If you are an injured worker in Pennsylvania and wish to know what is the most important thing you can do to maximize your PA Work Comp Case, the answer is Be Honest At All Costs.
Honesty with your lawyer, your doctor, the Judge, and the insurance company is critical in these cases. And, the fact is, most people are honest- despite what we hear in the “news” about fake injuries or false claims. We never hear about the silent “99 %” if you will because the media isn’t interested in reporting that John Doe told the truth, got his benefits, and settled at a reasonable figure.
But when I use the term “honesty”, I’m not just referring to whether you were injured on the job or elsewhere- but how you describe your symptoms, your efforts in looking for alternative employment, your pre-existing conditions, etc. In other words, honesty as it relates to the more narrow issues in the case as well. This means that you have to give an honest effort to think about your past, what injuries you may have had, who you treated with, what type of work you could do in the alternative, and so on. This takes some elbow grease- and due diligence by the work comp attorney to elicit the thought provoking process.
When an injured worker takes the time to think about these issues, then the transmission of them via testimony will come across more credibly to the Judge who will see that the injured worker has thought about the issues rather than being completely surprised by the question in court- which can lead to inaccurate information due to the heat of the moment, nerves, and pressure.
I always remind clients to focus in on the question being asked, and forget about the perceived impact the answer will have on the case. Just tell it like it is and let the chips fall. People aren’t computers and so, at times, answers in a deposition vs. court may appear slightly inconsistent because the injured worker could have remembered something new about the issue or simply stated it in a different way- but the Judge will see the big picture, and if you give honest answers, and give an honest effort in preparing for your case by discussing the key issues with your work comp lawyer, it will be clear that you are a credible and trustworthy person.
If want want more information about Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation, call experienced work place injury attorney Michael W. Cardamone at 215-206-9068 for a free consult or email Michael@cardamonelaw.com
