Are You In Need of a Workers' Compensation Attorney?
Being injured on the job can be a very stressful and overwhelming ordeal–that’s what I’m here for. My name is Wade Coye and I have had over 29 years of experience in handling Workers’ Compensation cases and know the best way to personally assist with yours. My team and I here at Coye Law are ready to fight for the benefits YOU deserve.
Frequently Asked Questions About Florida Workers’ Comp Claims
1. “How much does it cost to hire a workers’ compensation attorney?”
At Coye Law Firm, we do not require payment upfront to help injured workers. We work on a “contingency basis,” which is a fancy way to say that we do not require payment upfront and will only collect a fee if you settle your claim. The fee collected is usually a percentage of the settlement.
2. “Will I get fired for hiring a workers’ compensation attorney?”
No. Under Florida Statute, “no employer shall discharge, threaten to discharge, intimidate, or coerce any employee by reason of such employee’s valid claim for compensation or attempt to claim compensation under the Workers’ Compensation Law.”
3. “Do I have to quit my job?”
While quitting your job is a component of settling a workers’ comp claim, no one can force you to settle.
4. “What if the workers’ compensation doctor is not providing sufficient care?”
Some medical professionals are less than sympathetic to injured workers as they believe some people fake injuries to receive benefits. If this happens to you and you believe the doctor is unwilling to help you recover from your work injury, there are a few things you can do. Click here to read the 4 things you should do when faced with a rude workers’ comp doctor.
5. “What if workers’ comp is not sending me my wage loss checks?”
Florida workers’ comp insurance companies are notoriously slow in paying weekly wage loss, and it is perfectly legal for them to respond slowly. You may be eligible for a loan to protect yourself, call us to learn more.
5 Ways We Can Help with Your Workers’ Compensation Claim Today:
1) Download my free e-book for injured workers, Sharing the Secrets, Learning the Lies: A Guide to Florida Workers’ Compensation. This books will answer many of your questions about your workers’ comp claim.
2) If you prefer listening to podcasts, you can listen to my free audio book of Sharing the Secrets, Learning the Lies: A Guide to Florida Worker’s Compensation.
3) Browse my online library of articles, FAQ’s, and videos about workers’ comp claims.
4) Can’t find the answer to your question? Click here to submit your question to my team today. We’ll review your questions and tell you how we can help.
5) Call my office today at (407) 648-4940 to speak with one of my expert team members about your workers’ comp claim. We’ll review your case and schedule a free consultation with one of our attorneys, If we do not take your specific type of case, we will refer you to someone who can best assist you.
Here’s What You Can Expect When You Call Us Today About Your Claim
If you have never hired a lawyer before, it can be a bit overwhelming to call a workers’ compensation law firm for the first time. Especially when you don’t know what kinds of questions a law firm might ask and what kind of information you should have prepared before the call.
As frustrating as workers’ comp can be, all you can do is make the best of the limited care that workers’ comp provides you, and hiring an attorney is the best way to take this unfortunate situation into your own hands and ensure you are maximizing the benefits available to you.
Here is what you can expect when you call my office today about your workers’ compensation claim…
1) Basic Information and Conflict Check
Before discussing the details of your claim, we must first gather some basic information to run a conflict check in our office. We run conflict checks to make sure your claim wouldn’t interfere with any of our existing cases.
For instance, if you were involved in an on-the-job car accident, it’s important that we make sure we are not already representing the other driver in the accident. Although it may seem unlikely, these situations do happen.
The only information we need to run a conflict check is your name and mailing address.
2) Questions About Your Employer
Next, we will begin to ask you questions about your job and employer, such as:
- Where were you working when the accident happened?
- What is your job title?
- How long have you been working there?
- Are you still working there or were you fired?
- Did you report the injury to your supervisor?
3) Questions About the Accident
Next, we may ask you to go into more detail about the accident with the following questions:
- Can you describe your injuries?
- Can you describe how the accident occurred?
If the accident was a slip-and -fall at work, we may ask:
- What did you slip on?
- What are the injuries?
- Do you have health insurance?
If the accident was an on-the-job car accident, we may ask:
- Did you obtain an exchange of information with the other driver?
- How did you leave the scene of the accident?
- Did you go to the emergency room?
- What are your injuries, if any?
4) Questions About Medical Treatment
- What medical treatment have you received?
- When was the last time you have seen a doctor?
- Where did you receive treatment?
- Have you missed work or other appointments as a result of the accident?
5) How You Heard About Us
We truly appreciate the confidence that our clients place in us by referring their friends or family, so we may ask how you heard about us or who referred you so that we can thank them for their trust!
If we believe we can help with your workers’ compensation case…our Intake Specialist may then schedule you a free consultation to speak with one of our attorneys.
If we don’t believe we are best suited to help with your workers’ compensation case…our mission is to still be as helpful as possible. This could mean providing a caller with the information they might need to resolve an issue on their own, or suggesting an alternative means other than hiring a lawyer. We also have a list of attorney friends we trust that we may refer you to. Either way, we will do our best to point you in the right direction!
3 Mistakes that Can Ruin Your Workers’ Comp Claim
1) Signing a medical release
It is usually never a good idea to sign a medical release unless you fully understand what you are signing. Doing so can harm your case. Be very careful as some insurance companies may try to trick you into signing a release.
2) Giving recorded statements
You are not required to give an insurance company a recorded statement. Remember, the other side’s insurance company is going to try to save them as much money as possible. They may try to trick you to give a statement that could be used against you later.
3) Not being up front about prior accidents or injuries
It is incredibly important to be honest about your injuries in a workers’ comp claim. For instance, if you have a shoulder injury, and have injured your shoulder in the past–mention it! If your current injury is somehow related to the injury-in-question and you fail to mention your past injury, they may accuse you of fraud.
5 Tips for Injured Workers
In order to properly preserve your workers’ comp claim, you should do the following:
1) Report your accident to your supervisor immediately. Demand that an accident report be filled out.
2) Get medical treatment. If possible, get specialized treatment (specialized doctors have years of experience for one area of the body).
3) Contact an experienced Florida workers’ comp law firm.
4) Gather contact information of potential witnesses, including names, addresses and telephone numbers.
5) Keep a copy of all the medical reports and bills you receive.
Do You Need an Attorney for Workers’ Comp?
Another question many injured workers have is whether or not they need legal representation for their workers’ comp claim. Is it really worth the effort to seek an attorney? Workers’ comp can be a tedious and complicated process, and having an experienced attorney to help can sometimes mean the difference between a denied or accepted claim.