Alabama Workers Compensation Questions: (33) Am I entitled to a Settlement?

Alabama Workers Compensation Questions: (33) Am I entitled to a Settlement?

Am I entitled to a Settlement? At the outset, when we are just meeting with a potential client, we go ahead and discuss settlement. No, we have no idea what type of figures we will be dealing with or how long it may take to reach a potential settlement–there are just too many variables to deal with for any credible attorney to be able to give you any figures at the outset of your case.
Why then do we broach the subject out the outset if we can’t give any figures or time frame? Because we want our clients to know from the start that they are not entitled to a lump sum settlement; no one is. A settlement is an agreement, a meeting of the minds, between two parties-both of whom agree to a certain set of terms. Since you cannot control what the other side is willing to do, you can’t claim to be entitled to a settlement, and any attorney worth their salt will tell you the same thing. This is not to say that most cases don’t settle, because the fact of the matter is that most cases do settle.

One of the main reasons cases settle is because in a settlement, you can demand a lump sum payment. If you try your case, the court does not have the power to force the defendant to make you a lump sum payment; all the court can do it determine and rule on the percentage of disability you have suffered as the result of your job injury. At this point, the defendant will generally choose to pay you in weekly checks. Most clients would rather have the money up front, for various reasons, but again-they cannot demand the same.

If you live in Alabama and you have questions about what benefits you are entitled to receive under Alabama’s Workers Comp Statute, don’t hesitate to contact one of the experienced Alabama Workers Compensation Lawyers at Powell and Denny today.

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Offices in Birmingham, AL and Huntsville, AL

Powell and Denny have been selected as one of the Best Law Firms by U.S. News and World Report for each of the last 5 years, have been selected as one of Birmingham’s Top Lawyers by B-Metro Magazine for the last 3 years, have been selected by The National Advocates as one of the Top 20 Workers’ Compensation Firms (plaintiffs) and Powell and Denny, P.C.-has been selected as one of the “Best of the Best” law firms by The American Registry.

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