Are BIG Law Firms Really The Best Fit For Your Work Injury?
Worker’s compensation is a competitive field of law and is saturated with large law firms that routinely advertise on television commercials and billboards. With their army of attorneys and big guarantees, big law firms can hold a certain appeal to someone who has been injured on the job and is seeking worker’s compensation. However, when considering who you want helping you to get the compensation and benefits to which you are entitled, you should know exactly what a large lawfirm actually offers to clients and understand that you have other options that may be better suited for your case.
Legal Fees
While nearly all law firms have the same type of expenses, including staff salaries, rent for office spaces, utilities, etc., large law firms have a much higher overhead than small firms. This forces them to charge much more the same amount of legal work, often by billing you administrative fees or an expensive hourly rate. Small law firms, with their much lower overhead, often work on a contingency basis, which means their fees are a predetermined percentage of their client’s settlement compensation; if there is no financial compensation, no attorney fees are assessed.
Access to Attorneys
As a client of a big law firm, you may be one of many clients and may very rarely see the attorney who serves as the face of the firm. In fact, your main interaction may be with a paralegal, legal assistant or customer service associate and not the attorney you retained to represent you. It is also not unusual for a large firm to outsource to local attorneys. When too many people handle a case, communication breakdowns may occur, which can result in errors, misunderstandings, or an inability to properly understand your claim. As a client of a firm with fewer attorneys and clients, your attorney will know the details of your case, and you will have access to your retained attorney for the entire duration of your worker’s compensation case.
Underdog Cases
If your worker’s comp case doesn’t have the potential for a significant payout as some other cases, a big law firm may decline your case. If a big firm does decide to work with you, your case may not receive the attention it deserves, as the structure of a large law firm requires that some cases have to be prioritized over others. The outcome of your worker’s compensation case means a lot to you. You can be sure that if a smaller firm accepts your case, they are fully committed to achieving the results you deserve.
Worker's Comp Specialization
If you have a variety of legal issues that involves multiple practice areas of law, a big firm may be a wise choice. However, if you are looking for a law firm that specializes in worker’s compensation and little else, a small firm may be more appropriate for you. You want to be sure to hire an experienced lawyer who understands the intricacies of worker’s compensation law.
The fact that a law firm has many attorneys does not automatically make it the best choice to handle your worker’s compensation case. You should choose a law firm that has the best legal strategy and that will give you and your unique situation the attention and consideration you deserve.
