Finding the right workers comp attorney in Santa Rosa is one of the most important decisions an injured worker will make.
Workplace injuries can be traumatic for employees. The inability to work and uncertainty about recovery can take an emotional toll. Trying to deal with a workers’ compensation claims administrator only adds to the stress.
Selecting the right workers compensation lawyer is the key to stress relief. But how do you choose a good one? Here are 5 things to look for when choosing a workers comp attorney.
Limited Practice
Some lawyers have a general practice. For instance, they might write wills, they might handle divorces, they might defend criminal charges, or they might handle automobile accident claims. There is nothing wrong with general practice lawyers, but attorneys who only dabble in workers’ compensation law have probably not developed the skills that a good workers’ comp attorney should have.
Workers’ compensation is not like personal injury law. The statutes and regulations that govern workers’ comp cases are intricate and complex. The procedures that are followed in workers’ compensation hearings differ from the procedures that govern civil trials. It is difficult to become proficient in workers’ compensation law without handling workers’ comp cases every day.
The workers’ comp team at Kneisler & Schondel is dedicated to handling workers’ compensation. By limiting our practice, we develop the skills and knowledge that are essential to effective representation. We provide high-quality representation to clients by focusing on what we do best.
Experience
Every lawyer begins practicing as a new lawyer. Newly-minted lawyers are often bright and talented. But experience counts. Most lawyers start by handling routine matters and, as they develop experience, move on to more complex cases. In workers’ compensation cases, however, what seems to be a routine case may quickly evolve into a case that presents difficult questions of law and fact.
Having an experienced workers’ comp attorney on your side can make a huge difference. Claims administrators who settle cases for workers’ compensation insurance companies know they cannot take advantage of an experienced lawyer. Claims are more likely to settle quickly and fairly when a claims administrator knows that a workers’ compensation lawyer has a long and successful track record of handling workers’ comp claims.
Injured workers know that a workers’ comp attorney with twenty five years of experience will handle their case when they are represented by Kneisler & Schondel. That kind of experience helps injured workers concentrate on recovering from their injuries, knowing that their workers’ compensation claim is in capable hands.
Compassion
When an injured worker works with a workers’ comp attorney, he needs to feel comfortable with his lawyer. The injured worker needs to know that his lawyer is trustworthy and reliable. But equally important to a strong attorney-client relationship is the client’s belief that the lawyer cares.
A good workers’ comp attorney understands that injured workers are suffering. Injuries are painful but they are also frustrating. Insurance companies sometimes paint false pictures of workers who fake injuries so they can sit around the house all day. In fact, most injured workers want to return to work as soon as possible, because they know they will always make more money working than they will being on disability. Work gives people a sense of purpose and self-worth. Injuries are painful and often lead to depression and anxiety when people are unable to work.
A good workers’ comp attorney works with their clients, doctors, and employers in an attempt to return injured workers to work as soon as they are physically able. They will review modified job offers so that injured workers can return to suitable work subject to appropriate physical restrictions imposed by a doctor. When injured workers cannot return to work, good workers’ comp attorneys help them reach fair settlements that will cover their expenses while they pursue alternative employment. A good workers’ comp attorney always tries to understand what an injured worker needs. Compassionate representation helps injured workers achieve those goals.
Team Approach
The number one complaint that clients make about lawyers is that the lawyer is too busy to answer the client’s question. That should never happen. But good lawyers are busy lawyers, so good lawyers put in place teams and systems to make sure that their clients receive the personal attention they deserve.
Clients report great satisfaction when they work with such a team. At Kneisler & Schondel, their workers’ comp attorney leads the team, but each team member plays an important role. Injured workers interact with their attorney, as well as a case manager, a paralegal, and a medical assistant who make sure that they are fully informed, and their cases are investigated and prepared properly.
Reputation for Excellence
Injured workers who may be working with a divorce attorney or a criminal lawyer may ask for a referral to a workers’ comp attorney. In the North Bay Area, injured workers are often referred to Kneisler & Schondel.
With twenty five years’ experience in the practice of workers’ compensation law, Kneisler & Schondel has earned its reputation for excellence. Matthew Schondel has been certified as a Workers’ Compensation specialist by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization since 1998. The peer-reviewed lawyer rating service Super Lawyers identifies Attorney Schondel as a “Top Rated Workers’ Compensation Attorney in Santa Rosa, CA.” In 2017 the American Institute of Legal Counsel named Matthew Schondel one of the top ten workers’ compensation lawyers in California.
To learn how our workers’ comp attorney can help you with your workplace injury claim, call Kneisler & Schondel at (707) 542-5132. You can also ask us a question by submitting our online contact form.