When you have a workers’ comp claim in Ohio, working closely with an experienced Columbus workers’ compensation attorney is critical for making sure you fully protect your legal rights. There are lots of ways an experienced attorney can help you, and you can hire an attorney to handle your workers’ comp claim at no out-of-pocket cost.

As your workers’ compensation claim progresses, you will need to stay in touch with your attorney throughout the process. But, if you’re wondering how often you should hear from your workers’ comp attorney, there is no single “right” answer.

While you and your attorney might talk every day (or almost every day) at the beginning of the process, there may be times when your attorney is simply waiting to hear back from your employer or the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC). Then, when things start happening again, you and your attorney will need to talk regularly to ensure that you are making informed decisions with your long-term best interests in mind. Ultimately, while your attorney will be working hard to maximize your benefits, much of the timeline will be beyond your attorney’s (and your) control.

5 Times You Can Expect to Hear from Your Workers’ Comp Attorney

With this in mind, you can expect to hear from your attorney at various stages in the workers’ compensation claim process. For example, you can expect a call, text or email if:

1. Your Attorney Needs Information from You to Pursue Your Claim

To prove your right to workers’ comp and calculate the benefits you are entitled to recover, your attorney will need to collect information from various sources—including you. Particularly in the early stages of your workers’ comp claim, you can expect your attorney to request several pieces of information that he or she will need in order to seek appropriate benefits on your behalf.

2. Your Attorney Has Updates About the Status of Your Claim

You can expect your attorney to get in touch whenever he or she has updates about the status of your claim. Some of these updates will be more noteworthy than others, but it is important that you stay up-to-date on your claim for benefits. If you have questions about what an update means for your legal rights or what you can expect to happen next, you should not hesitate to ask.

3. Your Workers’ Comp Claim Is Progressing But No Action is Needed

During your workers’ comp claim, there may be points at which nothing happens for days or weeks at a time. Even if your Columbus workers’ compensation attorney doesn’t have any updates to provide, he or she will still be in touch periodically to let you know that nothing has changed. An experienced attorney will know that you are anxious about resolving your claim and will not leave you wondering what is going on.

4. You Need to Consider a Settlement Offer

Many workers’ comp claims are resolved via settlement. If seeking a settlement is in your best interests (whether a lump-sum or structured settlement), your attorney will negotiate to secure a fair settlement on your behalf.

If your attorney receives a settlement offer on your behalf, your attorney will contact you to go over the settlement offer in detail. This includes discussing exactly how much you will take home if you accept, what costs the settlement would cover, and whether your attorney believes that more money is on the table. Then, based on your discussions with your attorney, you can decide whether you are prepared to accept or if you want to keep fighting for more.

5. You Need to Make Important Decisions About Your Next Steps

Along with making informed decisions about settlement, you may also need to make important decisions at various other stages of the workers’ comp claim process. You can expect to hear from your attorney any time you need to make an important decision. Here too, you can expect your attorney to provide insights and advice based on his or her experience, and then it will be up to you to decide how you want to proceed.

5 Times You Should Get in Touch with Your Workers’ Comp Attorney

While you can expect to hear from your workers’ comp attorney regularly, you should not hesitate to contact your attorney whenever you need to get in touch. It is your claim, after all, and it is important that you feel confident and informed every step of the way. With this in mind, you should get in touch with your attorney if:

1. You Remember Details that You Haven’t Shared with Your Attorney

When you have a workers’ comp claim, it is important that your attorney knows everything you do about your on-the-job accident and your job-related injuries. As a result, if you remember details that you haven’t shared with your attorney, you should share them with your attorney promptly.

2. You Have New Information to Share with Your Attorney

You should also contact your attorney any time you have new information to share as well. For example, you should promptly notify your attorney if:

• Your employer contacts you about your workers’ comp claim
• You receive any letters or other communications from the Ohio BWC
• You start experiencing new symptoms or side effects
• Your doctor adds to or changes your diagnosis or alters your treatment plan
• Your doctor clears you to go back to work

3. You Have Questions About the Status of Your Workers’ Comp Claim

While your Columbus workers’ compensation attorney should be providing you with regular status updates, your attorney won’t necessarily know how often you want to receive updates about your claim. If you are wondering about the status of your claim, you shouldn’t hesitate to ask. Likewise, if anything changes at home or at work that requires an update on the status of your claim, you should feel free to get in touch with your attorney in this scenario as well.

4. You Have Questions About What You Should (or Shouldn’t) Be Doing

When you have a workers’ comp claim in Ohio, there are both steps you need to take and mistakes you need to avoid. If you have questions about what you should (or shouldn’t) be doing while your claim is pending, you should contact your attorney promptly. This includes (but is by no means limited to) questions about things like:

• Whether you should be working (or performing specific job duties)
• What you should (or shouldn’t) say to your employer or the Ohio BWC
• What you should do if you have concerns about your doctor’s advice
• Whether you should be covering certain expenses out-of-pocket
• What is okay for you to be doing outside of work during the recovery process

5. Your Attorney is Waiting to Hear from You

Finally, you should respond promptly whenever your Columbus workers’ compensation attorney is waiting to hear from you. There are several important decisions your attorney won’t be able to make on your behalf, and your attorney may need your input in order to keep your claim moving forward.

Schedule a Free Consultation with a Columbus Workers’ Compensation Attorney Today

If you have more questions about working with a Columbus workers’ compensation attorney, we invite you to get in touch. We represent injured workers throughout Ohio. To schedule a free, no-obligation consultation at Malek & Malek Law Firm as soon as possible, call us at 888-444-7440 or tell us how we can reach you online today.