FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
All our Massachusetts Worker Comp cases are on a contingency basis. There are no upfront fees required from you. Under Massachusetts law, the statute dictates how an attorney gets paid. What it dictates is that lawyers don’t take money upfront from an individual. Most of our clients are out of work, they’re not getting income. Realistically, these clients don’t have the money to pay an attorney. What the statute says, is the attorney gets paid one of two ways: Each time we go to court and ask for a benefit, if we prevail, the insurance company pays the attorney a fee under the statute, whether by agreement, at a conference, at a hearing. If you go to court and the judge doesn’t agree with what we’re asking for and there’s a denial of that, the attorney fee is not due. The employee is not responsible for that attorney’s fee. The other way we get paid is by way of the lump sum settle. Under Massachusetts law, the maximum attorney’s fee is 20% of the lump sum. If somebody doesn’t have money to pay an attorney for a worker’s comp case, that’s common. The good news is, there are no fees due upfront, or at any time. We have never asked a client for money in regards to their comp case, because the statute provides the way we get paid.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
Our initial 30 minute consultation is always FREE. The initial consultation is essentially a fact finding mission. We want to know about you as the injured employee. What’s relevant is the date of the accident, the mechanism of the accident, the body part affected. We want to know what kind of work you were doing. Other things that’ll come into play down the road include your age, education, work history, and current treatment status. We may want to know: “Are you a surgical candidate?” or “Are you in the middle of conservative treatment?” We can take all that information, and with fifteen years experience, have a discussion with you to what we think you can expect down the road, how we think this case will end, and the bumps that we think you’re going to have along the way.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
We have over 15 years of experience, and we’re a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association. Along with his law degree, Mr. Fitzpatrick has a degree in biology, which allows him to understand the science behind your injuries and help get you the benefits you are entitled to