I got a call the other day from someone asking who I think is the best workers’ compensation lawyer in Rockford?  I’ve gotten a variation of this question many times over the year.

The honest answer, and don’t you want to talk to a lawyer who is honest, is that there is no such thing as the “best” work comp attorney.  The question is, who’s the best attorney for the unique facts of your case.

First and foremost, unlike divorce or criminal cases where getting someone local can be the difference between winning and losing, with workers comp cases in Rockford you will find that at least half of the lawyers are from Chicago.  That is because both the insurance companies and injured workers want to hire someone who does nothing but work comp cases all day.  There are more of those attorneys in Chicago than anywhere else.

That doesn’t mean that there aren’t qualified firms in Rockford too. We sometimes recommend those firms to people who call us and other times don’t. Why wouldn’t we?

If you were in a serious car accident on the job, you’d want a firm that can handle both cases.  The best ones for that are in Chicago.

If your injury is really unique or severe, you want to make sure your attorney has a lot of experience with that type of case.

If your work for Chrysler (their Belvidere plant has their work comp cases in Rockford) , UPS or one of the local hospitals, you’d want an attorney who has taken them on many times before.

Who your doctor is might even influence who you hire.

The most important thing to consider in hiring an attorney is that they are doing work comp all day, every day.  If they just dabble in it or are more of a personal injury attorney then they are not for you.  If they are really experienced but are going to have a young associate handle the case, then they are not for you.  If they don’t deliver great customer service then they are not for you.

Is this confusing?  It can be.  If you want an unbiased opinion from a lawyer  about who you should hire for your case, call us for free any time at 800-517-1614.