Do I need a lawyer?
One of the questions that I get asked most often is, "Do I even need a lawyer?" Because when you get injured on the job, the workers' comp is going to send you a letter right off the bat letting you know that they have what's called an ombudsman to help you for free.
What I always tell people is, "You get what you pay for." When you get an ombudsman, what you're getting is you're getting someone who you don't have an attorney-client privilege with. And so, what happens with that ombudsman is the ombudsman – you're telling that ombudsman confidential information, and the insurance company can then go and do an open records request and get copies of the actual confidential information you're telling that ombudsman. When you have a lawyer, you know that that lawyer's looking out for your interest, and everything you tell that lawyer is confidential.
In almost every case, yes, you should hire a lawyer because the lawyer is going to have the specialized skills and the specialized training and expertise to address your case, that someone with an ombudsman doesn't have.