Atkinson Law Office Welcomes Dana Gerber As Our Newest Attorney.

One of the areas that distinguishes the attorneys of Atkinson Law Office from all other Minnesota workers compensation firms is that we are former insurance company lawyers.  Our lawyers have over 60 years of combined legal experience.  Our lead investigator is a former workers compensation claims adjuster who specialized in construction injuries for over a decade. Some of our staff have sustained significant work injuries necessitating multiple surgeries just like you.  Now Atkinson Law uses these experiences and secrets we learned from the insurance companies and as injured workers to obtain the very best outcomes for our clients.

Our newest attorney, Dana Gerber, began her career representing injured workers while working for a firm that specialized in predominantly hispanic and latino clients.  Dana is fluent in Spanish and used her language and advocacy skills to obtain very satisfactory outcomes for her clients.  Dana left a few years later after being offered an opportunity to work with a highly regarded insurance defense firm where she could continue to grow her experiences and knowledge of Minnesota workers compensation. After nearly 5 years Dana missed the satisfaction that comes with representing injured workers rather than insurance companies.  Dana wanted to return to her roots as an advocate for injured workers like you.

Since joining our team Dana has quickly distinguished herself as a zealous advocate and successful trial lawyer.  Dana has quickly begun using the insurance company secrets she learned as a defense attorney with enormous benefits for our clients.  Dana has obtained numerous settlements including a recent settlement of nearly $150,000 and has tried many workers compensation cases on behalf of injured workers.  We are astonished but not surprised by her zealous and thoughtful approach to representing injured workers.  We are lucky to have her as a member of our team and we look forward to having her work with injured workers across Minnesota.

If you have been injured and want to speak to Dana regarding your work injury you can contact her directly at 651-333-3636 or email her at dana@mndisability.com  There is NEVER a fee for a consultation and you will never be billed for our services.  We represent injured workers on a contingent fee basis only.  We get paid by the insurance companies if we obtain benefits on your behalf.

How To Choose The Best Minnesota Workers Compensation Attorney For You? I'll Tell You How For Free!

I have specialized in Minnesota workers compensation for nearly a quarter century.  When I began, injured workers found lawyers by word of mouth, family friends and the yellow pages.  How times have changed.  Now injured workers are tech savvy.  Whether you live in a town in the Northwest Angle of Minnesota or in Minneapolis, most people turn to their smartphones or computer to search for a lawyer on Google.  Clients who come to see me are usually far more informed than they were just 10 years ago.  What a difference a decade has made.

The purpose of this blog is to WARN YOU that there are lawyers and law firms out there that at a minimum exaggerate and others that I believe lie in their internet advertising.  They use terms like "the largest and most respected workers compensation law firm in Minnesota" or claim they have a "depth of experience".  The claims make me laugh at first and then make me very, very angry.  The reason is that YOU the injured worker will pay the same fee whether you hire a lawyer with 2-3 years experience as you do with 25 years experience.  I will tell you that I'm an excellent lawyer who has won many awards and frequently lectures on workers compensation throughout Minnesota.  However, there are other lawyers who are equally as good as I am...not many but I'm not alone.  You have to find the lawyer who is a good fit for you and I have always offered to give prospective clients the names of two additional lawyers outside of my firm to speak to after our initial meeting.  I do this freely and without hesitation.  It's not a gimmick.  I want you only if you want me.  We must fit.

What concerns me more is that you the injured worker will end up a a law firm that is a "mill" and churns and burns files without really having an understanding of Minnesota work comp.  Though a few law firms come to mind, you have to do your research and ask just a few questions.  The most important questions are as follows:  Does you firm EXCLUSIVELY practice in the area of Minnesota Workers Compensation.  That will narrow the list of 75 law firms in Minnesota down to just a handful.  Next ask do YOU THE LAWYER personally have more than 20 years of experience limited to Minnesota workers compensation.  You can now count the law firms on one hand.  These are the law firms you should be meeting with.  These are the ONLY law firms you should be meeting with.  If they do personal injury, car accidents, etc. they do not specialize in Minnesota workers compensation.  They specialize in general personal injury which is very, very different.

I'm personally at the Minnesota Office of Administrative Hearings or Minnesota Department of Labor on workers compensation matters 2-3 times every single week of the year.  I know every judge and every defense lawyer by name and they know me.  I have tried cases before every single workers compensation judge in the Twin Cities, most dozens of times.  Ask others if they can say the same.  Ask these tough questions and I can assure you that you will find the best lawyer for you.

At Atkinson Law Office we are all former insurance company lawyers with decades of experience handling Minnesota Workers Compensation Cases.  Both Kerry and Tom Atkinson had there first workers compensation hearings in 1993 the year they graduated from law school here in Minnesota. We will show you the secrets insurance companies don't want you to know.   Call us today for a free consultation.  There is never, ever a fee unless we recover benefits for you.  You will never be asked to pay us with a retainer check to handle your dispute.  Call 651-333-3636 today!  Visit us at Atkinson Law Office.

Planning To Reject A Light Duty Job Offer After A Minnesota Workers Compensation Injury?

No so fast.  If you have sustained a Minnesota Workers Compensation injury and your doctor provides you with work restrictions, an employer may offer you a light duty job until you reach maximum medical improvement and it's determined whether you will have permanent restrictions.  This "light duty" job can be almost anything and can even be with another company.  One of the recent trends in Minnesota workers compensation is to have you work as a volunteer.  Light duty jobs do not need to be even remotely similar to your date of injury job.  A firefighter or carpenter could be placed as a volunteer at a food shelter wiping off tables or serving meals.

There are however some restrictions on light duty jobs.  If your employer and workers compensation insurer offer you a light duty job it's important that you speak with a workers compensation attorney immediately.  At Atkinson Law Office, you will NEVER be charged a fee and your consultation will always be free.  Every one of our expert workers compensation attorneys at Atkinson Law Office has over 22 years of experience in litigation and when you are choosing the best workers compensation attorney, experience matters!  Call us today for a free consultation 651-333-3636.  We represent clients across the state of Minnesota who have sustained work injuries.