From Injury to Recovery: The Role of a Work Injury Lawyer

All employers in California are required to provide workers’ compensation to their employees, regardless of the industry. If you have been injured at work, it can be difficult deciding whether you need a work injury lawyer or not. You may not be aware of your rights or the process of obtaining workers’ compensation benefits.

An experienced workers’ compensation lawyer can help you navigate the workers’ compensation system and receive compensation for your medical expenses related to the work injury. Contact Sycamore Accident Lawyers in Riverside for a free consultation.

Leading Causes of Workplace Injuries and Death

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employers reported 419,300 workplace injuries and illnesses in California in 2022, and a total of 504 fatal work injuries.

These are some of the most common workplace accidents and fatal work injuries in California:

Transportation

Transportation incidents, including motor vehicle accidents, resulted in 133 workplace fatalities. The general freight trucking industry was particularly affected, highlighting the risks faced by truck drivers and other workers in the transportation sector.

Exposure to Harmful Substances or Environments

Exposure to harmful substances or environments accounted for 132 fatalities, with healthcare workers often at risk due to the nature of their work environment. Illnesses and injuries continue to remain high after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Violence

Incidents involving violence or injuries caused by individuals or animals emerged as the third leading cause of fatal workplace events, with 97 reported deaths. This statistic underscores a pressing issue in the realm of occupational safety. Certain occupations such as cashiers, mailmen, and postal carriers face an increased risk of workplace violence.

Falls, Slips, and Trips

Falls, slips, and trips resulted in 79 work-related deaths. Construction workers are especially vulnerable to such accidents, given the hazardous conditions often present at construction sites.

What Can Affect My Workers’ Compensation Benefits?

In the best case scenarios, injured workers file workers’ compensation claims, receive approval from their employer, and start receiving their full benefits. However, there are several factors that can affect your compensation.

Severity of the injury: The severity of your work-related injury is a main factor in determining the value of your workers’ comp claim. Severe injuries requiring extensive medical treatment, surgery, and rehabilitation will result in a higher payout.
Ability to return to work: If your work-related injury prevents you from returning to work, your Riverside workers’ compensation benefits can include your lost wages in the form of temporary or permanent disability payments.
Skilled legal representation: Having a Riverside workers comp’ attorney represent you can make all the difference in the outcome of a workers’ compensation claim.
Type of settlement: Before you receive workers’ compensation benefits, you can choose whether you want to receive a lump sum settlement or structured payments.
Timeframe: In California, you have 30 days to report a work injury to your employer. Delaying the report of your incident could result in your employer being exempt from offering you workers’ compensation insurance.

How Can a Workers’ Comp Attorney Help Me?

As it stands, many times employers and their insurance companies play hardball when it comes to granting workers’ compensation benefits and doing their due diligence. They may try to state your injury did not happen while on the job or claim your injuries are caused by pre-existing conditions. When employers try to reduce or deny your workers’ comp claim, this is when you need Riverside workers’ compensation lawyers to step in.

Our Riverside workers’ compensation attorney can help you in some of the following ways:

File the necessary documents in a timely manner
Obtaining appropriate medical treatment for injured employees
Negotiating with the insurance company
Securing fair compensation that supports injured workers through their recovery

When you obtain legal representation, you send a clear message to the other side. You have the best chance of recovering full and fair compensation for your work injury when you have an attorney representing you.

Choosing the Best Riverside Workers’ Compensation Attorney

There are many workers’ compensation lawyers in California to choose from. Here are some of the most important factors to consider when you are searching for a workers’ compensation lawyer:

Expertise and Experience: It’s essential to seek out a workers’ compensation attorney in Riverside with a wealth of experience in handling workplace accidents and work-related injuries. Look for a legal professional who not only specializes in this field, but also prioritizes the rights and well-being of injured workers.

Track Record: An attorney’s past history of successful case wins tells a lot about how they will handle your case. Do your research before meeting with the lawyer by looking at their website and reviews. You can also ask them directly about their past cases during your free consultation.

Expert in Local Laws: Workers’ compensation laws vary state to state. If you were injured in a California workplace accident, you need a California workers’ compensation attorney. Our attorneys specialize in California workers’ comp and personal injury cases.

Attention to Detail: An organized and responsive workers’ comp attorney will keep you informed about your case and stay ahead of deadlines. If the law firm is overwhelmed with workers’ compensation cases, you might not get the attention and care you deserve.

We Fight for the Rights of Injured Workers

At Sycamore Accident Lawyers, we protect the rights of injured workers. If you need assistance with your California workers’ compensation claim, our Riverside workers’ compensation attorneys can help. We have the experience and success rate to get the compensation you need to fully recover. Furthermore, we do not require any upfront payments. You only pay us if we win.

If you would like to learn more about your workers’ compensation case and what steps to take, contact our law firm at (909) 703-2420 or on our website to set up a free case evaluation.