Most people never think about being unable to work or the devastation caused by losing an income. When an unexpected injury or illness happens, your life as you know it changes instantly and possibly forever. You may have to seek benefits you never thought you would need, want or knew existed.

Know Your Options.
Overcoming the stigma of applying for help is one of the biggest hurdles. When clients contact us for the first time we frequently have to reassure them they are not asking for a handout. Benefits such as Workers’ Compensation and Accidental Disability Retirement (benefits for which injured workers may be eligible) are created by state law, others like Social Security Disability (SSD) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are paid by the federal government. Some benefits come from employment such as short/long term disability policies purchased through an employer. Paid medical leaves or access to a sick bank may be provided as part of a collective bargaining agreement or other employment contract.

One of the most common concerns we hear from clients is how they will afford a lawyer. Because we work on a contingency fee basis in most instances, no fees are paid until a settlement is reached or an order/agreement to pay benefits is received. Additionally, initial consultations are always free of charge. Engaging an attorney early on will lead to a better result because common pitfalls can be avoided. Generally, the other side has an attorney advising them of their rights. Clients who are unrepresented are guessing about what they are entitled to or can request.

The First 3 Things We Do:
We offer a complimentary phone consultation in order to determine potential claims, then an in-person office conference to devise an immediate action plan to obtain required documentation, and finally commencement of the claim/litigation process if benefits are denied.

Mary’s Story:
A recent example is about a client, who we will call “Mary”. Mary was an R.N, who contacted our firm two years after a fall down some stairs at work. She initially felt pain in her ankle and several months later developed pain in her knee. The worker’s compensation insurer hired a nurse to monitor the case, who told Mary the knee problem was unrelated to her work injury. As a result, Mary put the medical bills for the knee treatment through her private health insurer incurring co-pays and other out of pocket expenses. Mary’s doctor later told her the knee injury would be permanent and prevent her from returning to her nursing job.

After we met Mary we contacted her doctor and obtained documentation to establish that the knee problem was related to her fall. We then filed a claim for worker’s compensation benefits. The worker’s compensation insurer paid for Mary’s knee treatment and later settled her case. In addition to worker’s compensation, we also were able to get Mary social security benefits and access to vocational rehabilitation services.

Don’t Let This Happen To You. Call Us!
If you become injured or ill, please contact The Law Offices of Juliane Soprano. We are here to help you, as we have all of our clients over the last 20 years. Please visit our website at JulianeSoprano.com and see what our clients have to say about our work. We will guide you through a complex and frightening process to find the options that are best for you…because we don’t take ‘no’ for an answer!