Maison Law of Visalia stands ready to help anyone hurt while on the job. We assist injured employees across Tulare County in earning the most possible through Workers’ Compensation. Not every victim is treated fairly, and not everyone receives the same amount of Worker’s Comp compensation. We want to make sure victims have the money to pay all medical bills, with plenty left over to support their families.
Contact us today for a free consultation to learn more about your options that may go beyond standard workers’ comp benefits.
Do I Need a Lawyer After Suffering an Injury On The Job in Visalia?
If you receive a serious injury at work and miss more than a few days on the job, you may require the help of a lawyer to get fair treatment through workers’ compensation. A workplace injury like a broken arm, a back injury, or a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) will result in more lost time at work and higher medical bills. This might cause employers to look for ways to avoid taking responsibility.
A skilled Visalia Workers’ Compensation Lawyer secures the evidence needed to hold employers accountable and to ensure you receive the maximum support available. Talk to a lawyer if you feel you aren’t being treated fairly by your employer after an injury. Go over your options if you believe Workers’ Compensation won’t provide enough compensation to pay all of your hospital expenses and your living expenses while you can’t work.
The guidebook provided by The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) explains a few other reasons you may want to trust your case to a lawyer.
The Types of Workers’ Compensation Cases We Help Clients Win
Visalia workers deserve fair pay for their hard labor and they deserve to go home at night safe and sound. Unfortunately, cheap employers who skimp on safety precautions and training can end up forcing employees into devastating accidents.
Unsafe workplaces end up hurting tens of thousands of California laborers every year. Employees in dangerous occupations such as construction and agricultural fields can suffer life-altering injuries. Those who go into the office or work in a retail shop can also suffer serious harm. These workers deserve immediate and long-lasting support until they heal.
Maison Law wants to safeguard victims and earn them everything needed to rebuild their lives and careers. Sometimes a strong legal battle is necessary to make sure victims are supported for as long as necessary.
These are just some of the local occupations that can lead to injuries and leave victims seeking our help:
- Support for injured construction workers
- Support for injured farmworkers, orchard laborers, and ranch workers
- Support for employees in the hotel, resort, and tourism industries
- Support for injured retail workers
- Support for injured office workers
- Support for workers in manufacturing, processing, and packing plants
- Support for injured city, county, or state government employees
There are some dangers unique to different professions that we can help victims recover maximum compensation for:
- Support for workers hurt by collapsing shelves and overhead hazards
- Support for workers injured in and around work vehicles like trucks, forklifts, and order pickers
- Support for those workers hurt by dangerous machinery
- Support for workers injured by dangerous and defective tools
- Support for those receiving burns and electrical shock
- Support for those developing illness and injuries due to exposure to hazardous substances
- Support for victims harmed by ventilation issues
- Support for the victims of slip-and-falls on puddles or trip-and-falls on debris left in workplace
- Support for victims hurt by unmaintained stairwells
- Support for workers hurt in falls from great heights from platforms and other dangerous spots
- Support for workers injured due to exposure to elements
- Support for workers asked to lift or carry too much weight and then developing back and neck strain
- Support for employees who develop repetitive motion injuries
Visit our website to find Workers’ Comp information for employees in specific industries.
Can a Lawyer Help Me with the QME process?
At some point in the Workers’ Compensation process, victims may have to be evaluated by a Qualified Medical Examiner (QME). A QME is selected by the Employer’s Workers’ Comp insurance provider. It’s a process that allows the insurer to determine how severe your injuries are, but it can also be a very unfair process.
When you have an attorney, you don’t have to see a QME. Your attorney and the insurers both have a say in selecting an evaluator known as an Agreed Medical Evaluator (AME). A medical evaluator that you and your lawyer have some say on can make a big difference in your case. An attorney helps you prepare for the types of questions you’ll receive and makes sure you receive an honest appraisal. Your lawyer can also help you contest any findings.
Do I Need a Lawyer for California Workers’ Compensation if I’m a Union Member?
Yes, in some cases. Union workers still draw from Workers’ Compensation when injured, but they also receive additional benefits through union membership.
A lawyer might still make a difference in how much victims receive from Workers’ Comp and will be checking to make sure employers provide all benefits and protections that must be extended to union members.
Support for Injured Workers Who Are Not U.S. Citizens
Workers are eligible for support under the California Workers’ Compensation system regardless of their immigration status or undocumented worker status. Maison Law can help many victims secure more in support for their families.
Retaliation and threats against employees who report injuries are illegal. Your attorney would file a lawsuit if an employer threatened to fire you or report you to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Winning Compensation for Injured Workplace Accident Victims
Your attorney makes sure Workers’ Comp administrators know that you’ll need support for your current financial burdens and those that might result from continued injury complications in the future.
The DIR Injured Worker’s Handbook goes over all the different types of support available through a claim. This is a look at some of the support victims and their families could receive:
- Support for all Medical Care and Rehabilitation Costs
- Temporary Disability Benefits While You Can’t Work
- Permanent Disability Benefits
- Supplemental Job Displacement Benefits Including Help in Finding Another Profession
- Death Benefits for Families who Lose a Loved One to a Workplace Accident
Your Maison Law attorney can also go over the evidence and help you decide if filing a lawsuit against your employer could earn you even more financial assistance. A lawsuit may be successful if your employer knowingly put you in a life-threatening situation or tried to cover up a lack of safety precautions on a job site.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I report my injury at work?
Immediately. Alert your supervisor as soon as you are injured. If you wait longer than 30 days to inform your employer of an injury, you may lose your chance to file a claim. You can find more information on how to proceed on the California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) website.
How long can I wait to file a California Workers’ Compensation injury claim?
As seen above, injured workers should report their injuries to their employers as soon as possible. Then they usually have up to one year from the date of the accident to file a claim with California’s Division of Workers’ Compensation. In some cases, the one-year deadline counts down from the day the worker learns of an injury or illness. The deadline could be extended if the victim is under the age of 18.
How Can a Workers’ Comp Lawyer Help Me Earn More?
Your Workers’ Compensation Lawyer fully investigates your accident and documents the evidence. Your lawyer protects you when employers try to make false accusations. Your lawyer represents you before Workers’ Comp administrators and makes sure they get the full story of what happened. Your attorney negotiates to secure the most in compensation possible for you and your family. Your lawyer takes legal action when employers try to retaliate or even try to fire you for reporting an injury.
What if I can’t afford to pay a Visalia workers’ compensation lawyer?
You can always afford the help of a skilled Maison Law attorney to help you file the strongest claim possible. We work on a contingency fee basis. It means we cover all upfront costs and you owe us nothing unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the workers’ compensation check you receive.
Contact a Visalia Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
The most important outcome is that you earn the most support possible through Workers’ Compensation. A Visalia Worker’s Compensation Attorney provides the best chance to do that. Tulare County workers who are injured and who lose their ability to support their families must get every benefit possible now and in the future. Maison Law can help untangle the options and get injured workers on track to rebuild their lives and their careers.
There’s an easy way to find out which path offers you the fastest route to the support you and your family desperately need. Speak to Maison Law in a free, no-obligation consultation. We want to hear about what happened to you and then help you determine the best course of action for your family.
