Madera Burn Injury Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

Maison Law advocates on behalf of burn injury workers in Madera. If you or a loved one has suffered a burn injury at work, knowing how to protect your workers’ compensation benefits will save you from a world of financial and physical stress. Whether your workers’ compensation claim has been denied or you feel you have not been thoroughly compensated, our firm can help.

Don’t let a burn injury at work define your life. Contact Maison Law today for a free consultation and get the legal help you need.

Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Burn Injury Workers in Madera

Burn injuries at work can be devastating, resulting in long-term or permanent physical disability. If your life has been impacted by a burn injury, you may be wondering: How will I pay my medical bills? Will I get paid for my missed time at work? How will I support my family while I recover?

These are all normal questions, and a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer can help you get the answers you need. While a lawyer is not necessary to begin receiving workers’ compensation benefits, an attorney can be beneficial to your claim. A Workers’ Compensation Lawyer advocates on your behalf to ensure your employer’s workers’ comp insurance is giving you the maximum amount of benefits, which should include:

• Lifetime medical care: Severe injuries sustained at work can result in treatment for the rest of one’s life, or for the duration of the injury.
• Temporary disability: Temporary disability benefits pay for two-thirds of the gross (pre-tax) wages you lose while you are recovering from a job injury. This is paid by filing a workers’ compensation claim through your employer.
• Permanent disability: Awarded to injured workers who are permanently unable to perform the normal work or activities they were capable of doing prior to the date of the injury. Monetary amounts for permanent disability vary on a case-by-case basis.
• Supplemental job displacement: If you are unable to return to your employment after you have been released by your treating physician, you may be entitled to receive a voucher that will be paid up to a school up to a certain amount, depending on your disability.
• Travel Costs: travel to and from medical treatment, such as doctor’s visits, surgery appointments, and rehabilitation, can be partially or fully covered under workers’ compensation.
• Death benefits: in the event of a fatal accident at work, workers’ compensation pays qualifying dependents up to a maximum of $320,000, with up to $10,000 for burial expenses.

Do I Need a Madera Workers’ Compensation Lawyer?

A lawyer can help you manage your claim, as well as explore every possible avenue to get you compensation. For example, let’s say you’re working at the Tap House off Schnoor Street in Madera. We love grabbing lunch at the Tap House, but for the sake of common burn injury scenarios, we’ll use this establishment as an example.

In this hypothetical situation, you’re working as a line cook in the kitchen at the Tap House and a deep fryer explodes, causing you to suffer second and third-degree burns. Through your employer, you’ll immediately receive workers’ compensation benefits from the day the accident occurred. But what if this accident was caused due to a careless act or a defective part on the fryer? Workers’ compensation does not cover negligence or the emotional damage you’ll most likely experience recovering from a burn injury.

A lawyer can help you pursue personal injury damages, which are damages not covered by workers’ compensation. Personal injury damages can include:

• Present and future medical expenses
• Loss of income, as well as the reduction in your earning capacity, you’ve suffered from your work-related accident
• Cost of living with your injury, such as making your home disability accessible, purchasing a wheelchair or crutches, hiring a nurse or housekeeper
• Damage done to your property during the accident
• Pain and suffering caused by your injuries
• Stress and anxiety due to the nature of your accident
• Your mental state after a life-changing accident
• Loss of ability to enjoy life
• Loss of companionship or consortium
• Scarring, disfigurement, and permanent physical disability

Madera Burn Injury Workers’ Compensation: When to Contact a Lawyer

In Madera, if you are injured on the job, you will receive temporary disability benefits through workers’ compensation, even if you were at fault for causing the accident that led to your injury. However, if you are having any difficulty dealing with workers’ comp, the attorneys at Maison Law can provide you with legal support if:

• Your claim is denied: if your workers’ compensation claim is denied, our attorneys will help you appeal the decision and represent you through negotiations.
• Your claim is neglected: in some cases, injured workers can be left waiting for weeks or months for the workers’ compensation claim to be processed and to begin receiving benefits. This is unacceptable, and our workers’ compensation lawyers will manage your claim to ensure you get the proper care and attention after being injured at work.
• Your benefits are inadequate: if you believe your workers’ compensation benefits do not cover all your medical bills, lost wages, or other expenses, our attorneys will help you receive the full benefits of your workers’ compensation claim, as well as pursue additional benefits if applicable to your situation.
• Permanent disability: in cases of permanent disability, disputes over the level of impairment or the amount of compensation can arise, requiring legal representation. Our attorneys are prepared to investigate your case and provide expert testimony on your behalf if your permanent disability is called into question.

