WCRI: Half of Lost-Time Claimants Lawyered Up in Ill., N.J.

How frequently injured workers are represented by attorneys in workers’ comp claims ranges dramatically from state to state, according to a report released Thursday — from a low of 13% and 14% in Wisconsin and Texas to a high of 49% in New Jersey and 52% in Illinois. Factors such as the complexity of the state’s workers’ comp system and limits on attorney payment may contribute to the variability, according to the report by the Workers Compensation Research Institute. WCRI compared the frequency of worker attorney involvement in 18 states. The researchers an...