A local attorney measures his success by the profits he makes dealing with workers compensation cases. Driving a $150,000 Rolls-Royce, he claims to be successful. One indicator of his success is the fees he charges for workers compensation cases. During a two-month investigation, the Associated Press and the Better Government Assn. Decide when to schedule the two-day arbitration hearings before the Illinois Industrial Commission in Springfield.
Of all those cases, 134 were of them. His total legal fees for the 34 cases he handled and closed were approximately $94,19,238. The attorney and state representative who worked on 12 cases earned $55,17,619.
Aside from increases in labor costs and workers compensation payments, there is also an increase in fees for attorneys handling workers’ compensation cases. Many lawyers among those who practice workers compensation full-time are working to make it big financially. Extremely heavy cases are handled by some. An attorney can charge a fee of up to 20 percent for each settlement achieved in cases brought to the Commission. Cases don’t necessarily have to go to an informal hearing, and that happens most of the time.
On the local directory page, one can see the advertisement on page four for a lawyer who wants people to know that he can provide legal services to them. His hard work over the past 12 years has paid off, making him feel very successful. There are days he talks to 50 people, and there are other days he talks to up to 80 people. He said it was a very difficult job. A number of people he talks to go out to the poor to buy food for their families.
Because I work for myself, I work hard. It saddens him a little to know someone won’t work as fast as him when he works for the state or for an insurance company. I’ve been contacted by people wanting to know if workers compensation attorneys are just scam artists. It’s not a smart way. He says he does not intend to deceive anyone.
Lawyers want something for themselves in addition to helping their clients get what they can best. Among the questions people ask us are whether or not we’re getting paid big and whether we’re speeding businesses. Well, my job is to do what I can to represent my clients and get what I can in the process. And there are cases when a person gets a little more than they should. But companies must maintain their position.
Companies are not paid immediately. There are still concerns about the extent of the worker’s disability and what kind of medical treatment he or she needs. Doctors will sometimes not provide any medical treatment unless they know they are getting paid. Unless it is confirmed that medical treatment will be covered by the insurance company, some doctors will not provide treatment.