When Your Disability Requires Lawyers
It can easily be argued that disability lawyers have the worst reputations in the legal field. Countless sitcoms and movies have been based on individuals who have faked serious illness or injury and, with the help of dishonest attorneys, have taken thousands or even millions of dollars of undeserved benefits from insurance companies. Regardless of this somewhat unattractive reputations, however, disability lawyers can actually be incredibly helpful, especially if your disability benefits have recently been denied by your employer or insurance company.
In the next few paragraphs, you will learn several reasons to hire a disability lawyer, as well as what traits a good attorney will exhibit. Please remember, however, that this is only meant to be a guideline, and you should always use your own judgment when hiring legal representations. In other words, if you feel uncomfortable with an attorney, feel free to find a new one!
Why You Should Research Disability Lawyers
There are a number of reasons why you should research disability lawyers. First of all, disability law is a specialty, just like criminal law or child custody law. While you may think you are perfectly capable of filing your own insurance claim or dealing with the insurance company yourself, lawyers are often aware of legal loopholes that your research may have missed. In addition, insurance companies are often more willing to give benefits to a client represented by a lawyer because they know the client is serious about obtaining his/her benefits. Finally, if your benefits are denied at first, lawyers are much more capable of handling appeals than the average American, and judges are more likely to rule in the favor of an attorney than in the favor of an individual who chooses to represent himself/herself.
When choosing an attorney, you should use many of the same judgment criteria that you use when choosing a doctor. An attorney should be upfront and honest about your chances of winning. Additionally, he/she should make you feel comfortable and will not run away from discussing his/her career statistics. Remember that this person will have access to your medical records, and, in many cases, your criminal past and/or financial history! Thus, you do not want to just pick the first name you run across in the yellow pages. Finally, be wary of those who want to charge upfront. Most reliable firms will offer free, no-obligation consultations, and many charge no fee unless they win or settle your case.
While dealing with a disability can be both difficult and frustrating, a good disability attorney may make the entire process much easier. Good luck!
Disability Law Articles
- Finding Attorneys Who Specialize in Long Term Care
- Have a Disability? Think about Attorneys!
- Suffering from a Disability? Know the Laws!
- Lawyers Fighting Insurance Companies: Get Your Disability Benefits!
- If You Have a Disability, Hire an Attorney!