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Every day, San Bernardino area residents leave their homes and head to work at retail establishments, downtown office buildings, large logistics centers at the airport and rail yards, and countless other locations around the Inland Empire. None of these individuals expect to suffer serious injuries on the job that day or to develop a serious illness because of hazardous conditions at their workplaces.
Unfortunately, for some San Bernardino workers, the workday ends in disaster. Through car accidents, falls, equipment failures, exposure to toxic chemicals and materials, and numerous other dangerous incidents, workers may suffer serious harm that disrupts their lives and livelihoods. Suddenly, they face mountains of medical bills and other expenses that they may have never expected. They cannot work because of their injuries or illnesses and need help with household chores and errands just to get through the day.
The physical, emotional, and financial strain of a San Bernardino workplace injury or illness can weigh heavily on workers and their families. Fortunately, California law protects workers from at least some of those challenges by providing for payment of workers’ compensation benefits to cover medical expenses and lost wages.
Unfortunately, San Bernardino workers often find that obtaining full workers’ compensation benefits is complex and difficult. Insurance companies deny or reduce claims, employers try to undermine workers’ rights, and even when benefits arrive, they barely cover the cost of essentials.
Workers confronting this difficult time in their lives need an experienced, skilled San Bernardino workers’ compensation lawyer who is fighting to make sure they maximize their insurance benefits and other forms of compensation. In San Bernardino, injured and sick workers can turn to Gomez Trial Attorneys for that sure-handed legal representation. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.
Gomez Trial Attorneys is an award-winning personal injury and workers’ compensation law firm with offices throughout Southern California. Our team consists of experienced, knowledgeable trial lawyers who have spent their careers fighting for the rights of people who suffer harm in preventable accidents and incidents.
Over our years of practice, we have recovered millions of dollars for our clients through jury verdicts and settlements. We also have a long track record of success in advocating for workers who were unjustly denied workers’ compensation benefits. Of course, we can never guarantee a favorable outcome in any particular case, but we can promise that our clients will receive personalized attention from top-notch lawyers who know how to get results and deal with insurance companies, defense lawyers, judges, and juries.
Workers’ compensation is insurance that protects employees against the costs of work-related injuries and illnesses. With extremely limited exceptions, California law requires employers, regardless of size, to purchase workers’ compensation insurance for their employees. Virtually all San Bernardino workers have the right to benefit from the protections of workers’ comp, including minors and undocumented workers.
California law entitles San Bernardino workers who suffer work-related injuries or illnesses to the following benefits:
The amount of benefits that a worker can receive will vary depending on the type and severity of the injury or illness. Workers have the right to receive these benefits, however, no matter who caused the injury or illness. In other words, even if the injury or illness resulted from the worker’s own negligence, the worker will still have the right to receive benefits.
Calculating the value of a workers’ compensation claim is difficult and best left to an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer. Contact Gomez Trial Attorneys today to discuss the details of your workplace injury or illness and to determine your eligibility to pursue compensation.
The California Department of Industrial Relations’ Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) oversees workers’ compensation insurance in California. Workers who visit the DWC website will find lots of useful information about their rights to receive benefits. Reading that information, San Bernardino workers may even think it is easy to obtain workers’ compensation benefits to pay for their work-related illnesses and injuries.
If only that were the case.
The DWC website makes it seem like obtaining benefits is pretty straightforward: injured workers report the injury to their employers, the employers provide a claim form, and the workers visit a doctor, hand over the claim form, the doctor submits it, and the benefits get paid.
In an ideal world, that might reflect how workers’ compensation would work, but unfortunately, we do not live in the ideal world. We live in the real world, and in the real world, San Bernardino workers will likely encounter significant difficulty in seeking workers’ compensation benefits.
San Bernardino workers who suffer work-related injuries or illnesses can follow the exact instructions on the DWC website for filing a claim, and still, the result may not meet their expectations. Why? Because workers’ comp is a form of insurance, and like any other kind of insurance, the company that sells it would prefer not to pay full claims.
Instead of receiving the benefits to which they are entitled, San Bernardino workers who follow the rules by reporting their injuries, filling out claim forms, and getting medical treatment will often receive denial letters from insurance companies.
Workers’ compensation insurers may offer these justifications for denying claims:
Making matters worse, San Bernardino employers will sometimes work behind the scenes to undermine workers’ claims. The employer might dispute the worker’s version of events, pressure the worker to downplay or retract the claim, or try to cover up the causes of the injury or illness. It is completely illegal for employers to engage in this kind of underhanded conduct, but it happens, and it only makes workers’ lives that much more difficult.
Plus, the process for appealing the denial of a claim may seem confusing and overwhelming for many workers. At each stage of that process, the requirements seem more technical and less able to manage without legal representation.
