Now that you know a bit about what to expect during your first appointment with your workers’ comp lawyer you might be curious about what he or she has in store for you. Here a few things that your lawyer may require you to sign.
Medical releases
In almost every case, your workers’ comp lawyer will need to obtain your medical records. These records include emergency room record, your medical chart(s) from your medical providers, and various workers’ compensation medical forms. Medical providers won’t release your medical information without a release. The types of releases are different, so you may need to sign multiple kinds of release to cover all possibilities.
Release to obtain employment information
Many employers can’t release employment information with a written release signed by you.
Release to obtain wage information
Again, most employers won’t release information about your earnings with a written release so you might be required to sign an authorization for the release of your earnings information.
Consent to use Your SSN
Your workers’ comp lawyer isn’t allowed to use your social security number to find information about your claim without your consent. This means you’ll have to sign a simple form for him/her providing your consent for them to do this.
File Retention Policy
After completing your case and closing the file, your lawyer can offer the file to you rather than storing it. In many cases, workers chose not to keep the file. At the time of your meeting with your attorney, he/she may have you sign a form (file retention policy) to notify you that if you don’t take your file when he/she closes the case, the firm will store the file for a certain amount of time and then destroy it. This form gives the firm permission to destroy your old file.
Here at The Clardy Law Firm, we never want our clients to feel pressured or have a negative experience with us. If you’re ready to set up your first appointment with one of our team – contact us, today!
