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It seems that every Christmas season (October 15 to December 15) is the time when many insurance companies decide to put on the “hard press” to settle many of their claims in workers’ compensation cases and automobile accident claims. These are the major areas I practice law, so I have many opportunities to settle my client cases during this time.

It’s Christmas! Everywhere we hear the stores pipe in their music for all of us shoppers. The song that is heard most often is Andy Williams: “It’s a most wonderful time of the year.”

You may think that lawyers in general are an ungrateful lot. You may be right. Many lawyers represent corporations that are awful companies and that have policies that hurt people deeply.

There should be a Bill of Rights for injured people when it comes to dealing with, working with, being represented by a lawyer. Let me name a few of those rights that all injured people should ask their attorneys:

I had the opportunity to interview a sweet lady for a job injury sha had about 3 months ago. She hired someone other than me upon the recommendation of a friend.

Well, the courageous members of the State Bar Board of Governors voted to NOT require lawyers to purchase legal malpractice insurance NOR to be required to disclose whether or not they have purchases legal malpractice insurance.

An area of great concern for a lot of us lawyers who represent the injured worker is the Rulemaking authority of the Chief Judge of the State Board of Workers’ Compensation.

Can a worker fire their lawyer when the lawyer gives (what the client feels is) bad advice? Of course, they can do so. How does one recognize bad advice? Here is an example:

Last week, I posted the number one item on my wish list of changes in the Workers’ Compensation laws that would make the system a bit fairer for the injured worker.

A recent Fulton County Daily Report article reported that a personal injury lawyer stole over one million dollars of money of many of his clients. How can someone do such a thing for so long before getting caught? Know this: when your personal injury case finally settles, you should be quickly asking for the money your lawyer got for you.