Whether they call me a workers' compensation, workman's comp, or work comp lawyer, every potential client has the same question.  They want to know my win percentage.  This is only natural for every new client to wonder how good their lawyer is and certainly, they should not just trust anyone.  By defining a "win" as obtaining recovery for my clients, either through settlement or final hearing, my win percentage is 100%.  Simply put, I have never taken a work comp case where I was unable to recover for my client. 

This statistic is always a good mark to evaluate a St. Louis work comp lawyer, but it certainly is not the only question you should be asking.  The problem for most people who are looking for a lawyer is that they are unsure of how to go about finding a good one.  For most, they have never had to hire a lawyer before, at least not a Missouri workers' compensation lawyer.  The two most important questions you should be asking when deciding who to hire for your work injury is first whether the attorney specializes in injury law, and second whether they have tried workers' compensation cases. 

As to the first issue, I know of several very good attorneys who work in multiple areas of law.  Unfortunately, I know of many more who are bad.  The fact is, no matter what area of law in which you needing representation, you always need to find a specialist.  Never go with a "jack of all trades" lawyer.  Even I am still surprised sometimes at some of the elementary questions I get asked by these lawyers when it comes to the Missouri work comp system.  Along this same line, you need to make sure that your attorney is going to personally handle the case.  Because we specialize in only injury law, we have a number of attorneys who refer us cases.  I am certainly not complaining about this situation, as it is a good business arrangement for me and I always know that the client will be well taken care of, the fact is, client's are always best to go straight to the expert. 

As for the second question, I think it is extremely important to hire a work comp lawyer who has tried both workers' compensation cases and St. Louis personal injury cases.  If they have never tried a work comp case, then they simply just cannot fathom how to put the case together.  Although the vast majority of workers' compensation cases settle, the only good settlements arise when the case is properly prepared for a hearing and the defense attorney sees that.  As for trying personal injury cases, well, they are just much more difficult and complex.  Personal injury trials give the lawyer a much deeper analysis of the case presentation and how to properly persuade the decision maker through their trial story.

Of course, not every workers' compensation case requires a lawyer.  However, if you are going to handle your case alone, you do need to know the facts.  That is why I have written an informative new book free to injured employees about the Missouri workers' compensation system.  It is called "The Ultimate Missouri Work Comp Book," and it explains how the system really works.  I can guarantee you there is no other resource like this available to injured Missouri workers. 

Additionally, if you would like to speak with an attorney about your Missouri work comp claim, call St. Louis workers' compensation attorney Josh Myers.  It is always free to discuss your case.