Critchfield’s Workers’ Compensation team is ranked on the new 2021 U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” list just released today. The firm received a Metropolitan Tier 1 ranking for the Akron Metropolitan area.
Firms like Critchfield included in the 2021 Edition of U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” are recognized for professional excellence with consistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. To be eligible for a ranking, a firm must first have a lawyer listed in The Best Lawyers in America©, which recognizes the top five percent of private practicing lawyers in the United States. Achieving a tiered ranking signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise.
Earlier this year, The Best Lawyers in America© recognized firm member Susan Baker for her excellence in Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers – a ranking she has held since 2013. Susan was also honored as the 2021 “Lawyer of the Year” for Akron in Workers’ Compensation Law.
Our experienced attorneys defend and assist in the management of workers’ compensation claims for employers. We represent self-insured employers as well as both large and small state-fund insured employers in hearings before the Industrial Commission and before the adjudication committee of the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. When needed, we also handle appeals in state courts that result from work-related injuries and occupational diseases.
Our experience defending and advising clients regarding workers’ compensation claims has resulted in significant cost savings for our clients. Avoiding the payment of false claims, managing difficult claims, and settling valid claims for fair value can make the difference for state-funded employers between a significant premium reduction in group rating or a penalty rating and denial of participation in premium reduction programs. For self-insured employers, the savings in claims costs and assessments contribute to the bottom line. Our attorneys can advise employers on proactive methods to avoid claims costs, litigation, and increased premium expenses.