What can I do if I am not happy with my workers compensation attorney?

Yes, you can always hire a new attorney who can deal with the attorney you do not like.

It is hard to evaluate your case without having full knowledge of the facts. Workers Comp is not a user friendly system for applicants. You will need to fight for your future care and the case can resolved by a C&R, Trial or Stipulation . However, these cases take a very long time and sometimes attorneys are not to blame. However, you can always seek a second opinion to resolve your concerns. Good Luck.

You could marry him and make his life miserable, or you could fire him and get someone else.

Of course, it is important to have a trust relationship with your attorney no matter what type of representation is involved. As to keeping you informed as to what is going on, well in workers comp cases, there are often long stretches when nothing is going on, and that's just the way it is. As for the court date, if you don't need to be there, then being there is nothing more than an inconvenience to you and meaningless as far as the proceeding is concerned. Going to court is a big enough pain in the neck when you do need to be there. Finally, you have an absolute right to look at your file and to get copies of anything you want, it's your file (but be reasonable about when you want to see it and make an appointment in advance) and you have a right to switch lawyers, though how well you like someone is no indication as to how good of a job he/she can do for you. Also, workers comp provisions are strictly governed by statute, so it may be that you will never get adequate results no matter who you hire or how much you deserve more.

Yes. And yes. Find a new lawyer in whom you have confidence. Ask your current lawyer for a copy of your file. He is entitled to be paid for the copies. You might want to think hard about why your relationship with this lawyer has gone sour. For example he might have reached a reasoned professional conclusion that the reimbursement he is recommending is the best you can get. Ask for an explanation.

E-mail your attorney as to why you are not happy with him, demand to know what happened at the last hearing and what it was for and any future dates, why he wants to settle just for the current medical bills and not any permanent disability, that you insist on speaking directly with him and not the case worker on the file, etc. ?Give him a five working day deadline. You can always fire an attorney and you do not have to give any reason. ?You are entitled, at no charge, to your entire file, including all medical reports, records, his office's notes, correspondence from the defense and WC carrier, etc. ?The attorney can file a lien for his fees against the attorney fees to be paid in the entire case, but you end up paying the same amount of fees no matter how many attorneys you have used. That said, although most applicant's attorney find it necessary to have their staff do most of the work, it makes no sense to me that your attorney would want to settle for less than the case is worth. ?He gets nothing from medical bills paid. ?The more you get in permanency disability, the more he gets [about 15% of whatever he recovers for you]. ? Something else must be going on, such as injury not being accepted, etc.

You may have a meeting with your lawyer to let them know of your expectations and to get answers about the status of your case and their game plan for proceeding. Any lawyer worth keeping should allow you such a meeting. If your lawyer refuses such a meeting or can't get you up to speed on the case, you probably should be looking for a different attorney to help you.

You have a right to hire another attorney at any time. What would normally happen, if you decide to change attorneys, is that when the case is settled the old attorney would be paid for his time from the attorney fees that were generated by the new attorney.

Get a second opinion.

Go to the attorney's office tomorrow and ask for a copy of your file so you can get a second opinion.

Of course you can change lawyers. Make sure he/she is a w.c. specialist.

Yes, you can request to see your file and you can hire another lawyer, but your current lawyer will probably have a lien on the file for the work done and costs and expenses. It is not necessarily advisable to switch attorneys in mid-stream, though. I would encourage you to conference with your lawyer, first, and if that doesn't work, then seek a second opinion from an experienced comp lawyer.