I Can't Afford A Minnesota Workers Compensation Attorney. Really?

I get about a dozen phone calls each week from workers who have been injured at work and want a free consultation.  In most cases, I simply provide free advice and explain some questions regarding their case and leave them my cell phone number should they have any future concerns.  Occasionally, however, there are some who should have contacted me months or even years ago. 

Don't assume that the internet, work comp blogs, your family and friends or your old personal injury attorney has the CORRECT answers to your questions.  Minnesota Workers Compensation is a very specialized area of the law.  A personal injury attorney who handles a few cases every year is in no way an expert.  Your family or friends workers compensation case may be very, very different than yours based upon the facts of their case.  You may be entitled to far more benefits then they received.

Experience also matters in finding an attorney.  The internet is the great equalizer.  Some firms like Fields Law Firm advertise that they are the biggest law firm in Minnesota and yet I have never seen the firms namesake, Steve Fields, at the Office of Administrative Hearings where I have been to thousands of times over the past 21 years.  Other attorneys claim they are the most respected workers compensation attorneys in our state and yet rarely handle workers compensation matters. 

I want you to call the lawyer whom the firm is named after and ask him or her how many cases they have PERSONALLY gone to hearing at the Office of Administrative Hearings AND appearances before the Workers Compensation Court of Appeals in 2014.  The answers may shock you.  At Atkinson Law Office, both Kerry and Tom Atkinson have taken cases to hearing every month in 2014.  We have also appeared before the Minnesota Workers Compensation Court of Appeals as well.  Every week I personally make multiple appearance at the Office of Administrative Hearings for settlement conferences, discontinuance conferences, medical dispute conferences, vocational rehabilitation conferences, meditations, and/or hearings. EVERY week!

Finally, there is NEVER a fee to contact an attorney and discuss your workers compensation case.  Atkinson Law Office will not require you to pay a retainer fee or send us payment at ANYTIME during your case.  We get paid directly by the insurance companies when benefits are disputed.  Can you afford NOT to contact an experienced law firm and attorney like Thomas Atkinson.  Visit us today for a free consultation.  www.mndisability.com or call 651-333-3636, 24 hours/day, 365 days/year.

Why Do Herniated Discs Hurt My Arm Or Leg Rather Than My Low Back Or Neck? This Makes No Sense.

Though I am an expert Minnesota workers compensation attorney, I am also a former injured worker.   I have undergone 2 low back surgeries and a cervical spine surgery in the last 22 years.  What I have learned from these personal experiences is that yes sometimes a herniated disc in the low back can hurt the low back area, but they can also result in symptoms in your lower extremities (buttocks, legs, feet and toes).  Likewise, cervical spine injuries can also result in symptoms into your upper extremities (shoulder, arms, hands, and fingers).  Patients and clients are often confused when their doctors tell them they have suffered a back or neck injury and yet they only have pain their arms or legs.  Please don't be confused, your confusion is common.

Though the scanned MRI image I have attached to this blog is not my own, it could very well be mine.  This image shows both signs of healthy discs, degenerative discs, and herniated discs.  Each disc is made of a tough out ring called an annulus and a soft inner core called a nucleus.  Think jelly donut.

The white colored top discs are healthy discs.  You will note they are what spine surgeons refer to has round, plump "jelly donuts".  As we move down we see the 4th disc from the top bulging and the disc below that, a herniation.  This is when the "jelly" ruptures out the side of the disc and can impinge on a nerve or the spinal cord resulting in significant injury.  The L4, 5 and S1 discs (the lower three) are black or very dark.  These represent degenerative discs.  In the more extreme cases, the black space is almost gone and the bones appear to be touching.  This condition can result in considerable back pain and can in some cases necessitate a fusion surgery.

If you have performed heavy, repetitive lifting activities at work and you develop a disc injury of some kind, please speak to an experience expert Minnesota workers compensation attorney.  You may have sustained what is referred to as a Gillette injury and you may be entitled to free medical care, lost wages, permanent injury damages and in some cases retraining.  Our consultations are absolutely FREE!  There is never a fee unless we recover benefits.  Please note that every one of our attorneys as over 20 years of personal injury experience.  If you speak to other lawyers ask them how long they have practiced law and how long they have practiced exclusively workers compensation.  Their fancy misleading websites can be smoke and mirrors.  Contact the work comp experts of Atkinson Law Office today.  651-333-3636 and visit our website at www.mndisability.com

How Do I Hire The Best Minnesota Workers Compensation Attorney For My Case?

In the past decade the internet has become the number one tool used by injured employees throughout Minnesota to answer questions and find a lawyer.  Young, old, tech savvy or novices, it really doesn't matter.  Nearly everyone uses the internet to research what to do when they have a Minnesota workers compensation injury AND who they should hire for an attorney.

