Challenges You May Face During Your First Year As A Workers’ Comp Attorney

If you have recently passed the bar exam in your state and are going to start practicing law soon, then you will want to pick a specialty. Workers' compensation law can be a good field to go into if you legitimately want to help clients who deserve support. There are fewer moral conflicts with criminal law, and the field tends to be less demanding than tax or corporate law. That being said, there are some unique challenges you might face during your first year as a workers' comp attorney. Here is a look at those challenges and some tips for facing them.

1. Your patients will be injured and can therefore struggle to work with you.

Most of your clients will be injured, which can present a few challenges when it comes to working with them on their case. Some may not be able to visit you in your office; you might have to come to them. Some may not get back to you promptly because they are in pain or undergoing medical treatments that leave them unable to respond for a while. You will have to learn to be proactive with your communications to make up for this. Ask for information days before you need it, and consider having an assistant drive to meet clients in person when needed.

2. You'll be working with insurance companies a lot.

Working with insurance companies can be challenging since these companies are always looking out for their bottom line. Once you realize this is their priority, you can be more effective. You can be dryer and less warm in your communications with them. You should not expect them to be compassionate towards the client as that's not really their job; it's yours.

3. You will be filling out a lot of paperwork.

A lot of clients are going to come to you at the beginning stages of their claims and simply ask you to file out and submit paperwork. You want to do this well; it can save you from actually having to file a case later on. Since paperwork can be cumbersome, this may be something worth hiring an assistant to handle. You can just look things over in the end and make sure everything is correct.

Working as a workers' comp attorney puts you in touch with clients who really need and appreciate your help. With time, you'll adapt to the challenges mentioned above. Get in touch with a law firm like Allen, Nelson & Wilson to learn more about the services that a workers' compensation attorney provides.


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