That’s why you want to call our San Bernardino personal injury lawyers as soon as possible.
At Gomez Trial Attorneys, our mission is to ensure that people who suffer injuries and illnesses in preventable accidents and incidents recover the money they need to recover their health and rebuild their lives.
San Bernardino workers often seek our help after having sustained a serious illness or injury in connection with their jobs. Sometimes, clients reach out to us before they file their workers’ compensation claims, and sometimes after they have received a denial from the workers’ compensation insurance company. The specific services we provide to clients will vary depending on their particular needs and priorities.
However, our attorneys have the skill and experience to help in the following ways:
Oftentimes, through our hard work and detailed investigations, the team at Gomez Trial Attorneys succeeds in uncovering evidence that supports significant legal claims for damages that workers can seek in addition to their workers’ compensation benefits.
Our mission, throughout our representation of a San Bernardino worker, is to discover and pursue every avenue reasonably available to a worker to obtain as much money as possible to pay for work-related injuries and illnesses. In other words, for us, workers’ compensation is a good place to start in fighting to get an injured or sick worker paid, but we know it is not always the only place to go for payment.
The steps a San Bernardino worker takes in the aftermath of suffering an injury or illness in connection with work can have a significant impact on the worker’s rights and ability to recover compensation in the future. Every situation is different, of course, so there is no one-size-fits-all method for workers to protect their rights.
However, many injured or sick workers can help themselves by taking the following steps:
Workers’ compensation insurance protects San Bernardino workers who suffer an injury or illness on the job. In California, employers must purchase that insurance to protect employees who get hurt or sick on the job.
In theory, the workers’ compensation system makes it easier for workers to access the benefits they need after suffering an injury or an illness while working. Unfortunately, the workers’ comp system does not always go smoothly for injured and sick workers. Instead, the procedures and rules they must follow, and the decisions workers’ comp insurance companies make to limit or deny claims, seem confusing, complicated, and unfair.
Below, we explore some frequently asked questions many employees have regarding a workers’ compensation claim, and explain how a San Bernardino workers’ compensation attorney can help them secure the benefits they need and deserve. For answers to specific questions about a San Bernardino workers’ compensation claim, contact a skilled workers’ compensation lawyer at Gomez Trial Attorneys today.
Workers’ compensation is a type of business insurance that protects employees and businesses from financial loss when a worker gets hurt or sick due to a work-related cause. Under California law, virtually all employers must purchase workers’ compensation insurance to protect their employees against medical and disability-related costs of a work-related illness or injury. Employers may not force employees to pay for this insurance.
Workers’ comp covers virtually all San Bernardino workers regardless of their age, job description or responsibilities, industry, skill-level, and number of hours they work. It covers temporary and permanent employees. It also covers employees regardless of their immigration status, which means you have rights to workers’ comp benefits even if you are undocumented.
San Bernardino workers’ compensation attorneys represent workers in obtaining workers’ comp benefits, appealing an insurance company’s denial of benefits, and (sometimes) in securing compensation for work-related injuries from sources other than workers’ comp.
Generally, workers’ compensation insurance covers any injuries, illnesses, or any other health conditions that arise during the scope of a worker’s employment.
Two common types of injuries that often result in a workers’ compensation claim are:
If you suffered any type of injury, illness, or health condition in connection with your job, then chances are you have a workers’ comp claim, and you may benefit from speaking with an experienced San Bernardino workers’ compensation attorney about your rights.
You must report your injury to your employer within 30 days, and ideally, you should do so immediately. A failure to report your injury to your employer can result in you losing your right to workers’ comp benefits.
After that, generally speaking, California law gives you one year from the date of your job-related injury or illness to file a workers’ comp claim with the workers’ compensation insurance company.
Click here to read up-to-date information from the California Division of Workers Compensation about the process of applying for workers’ compensation benefits.
Every case has unique facts, but in general, an injured San Bernardino worker can receive the following workers’ comp benefits:
If you were injured on the job, you may have the right to receive temporary disability benefits. These benefits substitute for the wage you would have earned if you had not suffered an injury or illness.
The insurance company will only pay these benefits if it agrees that you suffered a work-related injury or illness.
To prove that’s what happened, you may need to prove that:
The law limits temporary disability benefits limited to 104 weeks of payments within the five year period after the date of your work injury or illness.
You can go to any doctor if you need emergency care.
For all other injuries or illnesses, you may need to check with your employer to find out which doctor you can use. Click here to read detailed information about your rights to medical care under workers’ compensation insurance in San Bernardino.
In simple terms, you have the right to go to your own doctor if you provided your employer with a written notice ahead of time (called predesignation) that you want your personal doctor to treat you if you get hurt or sick at work.