Degrees of Burn Injuries

The severity of your burn injury will not only impact the amount of medical treatment you receive but your compensation as well if you decide to take legal action. Typically, the higher the degree of a burn, the more compensation you are entitled to. Burn injuries are sorted into the following degrees:

• 1st-degree burns: 1st-degree burns are considered mild burns that usually heal with at-home, first-aid treatment. These injuries typically do not qualify for a personal injury claim but may result in a workers’ compensation claim, depending on the situation.
• 2nd-degree burns: these are considered serious burn injuries, requiring emergency medical care. Second-degree burns have the potential to be fatal or cause permanent health complications.
• 3rd-degree burns: 3rd-degree burns are by far the most serious of burn injuries. Third-degree burns damage all three layers of skin and present the greatest risk of complication. In some cases, these burns are not felt after they occur because they destroy the nerve endings in a person’s body, making them unable to detect pain.

Common Burn Injuries in the Workplace

According to the American Burn Association, there were approximately 450,000 burn injuries in the United States with around 45,000 people hospitalized for severe burns. Many of these burn injuries occur in the workplace with the most common burns being:

• Thermal burns: these burns are caused by the heat from liquids, open flames, hot objects, and explosions. Thermal burns are very common in the food service industry. Thermal burns can be prevented through the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), fire prevention tactics, and fire detectors.
• Chemical burns: chemical burns are the result of strong acids, alkaloids, or other corrosive materials coming in contact with the skin or eyes. These accidents often occur in janitorial roles or housekeeping roles due to the chemicals used in cleaning substances. Workers who work with chemicals should consider Hazard Communication training to prevent harm to themselves and others.
• Electrical burns: these burns occur in electrocution injuries when an electrical current travels through the body, resulting in burns to a person’s flesh. Electrical machinery is required to be clearly marked and identified. Workers are also required to wear protective equipment at all times when working with high-voltage electricity.

Burn Injuries Workers’ Compensation Claims in Madera

Burn injuries can occur at any moment, but the majority of them occur in workplace settings. According to the National Library of Medicine, there are over 5,000 work-related burn injuries in the United States every year, making up 45% of all burn injuries across the country. Some workplace environments are more prone to burn incidents. These occupational settings include:

• Industrial and Manufacturing: this work usually involves high-temperature machines, chemicals, and flammable materials, which can lead to burns if safety standards are not met or followed.
• Restaurant & Commercial Kitchens: hot oils, high-temperature ovens, and boiling water in a fast-paced environment are the perfect “recipe” for a burn accident. Employees who are not provided proper protective equipment or shown safe work practices can sustain severe burns in a chaotic kitchen environment.
• Construction Sites: Exposure to electrical wiring, flammable substances, and high-temperature machinery such as a soldering iron can cause severe burns to employees if OSHA rules for grounding electrical equipment or warning of dangerous workspaces are not followed.
• Laboratories: Chemical burns are always a risk when handling dangerous substances without adequate safety measures. Dangerous substances should always be handled with protective gloves and goggles, with respiratory equipment on hand and adequate ventilation in the building.

Contact Maison Law | Madera Burn Injury Workers’ Compensation Lawyers

If your workers’ compensation benefits have been terminated too early or you’ve been undercompensated for your damages after a burn injury, the attorneys at Maison Law can help manage your claim and get you the benefits you need. Our firm is prepared to file a lawsuit against workers’ compensation and any liable third party to ensure you are compensated for the full extent of your damages.

Don’t wait until it’s too late to take legal action. Contact Maison Law today for a free consultation and case evaluation. There is no upfront charge for our services, and you will not be charged a cent unless we win your case.