Maison Law can help you if you’ve been hurt after exposure to harmful substances in the workplace. We can represent you for your Workers’ Compensation case, collect evidence showing the harm you’ve suffered, and work to win you more in a benefits check. If you have suffered an injury on the job in Visalia or Tulare County, contact a Visalia Workers’ Compensation Lawyer for a free consultation.
Determining When You May Need a Lawyer for Your Workers’ Compensation Claim
If your workplace accident is relatively minor and will only keep you out of work for a few days, you might not need a lawyer’s help. But when you are exposed to a harmful substance, the consequences can be very serious and long-term. A lawyer can help you present the facts of what’s happened to you. A lawyer also has the chance to help you earn much more in benefits and to keep those checks coming for as long as you need them.
You may also need strong evidence to prove the effects exposure has had on you and link to long-term illnesses that may have developed. Maison Law fully investigates your accident and the effects of a dangerous chemical, harmful dust, or other dangerous substance.
A lawyer can help workers reach a better outcome when these consequences and others are suffered:
- Eye damage
- Skin burns
- Nerve damage
- Brain damage
- Poisoning
- Internal organ damage
- Contracted illnesses such as cancer, including mesothelioma and leukemia
- Respiratory illnesses such as silicosis and asbestosis
- Reproductive damage, including infertility and birth defects
Workers always have the option to file a claim themselves. However, not all workers receive the same level of support, even with similar injuries. When the effects of exposure to a dangerous substance are serious, a lawyer can often help clients earn much more in benefits checks every other week.
Maison Law can also help you if you’ve already started the Workers’ Comp process and realize that your injury isn’t being taken seriously enough.
Talk to a Real Visalia Workers’ Compensation Accident Attorney for Free
You may still wonder if you have a strong enough case or if you’ll be able to prove a certain fertilizer or cleaning product caused you harm.
If you’re still unsure, please contact Maison Law and set up a free case consultation. It’s an easy, confidential way to get your questions answered. There’s never any obligation for this no-cost case review. Let’s go over your options together. If we can’t help you earn more, we’ll tell you that and point you in the right direction for filing a successful case yourself.
Winning Support for a Harmful Substances Workplace Exposure Injury
The DIR Injured Worker’s Handbook goes over all the different types of support available through a claim. This is a quick summary of what injured workers can be compensated for:
- Compensation for all past medical care costs
- Support for the future based on estimates on the care victims may need in the years ahead
- Compensation for physical therapy and occupational therapy costs for as long as needed
- Compensation for medical equipment, home care, and nursing care that victims may require
- Lifelong support if you develop a permanent physical, incurable disease, or mental disability
- Financial support to help victims find a new profession if the victim’s illness or injury prevents them from returning to their previous jobs
- Death benefits for family members if a victim tragically dies due to fatal exposure to harmful substances
Whether you receive support for all of these factors, and how much you receive each month, will depend on how well you communicate your need and what you’ve been through.
A Visalia Harmful Substances Workers’ Comp Lawyer makes sure Workers’ Comp administrators and judges receive the full story on your struggles with your injury and illness. This helps them make a fair decision on the level of support to award you and how long to extend benefit checks.
Harmful Substances Exposure Dangers for Local Workers
Employees across Tulare County may face exposure to a dangerous chemical or metal in any workplace. Farmworkers may become sick after using fertilizers. Retail workers may come in contact with harsh cleaning products. Factory workers may get sprayed with harmful lubricants from malfunctioning machines.
These are just some of the substances and careless actions that cause hazardous exposure:
- Exposure to farming chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers (e.g., organophosphates and nitrates)
- Exposure to fluids and oils required for machinery and tools
- Exposure to cleaning agents (e.g., degreasers and solvents)
- Exposure to hazardous vapors and fumes on a construction site or on a farm
- Exposure to harmful particles that are breathed in (e.g., crystalline silica and asbestos)
- Exposure to mold
- Exposure to heavy metals (e.g., lead and arsenic)
- Exposure to radiation
- A lack of safety training provided to work around dangerous materials
- A lack of safety equipment provided (e.g., breathing masks and eye protection)
Identifying the source of your health issues and gathering evidence can be difficult on your own. A skilled attorney can investigate your worksite and work with doctors to pinpoint what caused your illness or injury. This leaves Workers’ Comp insurance providers little choice but to offer full compensation for everything you are demanding.
This is a list of the substances the California DIR considers harmful to workers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can I wait to report an injury caused by a harmful substance?
Injured workers usually have up to 30 days to report an injury to an employer. But this countdown can also start on the day an employee finds out they are sick or injured. Then, injured workers have one year from the date of the accident to file a claim. In some cases, the one-year deadline also 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 I receive Workers’ Compensation benefits if I’m not a U.S. citizen?
Yes. In California, injured workers receive benefits regardless of their immigration status or undocumented worker status. Maison Law can help many victims secure more support for their families while they heal.
What do I do if my employer threatens me for filing a Workers’ Comp claim or to get me to return to work?
Employers may threaten to fire you or report you to immigration authorities if you file a Workers’ Comp claim. This behavior is illegal. The employer can be fined, face criminal charges, and have to pay restitution to the victim. Companies may be ordered to reinstate victims who were fired. Maison Law would take legal action if a business owner or company resorted to threats or took retaliatory actions.
Can I earn Workers’ Comp benefits for exposure to a hazardous substance if I’m considered a contract worker?
Part-time workers and independent contractors are often covered by California Workers’ Comp benefits. If you’ve been seriously hurt, but aren’t a full-time employee, it’s a good idea to talk over your eligibility with a Tulare County Workers’ Comp Attorney in a free, confidential case consultation.
Contact a Visalia Harmful Substances Workers’ Compensation Attorney
Schedule a free, no-obligation appointment to speak to Maison Law. There’s no obligation for this consultation. This meeting is also always confidential, and your employer won’t know that you’ve met with a lawyer. It’s a great way to find out what your case may be worth and how to earn everything possible from Worker’s Comp.
Martin Gasparian, the founder of Maison Law, continues to protect workers in the Central Valley when they are hurt in unsafe working conditions. He has years of experience taking on companies and corporations, and government agencies to make sure injured employees aren’t taken advantage of and left without support.
The important thing for you to remember is that all workers can afford legal protection with Maison Law. We work on a contingency basis. It means we don’t get paid unless we win your Workers’ Comp case for you. Then our fee comes out of the money your employer’s Worker Comp insurer must award you.