If you did not predesignate, then your employer or the workers’ compensation claims administrator can choose the doctor who treats you.
This can get confusing, so if you feel you should have the right to see your own doctor, but your employer or the workers’ comp insurance company will not allow it, speak with our experienced San Bernardino workers’ compensation attorneys right away.
Under California workers’ compensation law, you have the right to receive all medical care “reasonably required to cure or relieve” your work-related injury or illness. Doctors and workers’ compensation insurance companies must follow science-based guidelines published by the state Division of Workers’ Compensation in providing your care. They cannot deny you care for arbitrary reasons.
Sometimes, a workers’ compensation insurance company will try to deny your claim for medical benefits on the basis that your care is not “reasonably required”, even though your doctor says it is. If that happens to you, contact an experienced San Bernardino workers’ compensation attorney right away to learn about your rights.
You will rarely need to do that.
By and large, workers’ compensation insurance takes the place of your right to sue your employer for your work-related injury or illness. This represents a trade-off that benefits both you and your employer. You get coverage for all job-related injuries or illnesses, even ones caused by your own actions. Your employer gets protection against lawsuits by employees blaming the employer for the harm they have suffered. (Exceptions exist if an employer caused you harm on-purpose, which is rare, but can happen.)
You may need to sue the workers’ comp insurance company if it refuses to cover your injury or illness, or tries to shortchange the payments you deserve. Call us if that happens—or better yet, call us for help in filing your claim.
Even if you cannot sue your employer, however, you may have the right to sue a third party (someone other than your employer or co-worker), if that third party’s unreasonably dangerous decisions or actions led to you getting hurt or sick. For example, a San Bernardino agricultural worker may have a claim against the manufacturer of heavy farm equipment, if that equipment malfunctioned and caused the worker’s injury.
Speak with an experienced San Bernardino workers’ compensation lawyer today to learn about whether you may have a claim for damages in addition to your workers’ comp claim.
Most likely, yes.
In California, virtually all employers—even small businesses with just a handful of employees—must purchase workers’ compensation insurance coverage for their workers. In fact, the law requires your employer to purchase workers’ comp even if you are your employer’s only employee. Employers who violate this obligation face stiff fines and liability to employees.
Sometimes, employers try to avoid the cost of buying workers’ compensation insurance by calling their employees “independent contractors.”Although true independent contractors do not enjoy the benefits of workers’ comp, it is illegal for employers to misclassify people who are actually employees as independent contractors to save money on workers’ comp insurance.
The distinction between an employee and an independent contractor is not always obvious. In the simplest terms, you qualify as an employee entitled to workers’ comp benefits if your employer controls when, how, and where you do your work, no matter what label your employer gives to you.
Speak with an experienced San Bernardino workers’ compensation lawyer right away if you believe your employer has misclassified you as an independent contractor to avoid providing you with workers’ comp benefits.
Sometimes, workers’ compensation insurance companies and claims administrators deny claims.
Some reasons they often give for denying claims include:
These are just some of the reasons an insurance company might give for denying your claim. No matter what reason they give, the important thing for you to know is that you have important rights that protect you and give you the right to appeal the company’s decision. It is illegal for a workers’ comp insurance company to deny a valid claim, and with the help of an experienced San Bernardino workers’ compensation lawyer, you can fight back and try to get the compensation you need and deserve.
Time, however, is not on your side. If you receive a claim denial, speak with an attorney right away to protect your rights.
No.
It is absolutely illegal for any California employer to retaliate against an employee in any way, shape, or form for the employee filing a workers’ comp claim. It is also illegal for an employer to take any action to threaten or intimidate an employee into not filing a claim.
Employers who violate the law face significant penalties and legal liability to their employees. Speak with an experienced San Bernardino workers’ compensation insurance lawyer right away if your employee took any action against you related to you exercising your rights to workers’ comp benefits. Any adverse job action an employer takes—firing, demoting, cutting hours, cutting pay, reassigning to different work, and so on—in retaliation against you is illegal and may entitle you to significant damages.
An experienced San Bernardino workers’ compensation lawyer can help you by:
Our skilled workers’ compensation attorneys in San Bernardino will meet with you for an initial consultation free of charge. We represent our clients on a contingency fee basis in which you pay nothing unless we secure money for you. Contact an experienced San Bernardino workers’ compensation attorney at Gomez Trial Attorneys today to learn more.
At Gomez Trial Attorneys, we fight to make sure that San Bernardino workers who suffer injuries and illnesses in connection with their jobs understand how to pursue compensation.
We urge any worker who gets hurt or sick at work to contact us as soon as possible. Workers have limited time to pursue compensation, and the sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we can begin building a strong case to support your claim. You can reach us online or by calling (619) 237-3490 to get a free, confidential case evaluation today.
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