier sent out an email with what they consider red flags in potential clients and it is worth sharing. If you do these things, it may be why you can not find an Illinois work comp lawyer.
An Inconsistent Story
When a worker changes the facts of how they got hurt or what happened, it hurts their credibility. We are not looking for a perfect set of facts. We just want the truth. A lack of details or inconsistent details are a huge red flag.
Sometimes this involves workers who have been pressured by their boss to lie to a doctor. At times we can overcome this. But if you tell us you were hurt one way and video evidence or other facts show something else, no attorney will touch your case.
Doctors That Are Shady
There are some medical providers that have really bad reputations. They over treat or even occasionally make fake diagnoses. It may not be your fault that you are with them, but we have heard of some medical providers recruiting people to have an injury. Other times we see people that won’t take any non invasive tests like a CT scan or have exaggerated pain that doesn’t match reality. In other words, if I see you get out of your car and you are walking fine, but in our office you are limping, that will not be a case any attorney we know would want to touch.
Workers’ Comp Claims Appear To Be Your Second Job
Some jobs are risky and can cause a lot of injuries. Other times it appears that the injured worker is so familiar with the system that they are running a scam. If we look your name up on the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission website and see that you have filed ten claims in the last ten years, it’s a red flag. If you just settled a case with another law firm, it can be a red flag, especially if you are coming to us about a similar injury. At the very least, we will vet these claims extra hard to make sure this is not fraud.
You Are Way Too Aggressive
I get that it can be beyond frustrating if your case is denied. That can lead to a lot of emotion. But if you yell at a secretary or talk about how you want to kill your boss or the insurance adjuster, that is not acceptable. You need to be able to control your emotions and know who is on your side. One recent caller to my office said, before I knew anything about his case, “You are the 4th lawyer I’ve called today. Are you fucking worthless like them or are you going to help me!” This was in the first 30 seconds. The call was over within a minute.
You Are Too Smart For Your Own Good
A final reason you might not be able to get or keep an attorney is when you start to lecture an experienced attorney about how they should handle the case. I don’t mind people who do research. I love people that educate themselves on the process. But every now and then we will get a call from someone who thinks they have it all figured out and tell us that if we represent them, they will be calling the shots about what will be filed, when and how. A good work comp attorney will consult with their clients, but you are hiring an attorney for their expertise. You wouldn’t tell the pilot how to fly the plane. You shouldn’t tell your attorney, especially when they lay out their reasoning, what they have to do. In my experience those types of people are a red flag and will never be happy.
Of course sometimes people can’t get an attorney because they are calling the wrong firms. We would be happy to talk to you about your case any time and see if we can help you find the best Illinois law firm to represent you. Contact us any time at 312-346-5578.
