Why Experience Matters in a Workers’ Compensation Claim

Workers’ compensation cases can be far more complicated than they first appear. An injured worker may believe that because the injury happened at work, the employer’s insurance company will pay the claim and provide the necessary medical treatment. Unfortunately, it is often not that simple.

That is where experience matters.

I have practiced law for 37 years and have concentrated on workers’ compensation law for 32 years. For the past 27 years, I have represented injured workers exclusively. During that time, I have handled thousands of workers’ compensation claims involving serious injuries, denied claims, difficult medical issues, occupational diseases, contested hearings, appeals, and complex settlement decisions.

After that many years, there is very little that you have not seen before.

Of course, no two cases are exactly alike. But experienced lawyers recognize patterns. They know which problems are minor and which ones can become dangerous to a claim. They know when patience is necessary and when immediate action is required. They know that the largest settlement offer is not always the best decision for a particular client. Most importantly, they understand that a decision made today may affect an injured worker and his or her family for many years.

Experience develops judgment, and judgment is one of the most important qualities a lawyer can bring to a workers’ compensation claim.

Younger lawyers can be intelligent, energetic, hardworking, and excellent advocates. But there is no shortcut to experience. Legal knowledge can be learned from books and continuing education programs. Judgment and wisdom develop over time—from handling difficult cases, making decisions, learning from mistakes, trying cases, negotiating settlements, working with physicians, and seeing the long-term consequences of decisions made years earlier.

Experience also provides perspective. An experienced attorney is less likely to be surprised by an insurance company’s strategy or intimidated by a difficult opponent. He has probably faced the problem before—or something very similar to it.

Credentials also matter. I am a Board Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation Law by the North Carolina State Bar. Board certification requires substantial involvement in the specialty, continuing legal education, peer review, and passage of a specialty examination. There are only about 115 board-certified attorneys in North Carolina who primarily represent injured workers—less than one percent of the lawyers practicing in our state.

I have also received an AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell. Martindale-Hubbell describes AV Preeminent as its highest peer-rating standard, reflecting professional excellence in legal knowledge, communication skills, and ethical standards.

No credential and no number of years in practice can guarantee a particular result. But when your health, income, and family’s financial security may depend upon the outcome of a workers’ compensation claim, experience, judgment, and proven professional qualifications matter.

You may have only one workers’ compensation claim in your lifetime. I have spent decades handling them.