christopher_sullivan•21d agoMost Upvoted

I was sure my lawyer was dragging things out for more money...

For like 8 months I thought my attorney was just padding bills on my workers comp case after my back injury at a warehouse in Anaheim. I kept pushing for a settlement but he kept saying 'wait' and I was getting frustrated. Then a buddy who went through same thing showed me his settlement numbers, and I realized waiting actually got me better treatment approvals and a bigger payout. Has anyone here regretted rushing a settlement, or did waiting actually burn you?

3 comments

3 Comments

drew69021d ago

Your buddy's case is not your case, man. I rushed a settlement on my car accident claim after a fender bender and it was the best decision I ever made. My lawyer was dragging things out for maybe six months and I said enough. I took a flat payout of 8 grand and walked. The guy who waited on a similar crash got strung along for two years, his lawyer took almost half, and he ended up with maybe 2k more than me after all that time and stress. Plus, I needed that money right then for rent, not two years from now. Waiting is a gamble and some lawyers are just milking the clock. What if your case never gets that big payday?

the_charles21d ago

Slow down there, man. You're making it sound like every lawyer is just out to screw you over, but that's a pretty big stretch. A fender bender is not the same as a real injury case where you might need surgery or have long term pain. 8 grand is chump change for a lot of people who end up with medical bills way higher than that. Your buddy who waited might've had a different situation, a different injury, or a different lawyer. It's not a one size fits all thing. I'd rather gamble on getting fair compensation than rush into something I can't undo later.

thomas.tyler20d ago

Did you ever look up the stats on how long these cases actually take? I remember reading something from a legal blog that said most workers comp claims that settle in under 6 months end up with way lower payouts than ones that take a year or more. @drew690 I get that you needed the cash right then, and that's a real thing, nobody can argue with needing to pay rent. But in my experience, the guys who wait tend to come out ahead if their injuries are serious, like back stuff that might need surgery later. Your fender bender is a different animal from a warehouse injury where you might never lift the same again, so your mileage may vary for sure.