If you sustained a job-related injury or illness that left you with a disability, OnderLaw might be able to help you pursue the benefits you deserve. We know how much a disabling condition can disrupt your life. If you can’t return to work, you can’t earn your regular income. You should not have to suffer changes in your life that were caused by an accident that occurred while you were doing your job. You need the financial support to supplement your lost wages and pay for your medical treatment, and we know how to accomplish that for you.
Workers’ compensation is a type of insurance that provides medical care, wage replacement, and other benefits to workers injured on the job. California law requires all employers to carry coverage for their employees. You can file a claim with their insurance company and seek the maximum available payments so you can heal your injury and move forward with your life.
At OnderLaw, our Long Beach personal injury attorneys know the economic burden you face. You might worry about how you’re going to afford your bills when you can’t go back to work. It’s a stressful and overwhelming situation for anyone to find themselves in. You can depend on our team to work toward a favorable outcome in your case and help you get back on your feet.
Call us for a free consultation to learn more about our legal services.
Workers’ compensation is an insurance program for injured workers. All employers must purchase and maintain insurance coverage for their employees. If you suffer an injury or illness while performing your job duties, you can apply for various benefits.
These benefits are meant to pay for all the necessary medical care you need to recover from your work injury and replace a portion of your lost income if you can’t return to work or earn the same pay as before the accident.
Benefits for surviving spouses, children, and other dependents are also available if you lost a loved one in a workplace accident. If you relied on your relative for financial support, you could recover some of the lost wages you will suffer due to their death. You could also recover compensation for any costs related to their burial.
Only eligible employees can collect workers’ compensation benefits. That means you must meet these requirements:
Common injuries and illnesses that qualify for workers’ compensation are:
Injuries that occur while you’re off the clock, such as on lunch break, are not eligible for coverage. Additionally, if you attend an event organized by your employer, such as a kickball game, and get hurt while participating, that won’t be a covered injury, except in specific circumstances.
There are five types of workers’ compensation benefits for injured and sick workers.
Medical care benefits will pay for reasonably necessary treatment to heal or relieve the effects of the work-related injury or illness. The insurance company must pay all doctors directly for these expenses. You should not receive any bills from your medical providers if the treatment you receive is related to a workplace accident.
If you lose any wages because your injury prevents you from performing the regular tasks of your job, you could collect temporary disability benefits. The payments you would receive are two-thirds of the gross wages you lost due to the injury or illness.
Coverage begins if you stay at the hospital overnight or your medical provider determines that you can’t do your job for longer than three days. Benefits end if:
If you suffer a disabling injury or illness that causes ongoing issues, you could collect permanent disability benefits, even if you return to your job. This means that you haven’t recovered and likely won’t, even with further treatment.
Your payment amounts will depend on these factors:
An impairment rating is a percentage your doctor assigns indicating how much the injury or illness affects your ability to work.
You can collect supplemental job displacement benefits if:
The insurance company will provide a non-transferable voucher that you can use to pay for skill enhancement, educational retraining, or both at a state-accredited or state-approved school. Coverage includes tuition, books, fees, and other expenses necessary for training. The amount of the voucher will depend on the severity of your permanent disability.
If your loved one died from a job-related illness or injury, you could collect death benefits. Only eligible spouses, children, and other dependent family members will receive coverage. Payments are at the same rate as total temporary disability benefits. Compensation for burial expenses is also available.
If you get hurt at your job, there are steps you should take immediately. What you decide to do after a workplace accident could impact the outcome of your claim. You’ll need to protect your rights to benefits by proving you sustained an injury or illness at work.
The first thing you should do is seek medical attention. Go to a hospital or your doctor after leaving your workplace for a complete evaluation of your injury. If you wait days or weeks, it could negatively impact your case. Insurance companies can use that information to deny your claim or offer minimal benefits because it indicates evidence that your injury doesn’t exist or isn’t serious.
Your initial physician might recommend that you follow up for various types of treatment. It’s critical that you attend all of your appointments until you recover or your doctor determines you won’t heal any further and provides an impairment rating.
You must also report the injury to your employer. You must inform them of what happened within 30 days of the accident. If you don’t, you might not be able to recover benefits. They should provide you with a form you will need to complete and return to begin the claims process.
It’s also a good idea to hire a Long Beach workers’ compensation attorney. OnderLaw can relieve your burden by handling every legal aspect of your case so you can focus on healing.
In 2019, the three main causes of occupational injuries were:
These factors contributed to 84% of injuries requiring employees to take time off work to heal.
During that same year, there were 5,333 fatal workplace injuries. The most common causes were:
The occupations with the highest number of fatal incidents per 10,000 full-time workers in 2019 were nursing assistants, with 370 incidents, heavy truck and tractor-trailer drivers, with 360 incidents, and laborers and freight, stock, and materials movers, with 350 incidents.
OnderLaw has recovered over $3 billion in settlements for accident victims. Our successful track record has earned us recognition from multiple legal organizations, including Super Lawyers, the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and The National Trial Lawyers. We also received an AV® rating from Martindale-Hubbell, a prestigious distinction only given to the top law firms in the country.
When you hire one of our Long Beach workers’ compensation attorneys, you will have an experienced and aggressive legal team in your corner. Insurance claims are more complicated than you may think. Unrepresented claimants often end up with minimal benefits or denied claims. If you don’t know your rights, you might not realize the maximum payments you deserve and accept any amount of money you are offered.
OnderLaw won’t allow the insurance company to take advantage of you. We will be by your side throughout the entire process, so you know your rights. Our goal is to recover the necessary benefits to afford your medical care and supplement any lost income due to your injury or illness. We know you’re counting on us to achieve the best possible result and will tirelessly work to meet your needs.
The Long Beach workers’ compensation attorneys of OnderLaw are ready to fight for you. We provide one-on-one attention and personalized services to every client. You will be our priority from start to finish of your case. Whether your injury is minor or severe, we will put forth the same effort to reach your goals.
Contact OnderLaw for a free consultation if you suffered a work-related injury or illness.
