I am not in your area.

But here is the BEST way to find a work comp attorney.

There are the Work Comp Appeals Board hearing rooms. In So. Cal., they are held in very non-descript government buildings, usually on one floor, such as a fourth floor, or second floor. You can get the address and phone for the WCAB hearing room via 411. Find out when the next general court hearings are. On the primary floor, there will be an "Applicant Waiting Room." This is where all of the injured workers wait for their attorneys.

Go to the Applicant Waiting Room and watch the attorneys go in and out and talk to their clients. You will quickly see those Applicant Attorneys who are on the ball and fast at the game, and those who are kind of dopey or rude, etc. And if they aren't there, then they aren't really the BIG players - and if they ARE there, then they're busy, know the law, and most importantly, know the judges and the insurance co. attorneys (defense attorneys.)

Go right up to one of those Applicant Attorneys and say, "may I have your card, I have a case and no attorney." IF you're too ill, have someone else do this for you. This is by far the BEST way.

NEXT way, there will be POSTED at the same place, the WCAB hearing room or clerk's room, a "Daily Calendar of Cases." These show the attorneys and parties who are there that day. If you see the same name for Applicant Attorneys a couple or more times, then they are BIG players and you WANT them. You WANT active, in the game attorneys whose offices are busy in this system. The judges know them, give them favors, and they negotiate behind the scenes quickly sometimes, rather than dragging on.

Another way, call ANY local union and ask who they recommend. This will usually be a big player. This person might want catastrophic injuries, BUT, they often can recommend another attorney to handle your type of injury.

This isn't easy, but an attorney who is not in the "in" crowd will NOT get you top dollar in my opinion. They will not know all of the ways to benefit your situation, or get you to the best docs, or how the new laws are working, in my opinion. This area of law, much like family law, is WHO you know inside the courtroom, in my opinion.

God bless and assist you in your journey. And don't sign anything you don't want to - demand to see the judge, it's your right, and the judge is there to insure that you don't get ripped off. Watch the judge's face, and make your decision if you are feeling pushed by the attorneys on any pretrial settlement.