No, you do not have to go to court for workers’ comp claims in most cases. The majority of cases are settled prior to going to the hearing (court). A typical case will proceed for 6-8 months before being scheduled to go in front of the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) and during that time, there are several opportunities to strengthen your case in order to either get a settlement or have your claim convert to an accepted claim. See this chart of the
timeline for a typical case. If your case does proceed to the court date with no settlement, you will appear before the ALJ with your attorney who will walk you through the entire process. While many will demand to “have their day in court,” most times it is wise to pursue remedies sooner so that you can get the medical treatment you need and get your life back sooner.