“Ilona walked me through the hearing down to where I'd sit. Nothing that morning caught me off guard.”
Gloria M.Denied claim, warehouse
Workers' compensation, Toledo
A work injury takes a moment. The claim can take a year.
We're three lawyers who represent people hurt on the job, and never the employers or insurers across the table. Below is some of what that has looked like for clients.
Sample matters
Three claims, and how each one ended
Benefits restored
Denied back claim, warehouse picker
The insurer called it wear and tear. The surgeon's report said otherwise, and wage loss was paid back to the first missed shift.
2024
$62,000
Settlement, shoulder injury, line technician
Settled after two years of treatment, once the surgery and the work limits it left were on the record.
2023
Surgery approved
Knee injury, delivery driver
The request had been turned down twice. A second opinion and the driver's own job description got it through.
2024
Sample matters, for the firm to replace with its own. Every claim turns on its own facts, and past results don't guarantee a similar outcome.
How we work
What we say, and the case behind it
Every firm makes promises. Each of ours comes with a sample matter that shows what it means in practice.
- On-the-job injuries
We file it right the first time.
Sample matter: a roofer's fall was reported as a sprain. We had the report corrected to show the broken wrist before the first payment, so the claim covered the surgery that followed.
On-the-job injuries - Denied claims
A denial is where we start.
Sample matter: a forklift operator was refused for lack of medical evidence. His records had been filed under the wrong claim number. We moved them, and the claim was allowed at the first hearing.
Denied claims - Disability benefits
We plan for the job you can't go back to.
Sample matter: a welder with a lung condition couldn't return to his trade. We built the record for permanent disability benefits and lined up retraining benefits beside it.
Disability benefits - Third-party claims
We ask who else caused it.
Sample matter: a courier was rear-ended on her route. Her comp claim paid the bills; a second claim against the other driver covered what comp never pays, like pain and suffering.
Third-party claims
From clients
In their words, once it was over
“I didn't know there was another insurance policy to go after. Sami found it in a week.”
Wes T.Third-party claim, delivery route
“Darnell explained every letter from the bureau before I'd finished reading it myself.”
Hector V.Shoulder injury, plant maintenance
Sample comments. Every client's case is different, and these don't predict the result of yours.
The attorneys
Three lawyers, one kind of client
Each claim has one of us on it from the first call to the last check.
Ilona Kovach
Founding partner
Denied claims and hearings. Ilona opened the office after years of comp hearings for injured workers.
Sami Farhat
Partner
Third-party and disability claims. Sami handles the cases where comp is only half the story.
Darnell Pettaway
Associate
New claims and treatment approvals. Darnell is usually the first lawyer a new client meets.
Questions
What injured workers ask us first
Can I be fired for filing a claim?
Punishing a worker for filing a claim is generally against the law. If it's happened to you, tell us: it can be a claim of its own.
Do I have to see the company's doctor?
That depends on the rules where you work and on your employer's plan. Call us before you change doctors, so the switch doesn't hand the insurer a reason to refuse treatment.
How are you paid?
Our fee is a percentage of the benefits or settlement we recover for you, set out in a written agreement before we start. If nothing is recovered, you owe no attorney fee. Case costs, such as medical records and doctors' reports, are separate, and the agreement says how they're paid, including when there's no recovery.
Is there a deadline?
Yes, more than one. Report the injury to your employer right away, in writing if you can. Filing the claim has its own deadline, and it's shorter than most people expect.
What if it built up over years, not in one accident?
Repetitive strain and illnesses from work can be covered too. They're harder to prove, so your medical history matters more, and that's where we start.
Tell us what happened at work
Call, or write a few lines. One of the three of us will call back and set up a free first meeting, at the office or by video.
Please don't send confidential details until we've spoken.