An injured worker was recently referred to us by another attorney. He had suffered multiple tears to his shoulder due to a heavy and strenuous job. Fortunately, he was able to receive his surgery and rehabilitation through health insurance, but his shoulder has never been the same. Unfortunately, he had previously hired an attorney who had no idea about workers' compensation, and, because of that, the damage to his claim was irreversible.

Every now and then, we end up with a client who started with a "dabbler". This is what we call attorneys who practice in areas of law unrelated to workers' compensation who think that workers' compensation can't be that different from what they're used to. This almost always seems to result in unnecessary delays for the client (which is why they end up with us), or a less than optimal result in the claim. In the case of this individual I met with, the "dabbler" had completely missed the filing deadline, and the claim was forever lost before it even got started. The fact that this man was out several thousands of dollars in disability benefits to which he was rightfully entitled was pretty tough news to deliver.

If you have questions regarding a work-related injury, make sure you speak with an attorney who has the right experience and plenty of it. As the title above states, you certainly wouldn't go to a foot doctor for a heart problem. Why then would you seek workers' compensation advice from a divorce, traffic or "jack of all trades" lawyer? That advice could be completely wrong, and the cost in frustration, denied medical treatment and dollars could be significant.