The internet is the great equalizer to the uniformed and inexperienced injured worker.  A great website can make a crappy lawyer with an eve worse reputation look great!  If only I could publish the list of lawyers who you should run and hide from....

Sure my law firm has great websites which we use to educate injured workers, but that isn't what makes our firm great!  EXPERIENCE and expertise in the law is what makes our firm GREAT!  Our lawyers live and breath workers compensation rather than car accidents, dog bites and slip and falls.  Attorney Thomas Atkinson has more than 2 decades of experience handling thousands of workers compensation cases and obtaining millions of dollars for his clients.  Attorney Kerry Atkinson is one of the very few lawyers in Minnesota who is considered a civil litigation expert by the Minnesota State Bar Association and even more rare, a member of the ABOTA (American Board Of Trial Advocates).  Though Minnesota doesn't have a "expert" designation for Minnesota workers compensation lawyers, Kerry uses her civil litigation expertise throughout her practice.

I could fairly and accurately list lawyer after lawyer with flashy websites who just recently began practicing workers compensation or who handle work comp cases in addition to dozens of other practice areas such as car accidents, wills, real estate closings etc.  But do they really KNOW work comp?  Do you really want someone like that to handle your claim?

Here is my suggestion.  Call a few law firms, not just ours and ask to speak to the lawyer.  YES the lawyer who will handle your case.  Then ask them the following questions:

1.  Have long have you been practicing law? 
2.  How long have you exclusively practiced workers compensation?
3.  Have you ever been disciplined by the Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board?
4.  How many staff members do you have to assist me in my workers compensation?
5.  How often do you actually take a case to hearing if necessary?
6.  Can you guarantee I will win my case?

Let me answer those questions for you!

1.  Over 20 years.
2.  Over 20 years.
3.  NEVER, in fact I have been called multiple times by attorneys and investigators with the LPRB with questions regarding best practices in a workers compensation case while investigating some of the very lawyers whose websites you may have visited.
4.  2 lawyers, 2 paralegals and an investigator who are dedicated to your Minnesota Workers Compensation claim.
5.  We try dozens of cases every year when a reasonable settlement can not be reached.
6.  No and anyone who tells you otherwise is a liar.

I urge you to call and speak to a few different lawyers and find one that works best with you.  Ask the questions I have listed above.  You will know whether I'm the best lawyer for you and if I'm not, I promise to give you the names of other excellent lawyers who may be able to help you with your claim.  We want you to be happy with your choice and assured that you have an attorney with EXPERIENCE to assist you with you Minnesota Workers Compensation Injury!

There is a never a fee unless we recover benefits for you.  Call today to see whether we can help you with your claim.  651-333-3636 or visit our websites for more useful information.  www.mndisability.comhttp://www.mndisability.com/blog/

Welcome to MN Disability's Minnesota Workers Compensation Blog

Minnesota Disability was founded with the sole goal of representing disabled and injured individuals living in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin. When Minnesota Disability represents a client, we take charge in preparing all the proper forms, filing the necessary papers, obtaining the medical and vocational evidence needed to support your claim, and aggressively pursue a favorable decision as our only objective. We have decades of experience in handling workers compensation cases from the administrative decision level up to the Minnesota Supreme Court. We also represent individuals who may be qualified to receive disability benefits from the United States Social Security Administration. In many of our Social Security cases, our clients never have to go to the Social Security office.

We are not a general practice law firm; rather, we focus on representing individuals in social security disability and Minnesota workers' compensation matters. By limiting our practice to these two specialties, Minnesota Disability will provide you with an experienced and focused approach to your issues. Minnesota Disability provides better service than general law firms or non-attorney disability groups. We don’t draft a will in the morning and fight traffic tickets in the afternoon. We are licensed attorneys that do one thing: represent injured and disabled individuals. We know disability, and we want to represent you.

Thomas Atkinson

Attorney Thomas Atkinson has over 2 decades of experience in handling workers' compensation disability matters. Tom brings a unique experience to his practice in previously representing employers and insurers in his practice AND having personally fought with these same insurance companies to obtain workers' compensation benefits for himself. This experience transformed his thinking. He understands the fear that comes when bringing a claim against one’s employer as well the frustration in dealing with a system that can appear stacked against the injured worker. Though Tom’s practice is now limited to representing the injured worker, he understands the “tricks” and tactics used by insurers and can use these experiences to your benefit. Tom runs a very efficient practice that allows personal attention to your matter. He is willing to meet with you anywhere in the metro area, or you can meet at his St. Paul location. You may contact Tom at 651-333-3636 or tom@mndisability.com or visit our website at www.mndisability.com.  There is never a fee unless we recover benefits for you.