If you are injured at work you might hear that "you don't need an attorney" to pursue workers' compensation benefits. Certainly, it is not required that you hire a workers' compensation lawyer to pursue your claim. Often, if your case is not disputed by the workers' compensation carrier and paperwork is properly filed you might receive the workers' compensation benefits to which you are entitled without much delay. However, that is the ideal situation.
Often the Worker's Comp Carrier Contests the Claim
Unfortunately, many times the workers' compensation carrier contests the claim and then the matter must be litigated before a workers' compensation judge. Pursuing a contested (controverted) worker's compensation claim without a lawyer is very difficult to do on your own. The insurance carrier will have a lawyer. That lawyer's job will be to deny or limit your workers' compensation benefits. They will raise any and all defenses that are available to deny or limit the benefits you receive.
Even in non-contested cases, significant issues will eventually arise which are disputed by the workers' compensation carrier. These could include your entitlement to medical treatment, the amount of benefits you receive on a weekly basis, or the award you might receive for a permanent injury.
The workers' compensation carrier and its attorney will fight you on all these and other issues.
A knowledgeable and experienced workers' compensation attorney will guide you through this often confusing process and help you secure the benefits to which you are entitled.