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Gainesville, GA

It was a typical workday. A delivery had just come in and Angela set about stocking the back room with the new shipment. As she shifted a large box aside to retrieve an order, two other boxes above her began to fall.

Instinctively, Angela twisted to catch them. Then she heard a pop. She fell to the floor, a sharp pain racing up her spine from her lower back.

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Her Workers’ Compensation Claim Was Denied

The injury prevented Angela from working. Pain often radiated from her back and into her left hip. Sometimes she lost feeling in her legs.

“After I was injured, my first concern was: is this going to be a super detrimental injury? Am I still going to be able to work? How are the doctor visits going to be paid, if I have to do that?” she said.

The doctors who examined her determined that a torn nerve had become stuck between a spinal disc. Angela didn’t have medical insurance and tried to file a workers' compensation claim for financial support.

But instead of help, her employer denied her claim, calling her injury questionable, that it didn’t happen during the scope of employment. The insurance adjustor she talked to was not of much assistance either.

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She Called Gary Martin Hays & Associates for Legal Advice

Angela realized she needed outside help if she wanted to be taken seriously. She started researching workers’ comp lawyers, noting that Gary Martin Hays had written a book on the subject.

“Right off the bat, my first phone call, my first voice contact with anybody in this firm was amazing,” she recalled. And the first strategy session with her attorney to discuss the potential outcome of her case left her feeling confident she had made the right decision.

While Angela focused on treatment, her team at Gary Martin Hays & Associates negotiated with the insurance company on her behalf. But on the eve of her deposition, tragedy struck: her step-father suffered a stroke and passed away.

“The thing that really stood out for me and showed that they really care about the clients they take on is… for the next week or two after that event happened my attorney called and checked on me,” Angela said. “The paralegal that worked for them, she was amazing. She was calling and emailing and checking on me and my mom and my family.”

She had been impressed by the firm beforehand, but the compassionate treatment she received exceeded all her expectations.

“I would a million percent recommend Gary Martin Hays’s office,” Angela said. “They made me genuinely feel like they were after my best interests... They were completely helpful and always available from the first phone call all the way up until the end.”

 

The interview has been edited for clarity. The client gave the testimony of their own free will and was not paid for their appearance.

 

Further Reading

Client Story: Hiring Gary Martin Hays & Associates Lifted a Weight Off My Shoulders

Workers' Compensation and Returning for Light-Duty Work: An Atlanta Attorney Explains