Some people hear the expression: “Workers compensation advocate” and this first thing that comes to their mind is litigation. Litigation is a huge part of the job these experts do. However, a workers compensation advocate wears many hats and carries out a number of functions. Below are some things you can expect this expert to do for you and the qualities great advocates should have.
Listen to You
An advocate for injured workers needs a listening ear and tons of patience. This is because this professional is dealing with people who are at a vulnerable stage of their lives. Just think about this for a minute. The injured worker might be a young man is late twenties with a wife and a few children. The injury might affect the victim’s mobility or ability to earn money in future. Clearly this is a tough situation to deal with and this is the advocate in question needs to be patient and listen attentively to the accident victim.
Sound Knowledge
You cannot work as an advocate for injured workers if you don’t have a sound knowledge of accident law and personal injury law. These laws can be quite complicated and even lawyers find them confusing. Again, some of these laws change frequently so it follows that the lawyer handling these cases has to be familiar with these changes and their implications. Without sound knowledge, no advocate can deliver the goods for his or her clients. This is one great reason to go for the advocate with inside knowledge of the law.
Flexibility and Innovation
Sometimes, an excellent lawyer does not have to be inflexible and conservative. Getting the right compensation for your client is all about thinking about the best interest of the client in question. It pays to think outside the box to get the right results. This is why a great advocate needs to be flexible and innovative. For instance, there are times your lawyer will opt for a fast resolution by accepting an out-of-court settlement. The advantage of this move is that it will save the all the parties concerned the time, expense and inconvenience of litigation. Again, an out-of-court settlement is a sure bet compared to an uncertain litigation that may not quite go your way.
Determination and Will Power
There are times workers compensation goes beyond loss on income compensation and disability benefits. In some cases, injuries at the workplace may lead to fatalities. When this happens, the role of the advocate is to be firm, determined and resolute on behalf of the client. If it turns out that the company was negligent and if that negligence led to death at the workplace, the advocate will insist on punitive damages in addition to compensation and exemplary damages. The aim is to ensure that what has happened already may not happen again. To pursue this case successfully, the advocate needs to be determined so that he or she will pursue the case to its rightful conclusion.
Final Word
As you can see, a workers compensation advocate needs to be a strong character and upright character. Find the expert with the qualities above and you will get justice.
