How to Find the Best Minnesota Workers’ Compensation Attorney for Your Case

Choosing the Best Minnesota Workers’ Compensation Attorney

Surprisingly, finding a workers compensation lawyer can be easy. Type in Google “Workers Compensation Attorney” and there you go. However, finding the “right” attorney can be a little more difficult if you don’t know what to look for, or even ask. Anyone can buy an advertisement or claim to be the “best,” but how do you find the right attorney?

I would say that if you are reading this article then you’ve come to the right place. Despite my personal belief that we are the best Minnesota workers compensation law firm you may decide that further vetting is necessary to find the right attorney. In my years of representing injured workers, I’ve discovered that injured workers want a number of specific traits in their attorney. This is probably why we see these terms overused by attorneys across the board in advertisements and websites. I’ll admit I’ve succumbed to using some of these as well. These include:

• I’ll Fight for you;
• X amount of combined years of experience. In other words, adding all of the lawyers years of experience in the office to come up with a number;
• Argued hundreds of cases;
• Recovered x amount for a particular client;
• Don’t be tricked by the insurance company;

Despite these advertisements and proclamations, many attorneys fail to stress one of the most important attributes any great attorney must have – listening. I can’t tell you how many times I get calls from injured workers who want to switch their attorney because they can’t be heard or even communicate with their lawyer. I don’t need to explain why this would be the most important part of the case.

The second most important attribute is just plain hard work. No matter how smart someone is or how great a talker a lawyer may be, if they are not going to do the work on your case then your chance of success goes down. Hard work translates to better preparedness for conferences, hearings, etc. This translates to a better outcome for your case. While no case can be guaranteed I can tell you no Judge likes an unprepared attorney.

The third and most important is a willingness to try your case. While most workers’ compensation cases settle and they settle for a variety of reasons, I still find myself taking cases to trial or hearing. My motto is to workup every file as if we are going to a hearing. Unfortunately, not every workers’ compensation lawyer does that. In fact, some adopt a “churn and burn” mentality and work diligently to settle a case early on. This approach could be detrimental to the injured worker depending on where they are at with medical treatment, return to work, etc. An attorney should always be able to explain the pros and cons of settlement and be willing to respect the client’s decision to settle or go to a hearing.

So how do you find the best lawyer with these qualities?

The two things I would look at are:

• Meet with the attorney either in person or over the phone. Ask questions and observe. Are they really listening to you about your case? Are they looking at their watch the entire time? Do they have a staff to help with your case? What was your first impression?
• What do client reviews like Google and Avvo say about them? What do their negative reviews say? What does the attorney say about the negative reviews?

Why Choose Attorney Jerry Sisk and his Team?

Having represented injured workers for over a decade and practiced in workers compensation for over 15 years I am always striving to be a better lawyer for my clients. I have tried close to a hundred cases and have argued successfully at the Worker’ Compensation Court of Appeals. Outside of my legal obligations to my clients, I volunteer and have served as the President of the Anoka Bar Association. I serve on the 21st District Ethics committee assisting in the investigation of lawyers who have had ethics complaints brought against them. I continually present to the legal community including lawyers on workers compensation matters in Minnesota and nationally. I also write on Minnesota workers compensation topics for the Minnesota Trial Magazine and I co-write a chapter in the Minnesota workers compensation deskbook which is used by hundreds of lawyers in Minnesota. I am AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and have a 10/10 AVVO Rating.

While I enjoy what I do, the most enjoyment I get is helping others. Maybe that’s why I torture myself more by volunteer coaching soccer, basketball, and flag football for my kids. Through all of this, I understand the importance of hard work, time management, dedication and listening to my clients.

The first click on Google might not be the best lawyer.  Be empowered. Be educated. Be informed.

My staff and I are here to help you and provide the legal service you deserve. We will listen and we will work hard for you. Let us help you. Call today for a free consultation.