Q: I have an open case since last aug. As of June 26 I have been told my case is on hold because the company is selling.

A: What you're probably running into is the normal confusion surrounding the sale of a business. It should make no overall difference to your case. If your employer had workers' compensation insurance in effect on the date of your accident, that insurance company continues to be responsible for your case. If your employer did not have workers' compensation insurance in effect on the day you were injured, then the buying company and the selling company will resolve the question of who's picking up liability in your case as part of their buy-sell agreement.

In answer to your other questions, it's not too late to switch lawyers, but nothing about the situation you've described justifies doing so. Your lawyer can't do anything about the sale of your employer. If you have reasons to switch attorneys that are unrelated to the sale of your employer, that's different.

A: Sale of a business has absolutely nothing to do with the processing of a Worker's Compensation claim. The decision of who you choose to represent you always belongs to you. You can fire any attorney, at any time. It is very important that you exercise that power wisely and after reflection. In Worker's Compensation and other contingent litigation, your case will be less attractive to another attorney because your first attorney has a claim to some part of the fee. In other words, you are asking all successor attorneys to work for a discounted fee. There are situations where it still makes sense to change attorneys but you owe it to yourself to truly understand what is going on with your case before you make such a decision. The best way to accomplish this is by meeting, face-to-face, with your attorney. Before that meeting, prepare a list of questions on a piece of paper or a note card or you will leave the meeting with more questions than answers.