Maison Law of California stands ready to help anyone injured at the office while on the job. Workers’ compensation support helps those hurt at work, but not every victim is treated fairly, and not everyone receives the same amount of support. We want to make sure every victim has the money to pay every medical bill and 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 at My Office?
If you receive only a minor injury and only miss a few days of work, you may not require the help of a lawyer to get fair treatment through workers’ compensation. However, a workplace accident that results in a more serious injury and extended medical bills may force you to fight to get all recovery costs covered. A skilled California Workers’ Compensation Lawyer can help you secure more for more complex cases, especially those involving higher healthcare expenses.
The guidebook provided by The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) explains that you should consider hiring a lawyer in these and other situations:
- You believe your employer or the claims administrator is treating you unfairly or withholding benefits; or
- You have a permanent impairment/disability that limits you or causes pain; or
- You’re not sure how to proceed with your case, and no one else will help.
You should contact a lawyer if you feel you might have to file a lawsuit against your company in order to hold them accountable beyond what workers’ compensation will cover.
You should consult with an attorney if you feel that by handling your case yourself, you won’t secure enough in compensation to cover all of your recovery expenses. Your lawyer offers the best chance to maximize your workers’ compensation settlement check.
Maison Law fights to get 100% of medical expenses, lost wages, and rehab covered if you’re hurt at work.
California Office Injury Dangers
Office workers in California may feel they don’t have to worry about accident risks while working in corporate settings and sitting at a desk all day. However, when employers are negligent in their duty to provide a safe workspace, an employee at any level can suffer injury.
Even workers who don’t have physical labor in their job descriptions can end up with serious and even life-threatening injuries. The daily task of data entry into a computer and using a computer mouse can cause a permanent disability.
These are just a few of the dangers that can leave office workers in pain and missing days or weeks of work:
- Falls
- Slipping on spills created by other employees
- Tripping on loose carpet and cords
- Stairwell injuries
- Repetitive motion injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome
- Electrical shock
- Dangerous equipment injuries
- Poor ventilation
- Exposure to harmful substances like asbestos
- Fires and burn wounds
- Back injuries
- Renovation and construction injuries for employees forced to pass through work zones
- Falling objects
Victims of these hazards and others can seek support through California’s Worker’s Compensation program, but the level of support is never guaranteed. Victims without strong evidence and properly filed claims can end up with far less than they need to cover every medical bill. They might also walk away without enough to cover living expenses for their families while out of work. A skilled California Office Worker Accident Lawyer takes on the unfair system and seeks the most possible for a client’s injuries.
How Can a Lawyer Help Me Earn More for a Workers’ Compensation Claim?
Workers’ Compensation protects all workers in California, but not all workers will receive the same level of support. The amount on a settlement check you receive can vary greatly depending on the evidence you collect, the manner in which you file your claim, and your ability to accurately explain and document the hardships you’ve been through to a workers’ compensation judge.
Allowing a skilled attorney to handle this process can often help you walk away with much more for your injury. A California Office Injury Lawyer won’t let you miss out on benefits that you may not have been informed of. Your lawyer also acts when your employer’s lawyers try to blame you for an accident or question how badly you are hurt.
These are only a few of the attorney’s duties:
- Protects the victim’s rights
- Investigate and collect evidence to support the victim’s claim
- Keep track of deadlines
- Files the victim’s claim correctly and list all hardships to be compensated
- Represent the victim before a workers’ compensation judge
- Negotiate for the maximum support available based on similar past cases
- Makes sure victims receive every benefit available
- Protects victims from retaliation
- Protects victims if they are fired unjustly after an injury
- Handles this entire frustrating process while the victim is allowed to focus on healing
Winning Compensation for California Office Injury Victims
Your lawyer works on your claim to make sure it includes every hardship you’ve suffered during your recovery. That can include any medical care that may be necessary in the years to come. This is a critical step because anything you leave off your claim would be something the California’s Division of Workers’ Compensation could ignore. Anything you don’t report becomes a bill your family must cover.
Your attorney would be negotiating for the maximum in support for your physical damages and the financial crisis that missing work can cause.
These and other hardships must factor into your Workers’ Compensation check.
- Support for every healthcare bill you receive. This includes the physical therapy and additional surgeries you could require in the future. The medical equipment you depend on and the medication you’ll need should also be covered.
- Money to support yourself and your family while you miss work. This is financial support to replace paychecks and benefits you lose while you can’t perform your job duties. Known as Temporary Disability Benefits.
- Workers’ Compensation benefits for payments if you don’t recover completely and your injury causes a permanent loss of physical or mental function that a doctor can measure.
- Support to family members if a loved one is tragically killed on the job. Death benefits can be awarded to children, stepchildren, and a spouse. In some cases, grandchildren, parents, and siblings could all be eligible. This support could rise to over $300,000 for multiple family members to divide.
- Support to help you find a new job if necessary. Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit provides money to help pay for retraining or skill enhancement if you are eligible to receive permanent disability benefits, your employer doesn’t offer you work, and you don’t return to work for your employer.
The DIR Injured Worker’s Handbook goes over all the different types of support available through a claim.
What Workers’ Compensation Doesn’t Cover
In general, workers’ compensation doesn’t cover the physical pain and the emotional trauma victims of violent accidents must often cope with. Victims may deal with PTSD symptoms after a frightening collision or collapse accident in a factory or in a field. They may face chronic pain for years to come.
Your lawyer can help you decide if a lawsuit should be filed against an employer to seek additional compensation for these very real hardships caused by a workplace injury. You and your lawyer may have to go beyond workers’ compensation to seek additional support for your mental health and to help seek additional support from an employer through a workplace injury lawsuit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I can’t afford to pay a California workers’ compensation lawyer?
You can always afford the help of a skilled Maison Law attorney. 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.
How much does a worker’s compensation lawyer earn?
If successful, the lawyer would usually receive between 9% and 15% of the award the client received. The complexity of the case would usually determine the exact fee. A Workers’ Compensation judge checks over the fee to make sure it’s fair and has to approve it. Make sure to ask your potential attorney about how much they charge and how they get paid before making a hire for your case.
How long can I wait to file a California Workers’ Compensation injury claim?
Injured workers usually have one year from the date of the accident to file a claim. 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.
Can an employer be held responsible if a loved one dies in a fatal accident at work?
Yes, in certain instances. Workers’ compensation provides death benefits to families left behind, but an employer could also be sued for contributing to a fatal accident in some cases. A California Wrongful Death Attorney would explore the family’s options to hold an employer financially responsible for the tragic loss of life.
Contact a California Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
The most important outcome is that the injured and those who lose their ability to support their families get the full support they need for as long as necessary. Deciding which legal option is right for your situation can be difficult, but you don’t have to make the decision alone.
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.
