If you’ve been injured on the job, then you’re probably worried about how you’re going to make ends meet. After all, even with good insurance your medical bills can overwhelm your finances, and your inability to work can leave you without the income that you need to keep the roof over your head, the lights on, and food on the table.
Fortunately, the workers’ compensation system might provide you with the relief that you need. If you succeed on one of these claims, then you’ll receive periodic payouts to help offset your financial losses while you focus on reclaiming your health and getting back to work.
But if you’re like a lot of New Yorkers, then you’re concerned about how to pursue these benefits in a cost-effective manner. A lot of injured workers think that an attorney is going to be too expensive, so they’d be better off pursuing their workers’ compensation claim on their own. This is risky, though, and oftentimes leads to a denied claim.
How you can afford the legal counsel you want
Although some attorneys work on an hourly fee or flat fee basis, others don’t. Many law firms work on a contingency fee basis, which means you don’t pay anything unless and until your case results in a favorable outcome.
What are the benefits of representation based on a contingency fee? Here are some of them:
- No upfront costs: In the aftermath of your workplace accident, you’re probably struggling financially. This can make it hard to come up with money to hire an attorney. But with a contingency fee, you don’t need any money upfront to secure legal representation. This ensures that you have access to the advocacy that you deserve.
- Your attorney is motivated: Since your attorney will only get paid if they win your case, with a contingency fee model you can rest assured that your attorney is going to aggressively work for you. You might not get as strong of a legal ally if you pay an attorney on an hourly or flat fee basis.
- You can gauge the strength of your case: If you take your claim to an attorney who works on a contingency fee basis and they decline to take your case, then you know that your case has some weaknesses. This can help inform what you should do to build your case so that you can increase your chances of winning. If one of these attorneys accepts your case on a contingency basis, though, then you know you have a case that stands a good chance of winning.
- No risk: By working with an attorney who operates on a contingency fee basis, you can rest easy that your finances aren’t going to take a hit from your legal representation. If you don’t win your case, then you won’t be stuck with attorney fees for years to come.
Choose the representation that’s right for you
You have a lot of options when it comes to choosing legal representation. You simply have to make sure that you do your homework and fully understand what each option has to offer you so that you can make the fully informed decision that’s right for you. You might also find it beneficial to read up on the workers’ compensation process so that you know what to expect moving forward.
Hopefully by doing so you’ll be able to secure the financial resources that you need to advance your recovery and reclaim your normal life until such time as you can return to work.