A serious accident in an unsafe workplace can leave you with devastating crush injuries and with no chance to return to work anytime soon. With days and weeks of lost hours at work growing, victims will worry about how they’ll be able to pay medical bills and support their families.
Maison Law of Merced stands with workers after they’ve suffered an injury on the job. We make sure victims earn what they need to recover physically and financially.
You can schedule a free legal consultation with a real lawyer. There’s no obligation. It’s a no-risk way to determine what your injury is worth and how to earn the most in benefits from California’s Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC).
Can a Lawyer Help Me Get More from My Workers’ Comp Claim?
Yes, in many cases. Workers with very similar injuries can receive very different amounts on a Workers’ Comp settlement check. The support injured employees receive doesn’t follow set guidelines.
The level of support you receive often depends on how well your case is presented and how well Workers’ Comp administrators understand your injuries and your hardships. A lawyer can make sure everything you’ve been through is brought to light, as well as the recovery journey you may face in the years ahead. Judges might award you less in support because they don’t understand the scope of the difficulties you’ve faced and continue to endure.
These are just a few of the benefits that can help you earn more when you have a lawyer on your side:
- Compiles and files your Workers’ Compensation Claim for you
- Investigates your accident, your workplace, and your employer’s actions
- Defends you against false accusations if Workers’ Comp attempts to portray your injury as less serious than it is
- Defends you against false accusations if Workers’ Comp or your company tries to claim you were at fault for your own injury
- Negotiates for a higher settlement on your behalf
- Appears before Workers’ Compensation administrators and judges on your behalf
- Represents you before a Workers’ Compensation Judge and makes sure your side of the story is heard
- Can help you file an appeal and win if your claim has already been denied
- Handles the entire frustrating process while giving you time to focus on getting better
- Files lawsuits if an employer makes threats toward you or fires you for reporting an accident
California doesn’t allow business owners to threaten or fire employees simply because they got hurt or reported an accident. Employers also can’t threaten to turn workers over to immigration agents because they spoke up about an accident.
Other Reasons You Should Trust Your Case to a Merced Crush Injury Workers’ Comp Lawyer
You should go over your case with a Merced Workers’ Compensation Lawyer if your accident or injuries aren’t being treated seriously by your employer. Talk to a lawyer if you feel your case will be complex and you could use some help building your case.
Talk to a lawyer if you believe Workers’ Compensation won’t provide enough to pay all of your hospital expenses and cost-of-living expenses while you can’t work. Talk to a lawyer if you fear California’s Department of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) will try to force you back to work before you are fully healed.
Resource for Injured Workers: The guidebook provided by the California Division of Industrial Relations (DIR) explains a few other reasons you may want to trust your case to a lawyer.
Common Workplace Crush Injury Accidents
A crush injury occurs when the body is when excessive force is put on a body part. These injuries often occur when victims are trapped between two solid objects.
Bones can be shattered. The victim’s brain can suffer major damage. Penn Medicine reports on just one of the major consequences of this terrible force applied to bodies. Compartment syndrome is the buildup of pressure in a body part due to a crush injury. The pressure can cause muscle, blood vessel, and nerve damage.
Here’s a list of the most common workplaces where victims can suffer crush injuries and end up in places like Mercy Medical Center:
- Farming Accidents: Farmworkers around heavy containers or hay bales can be caught between two heavy objects. Working around heavy animals like cattle can easily leave someone pinned against a wall, a vehicle, or another animal.
- Construction sites: Heavy equipment and heavy materials can put construction workers in great danger. A construction site always presents a risk to workers if other people are in the area and safety precautions are not taken. Another risk is a mechanical defect occurring, for example, if the brakes go out on a road roller and someone’s leg gets crushed in the process.
- Factory and warehouse accidents: Forklifts, cherry pickers, stock carts, and other large machinery are all commonly used vehicles in warehouse operations. Filling machines and cartoning machines will have fast-moving parts that can injure workers who have to work too close.
- Collapse accidents: Improperly stacked goods can fall on someone. Unstable or unsupported levels can topple, leaving anyone underneath to suffer major trauma.
- Vehicle crashes: Delivery drivers, produce truck drivers, and manufacturing truck drivers can suffer crush injuries on the job if they’re involved in a high-speed collision. Work around tractors and harvesters can also leave workers injured.
California Law requires business owners to provide employees with safe workspaces and to take all safety measures necessary to keep workers safe. That means providing training, equipment, and oversight to keep everyone out of harm’s way. If your crush injury was due to an unsafe work environment or negligence, then you may be entitled to additional compensation. For any questions, please feel free to contact one of our attorneys today for a free consultation and see what legal options are available.
What Type of Things Are Covered By California Workers’ Compensation?
Your attorney takes action against employers and the state when they don’t want to provide the compensation you’ll need to fully rebuild your life and career.
Your lawyer submits a Workers’ Comp claim. It must include every medical bill you have now and those anticipated for the care expected to be needed 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 could receive:
- Medical Care. Paid for by your employer, to help you recover from an injury or illness caused by work. This includes doctor visits and other treatment services, tests, medicines, equipment, and travel costs reasonably necessary to treat your injury.
- Temporary Disability Benefits. Payments if you lose wages because your injury prevents you from doing your usual job while recovering.
- Permanent Disability Benefits. Payments if you don’t recover completely and your injury causes a permanent loss of physical or mental function that a doctor can measure.
- Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit. A voucher to help pay for retraining or skill enhancement, including the cost of vocational therapy for you. These benefits are available to those who are eligible to receive permanent disability benefits, your employer doesn’t offer you work, and you don’t return to work for your employer. This benefit is available for workers injured in 2004 or later. If your injury also occurred in 2013 or later and you received a Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit, you may also be eligible for an additional, one-time payment under the Return-to-Work Supplement Program.
- Support for Families If a Worker Is Killed on the Job. 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I seek Workers’ Compensation benefits if I’m not a U.S. citizen?
Yes, in some cases. 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.
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. Then, victims can wait no longer than a year from the date of the accident to file a claim with California’s Division of Workers’ Compensation. This may be done by the employee, but an employer can also help the employee file a claim.
What if I can’t afford to pay a Merced 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.
Contact a Merced County Workers’ Compensation Attorney
The most important outcome is that you can count on the most support possible through Workers’ Compensation as you recover. A Merced Workers’ Compensation Lawyer usually provides the best chance to do that.
Workers who suffer serious crush injuries 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.
