Customer Service

If you have a work injury then seek out representation through an attorney. Even where you are being treated fairly it remains my belief that you should obtain an attorney. Historically having an attorney often means obtaining more or better benefits. This area is complex and relying on the adjuster or your employer is simply not in your best interests. In my experience medical care is often better when you have an attorney. Also your compensation benefits are often far higher with an attorney. I've seen cases where benefits appear to be low become much higher with an attorney on your side. In any event there may be cases where you do not have an attorney or cases where it is early on and you need some help or assistance. In such situations perhaps the next best thing is to call the Division's customer service number. While they are not going to represent you they can provide some help and guidance. This can be a very technical field and it's better to contact customer service then go completely on your own. At least that is my opinion although having representation is usually your best bet under just about all circumstances. In any event feel free to contact customer service for helpful information and some assistance. The current phone number for customer service at the Division is 303-318-8700.

Colorado Bar Association List of Attorneys

The latest list of attorneys who handle workers comp matters has been put out by the Bar Association. By no means is this an exclusive list. There are attorneys not on the list who have experience handling workers compensation cases. But the list does contain helpful names of experienced attorneys in various communities. This field is highly complex and where possible an injured worker should obtain legal representation. Waiting on this could be damaging to your case. It is the preference with most experienced attorneys to become involved early on in the case. But if that did not happen then consider acting now to find an attorney. The sooner the better. There are no guarantees in any case. What can seem to be clear and simple may deteriorate in a heartbeat. A claim can be contested or in conflict at any time. Moreover it can take planning and effort to maximize the claim. You can bet the adjustor has access to an attorney at all times. After years practicing in this field even though I am now retired I truly believe a claimant should try to obtain an experienced attorney as soon as possible. Not doing so likely means the loss of thousands or even the loss of the claim. Even a nice adjustor has a duty to his or her employer, the insurance company. They want to minimize benefits. In any event this list is one resource for those seeking an attorney.

Unrepresented Claimants Revisited

In 2006 I posted on what resources were available for those who do not have an attorney to handle their case. That is now outdated. Sometimes attorneys will not take your case. There are many reasons for this and not always personal to your case. You may have a very good case but the attorney is busy or going in a different direction. Other times the attorney may conclude that your case has merit but does not fall into an area he wants to handle. Still other times an attorney decides there is not enough at stake to commit himself and his staff to your case. By all means keep looking for an attorney even going outside your locale if you have to do so. But if you must proceed on your own the state does provide useful information for you. You should contact the customer service people at the Division. They can assist when you do not have an attorney. There are many resources and much information available to you but I caution you to be thorough and not assume it is all common sense. Workers comp is a creature of statute, cases, rules and guidelines. All of this except the cases are available to you on the web. On this blog we often will post appellate cases. Also there are lower level decisions with caselaw you can review. Also read the publication for injured workers. At this link learn about non-lawyer workers compensation. Also at this link you can read an Overview of the Worker's Compensation Claim Process. Also from this page you can read more about representing yourself in proceedings including a non-lawyers guide. Be aware that anyone involved with a claim may also be involved with two agencies the Division of Workers Compensation and the Office of Administrative Courts. Information on this distinction can be read here. These links are important pages but really just explore what Colorado does have on the web so that you are as informed as you can be. A word of caution: represent yourself only as a last resort...this area of law is complex and difficult to navigate. But it is not impossible and if you must handle it yourself read the above and use customer service noted above.

Colorado Labor Department on Twitter

Colorado presses on into the 21st Century! They twitter...or is it tweat? In any event these are short comments which you can access or have sent to you. The subjects vary a great deal but can include workers compensation, unemployment or other areas within the purview of the Colorado Department of Labor. My view is more is better then less...I recall the days when obtaining information was not so easy. Now we can do our legal research online. In the old days legal research was very time consuming and meant handling many big law books. You then copied pages by taking the book to the copier and page by page making a copy of a case. Now I can be on a laptop and directing a wireless printer to copy the case. With the development of the computer age we have seen an enormous increase in knowledge and efficiency even if at times we are all frustrated by technology. Just some 30 years ago we were in its infancy. In any event Colorado is active on the internet. It is making available many resources for all of us.

Community Resources

The link I am providing is to a directory of some 39 pages of resources available in the community. While developed for families it has a great listing of numerous community resources in the El Paso County area for anyone. It is in adobe or pdf format so it can be printed out but it may load slowly. My point in doing this is to provide a list with phone numbers for those who are financially stressed or needing assistance but have no idea where to turn. Look it over by clicking here.

Can You Do It Yourself?

Workers comp is so complicated that it has its own rules, its own separate caselaw and statutes, medical guidelines, and even comes under two Colorado agencies (the Division of Workers Compensation and the Office of Administative Courts). Deadlines and forms are also quite complicated and even those with experience must stay on top of them in every claim they handle. Some claimants believe they can try to handle their own claim. Others feel they will be treated fairly especially if they are receiving some benefits. While there are cases where you can receive decent medical care and benefits it is rare that any claim will go smoothly all the way to the end. Certainly the Division has a customer service section which does provide some basic help and it is possible to handle your claim pro se (without an attorney). I suspect many claimants want to avoid using an attorney and think they can come out ahead by saving on the legal fees. All I can say is this....if you can retain an experienced workers comp attorney then do so as he or she will usually maximize your benefits. Too many times the medical care is incomplete. Too many times the amounts due you are very low and you are told it is all you are entitled to receive. Many times an attorney can obtain substantially more benefits for you and far more then the legal contingency fee which is 20% in Colorado. So try to obtain a lawyer to help you with your claim. Do it yourself only as a last resort when a lawyer cannot be found to take your claim. Moreover here is one more tip: whenever possible obtain an attorney early on in your case. The sooner the better given the contingency fee is the same anyway.

Non-lawyer's Guide to Procedures/Hearings

While the best advice is to obtain an attorney to assist you with your work injury claim there are many cases where you either don't want or can't find an attorney to take your case. Sadly some claims have become small claims and lawyers are hard to find to handle it. If the state of Colorado told us they would pay all legal expenses then everyone would likely be represented even in the smaller cases. But some claims nowadays have had benefits so reduced or limited that a claimant may have to represent himself or herself because lawyers are not available. I do like the customer service unit at the Colorado Division of Worker's Compensation for trying to help out here but when you need a hearing you may find this guide provided by Colorado helpful (but please consult with an attorney if at all possible especially when you have a serious injury) : http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/oac/Non-Lawyer_WC.htm Also it is available in English or Spanish!