My Cousin Vinny. Remember the movie?
Two boys are mistakenly accused of murder while on a road trip in the south. They are thrown into a small-town jail, and they cannot afford a lawyer. One boy remembers, “My cousin Vinny’s a lawyer!”
Enter Joe Pesci as a brash New Yorker with a brand new law degree. In spite of himself, Vinny wins the case, exonerates the boys, and gets the girl.
But that’s Hollywood.
In the real world, the success of your case may very well depend on your selection of the right attorney, or at least on your avoidance of the wrong one. Before we examine the various methods of finding an attorney, let’s make one thing crystal clear:
You Need A Specialist!!
This simple assertion seems obvious, but surprisingly, it is frequently ignored or not even considered. If you broke your leg, you would not seek the services of an OB/GYN, right?
You know by now that the world of workers’ compensation law is multi-faceted and convoluted. Thousands of workers’ compensation claims are filed in Pennsylvania every year. Consequently, just like wills and trusts, corporate law, divorce and bankruptcy, workers’ compensation law has become a major area of specialization in the legal world. There are many of us out there. Here are some tips on finding the right workers’ compensation attorney for you. . .
Yellow Pages. . .
This can work, but keep in mind:
- Not all attorneys advertise in the Yellow Pages.
- Beware of the ads that claim to practice in all facets of the law. No one is good at everything.
- Be wary of the splashy full-page ads. They may draw too many frivolous cases that tie up the attorney’s time. You will not find us in the Yellow pages. For the same reasons, you will not find us doing TV commercials.
Ask a Friend . . .
If your friend filed a workers’ compensation claim and was happy with his legal representation, definitely put that attorney’s name on your list. There is nothing better than a recommendation from a satisfied customer.
Call the Bar Association. . .
This, too, can work. Just be aware that attorneys pay to be listed in these referral databases. Nevertheless, if you find the name of a workers’ compensation law specialist from a referral database, by all means, add his or her name to your list.
Ask a Lawyer. . .
If you have had a good experience with an attorney in another field of law, or if your family has a lawyer that you trust, ask him or her for a referral to a workers’ compensation attorney.
Check Lawyer Reviewing Sites. . .
Attorneys are rated by their peers. To see some attorneys ratings, as well as client reviews, go to www.superlawyers.com/pennsylvania and www.avvo.com. What other attorneys and former clients think of the attorney is a pretty good indication of that attorneys skills and efforts.
Accreditation: make sure the attorney is certified as a workers’ compensation specialist by the PA Supreme Court.
With this information, you are on your way to finding the right legal representation for your claim. However, you are not done yet! In our next correspondence, we will look at selecting your best alternative from the list you have compiled. Get busy, do your homework, and please do not call your cousin, Vinny!
Of course, you can come in for a free consultation. We will listen to your case, advise you on its merit, and help you to keep the system working for you. The road to protecting your rights under the law starts with Calhoon and Kaminsky P.C.
Find out if we’re right for you.
Call Us Today: 717-695-4722
Serving injured workers throughout Pennsylvania.
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For more than 20 years, our attorneys have been helping injured workers navigate the complex Pennsylvania workers’ compensation system. We empower workers with the information and the representation they need to make the best decisions for themselves and their families’ future.
