Posted: June 13, 2010
One critical question you must ask before you hire a Cincinnati Ohio Workers compensation attorney. If you have been hurt at work in the State of Ohio you have the right to file a workers compensation claim. However the workers compensation system is fraught with traps for the unwary. In fact the Ohio workers compensation system is so specialized that the Ohio State Supreme court has granted attorneys that pass the requirements to call themselves Certified specialist in Ohio workers compensation law. The Ohio State bar association administers the attorney certification process. The Ohio State Bar Association "specialization program" was created to give licensed Ohio attorneys the ability to become certified as specialists in particular areas of law. OSBA certification is a voluntary process that requires a commitment to excellence. Ohio attorneys who are certified as specialists by the OSBA must take and pass a written examination in their specialty field, demonstrate a high level of substantial involvement in the specialty area, fulfill ongoing education requirements and be favorably evaluated by other attorneys and judges familiar with their work.
- Demonstrated substantial and continuing involvement in a particular field of law, meaning they must devote at least 25 percent of their practice to an area of law;
- Submitted five individual references attesting to their competency in the specialty field;
- Earned a minimum of 36 hours of intermediate or advanced continuing legal education credits in the specialty area during the past three years as part of the continuing legal education credits required of all attorneys;
- Remained in good standing with the Supreme Court of Ohio; and
- Proven financial responsibility by maintaining minimum professional liability insurance coverage.
Basically a Cincinnati Ohio workers compensation specialist attorney has demonstrated special competence in the area of Ohio Workers compensation law. As of the time of writing the originsal article there are only approximately 23 attorneys in the Cincinnati area listed as specialists. I was one of them but no more. I decided that the clients that hired me did not know that I had been certified. It became a scramble at times to get in all the hours. Additionally my practice in the personal injury area had grown so that I no longer met the requirement of 25% of my time ( at least income wise) was spent on workers compensation. The fact also is that the educational requirements on a year over year basis were somewhat of a burden especially in light of little changes in the law. Though incrementally it seemds that it's more diffifcult for workers to get a fair shake and a descent compensation package without numeorous hearings. Maybe that's why it seems so few young attorenys are willing to help clients negotiate this maze of arcaine laws often interpreted to defeat the injured worked. An attorney may also focus and have significant experience in several other areas of law. But they may not designate themselves as a specialist as there are only 8 areas of law such as trust, property , family law etc that this is permitted in Ohio. I was lucky enough to mentor under a fantastic personal injury car accident lawyer as well as his partner who handled workers compensation and social security disability. So those are the three areas of law that I have dedicated the last 28 years to. In fact I have written and made a video on how these three area of law can interconnect. If you are hurt at work you may have three sources of compensation for your injury . Watch this video to make sure you get all the compensation you deserve. So before hiring a cincinnati workers compensation attorney ask them if they are experinced in Ohio workers compensation. This is different than being a certified specialist. The certification process is good but some changes need to be made such as allowing lawyers that pass testing and knowledge requirement not have to devote 20 % of their practice to workers compensation and lightening up on the recertification process. Call me today for free at 1-800-447-6549 to get the help you need to get the compensation you deserve.
