Every California workplace, every kind of injury
"Workplace injury" is the umbrella that covers everything our firm handles on the workers' compensation side, plus the third-party civil claims that grow out of those same incidents. We have represented workers from construction sites, factory floors, warehouses, restaurants, hospitals, hotels, offices, transportation companies, agricultural operations, and almost every other industry that puts workers on a payroll in California.
The injury types are similarly varied. Acute traumatic injuries from a single incident. Cumulative trauma claims that develop over years. Occupational disease from chemical, dust, or repetitive-stress exposure. Mental-health and stress claims arising from workplace conditions or specific traumatic events. All of it is compensable under California Labor Code §3200 et seq. if it arose out of and in the course of employment.
The benefits you are entitled to
An injured California worker is entitled to five categories of workers' compensation benefit: medical treatment, temporary disability payments, permanent disability payments, supplemental job displacement benefits, and (in fatal cases) death benefits for surviving dependents. The amounts and durations are governed by statute and by your average weekly wage at the time of injury, subject to maximum and minimum weekly rates updated each year by the Department of Industrial Relations.
Beyond workers' comp, your case may also include:
- Third-party civil claims against non-employer defendants
- Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) if your injuries are severe enough to prevent any substantial gainful activity
- Long-term disability under a private employer-provided policy
- State Disability Insurance (SDI) for the bridge period between injury and a workers' comp temporary disability award
Common mistakes that cost workers money
- Not reporting the injury in writing. California requires written notice to your employer within 30 days. Verbal notice is not enough.
- Giving a recorded statement to the carrier without an attorney. The questions are designed to lock in answers that limit your benefits.
- Treating with the employer's MPN doctor without understanding your rights. You may be able to switch providers, request a second opinion, or change networks entirely depending on the timing.
- Accepting a stipulated award without understanding the long-term implications. Future medical, life pension, and reopening rights are decided at the moment you sign.
- Missing the third-party angle. The civil case is usually where the largest dollars are — and it has a separate, shorter statute of limitations.