Did you recently get hurt on the job in Orange County, California? Workplace injuries can lead to medical bills, lost wages, emotional trauma, and permanent disability complications. You can file a claim with your employer’s insurance company, though they might try to hustle you into accepting settlements that don’t even cover your medical expenses.

Seeking professional workers’ compensation attorneys after a work-related injury is your best option. Our team of Orange County workers’ compensation lawyers at The Dominguez Firm has ample experience in fighting for California workers’ rights.

We know the workers’ compensation system inside and out and will do everything in our power to make sure that no insurance companies or employers take advantage of your rights. Call our team at (800) 818-1818 for a free consultation to discuss your workers’ comp claim. We’re available 24/7 and stand ready to help!

Accidents That Constitute a Workers’ Compensation Claim in California

Not all workplace accidents constitute workers’ compensation cases, though many do. Here are some of the most common mishaps that lead to workplace injury cases in Orange County:

  • Inadequate equipment maintenance and failure
  • Motor vehicle accidents
  • Incomplete employee training
  • Blocked exits and walkways
  • Safety precaution violations
  • Missing warning signage (like a wet floor sign)
  • Negligent employee behaviors
  • Noncompliance with any workplace or legal standards
  • Repetitive straining motions within daily requirements
  • Toxic chemical releases, fires, or explosions

As a whole, any accident that happens while an employee actively performs their job might constitute a claim.

What Accidents Do Insurance Companies Not Cover?

The Orange County, California, workers’ compensation system involves quite a few gray areas, making it tricky to determine what insurance companies will or will not cover. As a general rule of thumb, you should not expect to receive workers’ compensation benefits for the following scenarios:

  • Accidents outside of your site(s) of employment
  • Injuries when you’re intoxicated
  • Intentional self-inflicted harm
  • Accidents while committing a crime
  • Personal injuries from starting a fight with another employee

After the personal injury, you must notify your employer of your intent to file a claim within 30 days. After sending them the notice, you have one year to file your California workers’ compensation claim.

Not all personal injury cases warrant compensation, though many do. Typically, if your on-the-job injury results in excessive medical treatment bills and a loss of work, you may receive medical benefits.

The most common injuries our law firm sees with injured worker claims include:

  • Muscle and ligament strains, sprains, or tears
  • Bone breaks
  • Deep cut wounds
  • Lung injuries from breathing in toxins
  • Vertebrae injuries
  • Neck and skull trauma
  • Spinal cord damage
  • Repetitive stress injuries

Any work injury in Orange County that requires medical care may qualify for workers’ comp claims. Recovering benefits without the help of our experienced attorneys is challenging, so you should seek legal assistance from us as soon as possible.

Injured Workers’ Rights in the Orange County, CA, Area

All Orange County, CA, businesses must have workers’ compensation insurance to protect their employees from accidents and injuries on the job. Each company might choose varying levels of coverage, though all policies should take care of medical treatment costs and injury-related loss of wages. Employees do not need to prove accident fault to receive these benefits.

Workers’ compensation law protects both employees and employers from taking advantage of one another. In most cases, if an employee gets hurt at work and files for workers’ comp with the employer’s insurance company, the injured person can no longer sue the employer with a personal injury case.

Because of these restrictions, be sure to immediately contact one of our attorneys to discuss your best options after getting hurt at work. If your company’s insurance doesn’t offer you enough, you may need to seek additional compensation with help from our Orange County lawyer. For example, you could potentially sue an at-fault third-party for liability who is not your employer.

When dealing with any legal matter, remember that you have the right to:

  • Receive medical treatment from an independent medical professional
  • File a workers’ comp claim
  • Return to a safe workplace environment
  • Acquire disability benefits
  • Appeal medical findings and benefit settlements
  • Agree upon a settlement
  • Sue at-fault parties, even if they are not your employer
  • Hire an attorney

What to Do After a Workplace Accident

After a workplace accident, the steps you take can determine your safety and financial security. After a work injury, you should:

  1. Evaluate your medical condition by checking yourself and everyone around you for life-threatening emergencies
  2. Call 911 for any severe injuries
  3. File a police report if a third party (not related to your employer) caused the accident
  4. Take pictures of the accident scene, your injuries, and anything related
  5. Speak with accident witnesses and gather their contact information
  6. Avoid speaking with any insurance companies about the incident or your injuries. Do not release a statement or accept a settlement until you receive legal help to advise you through the matter.
  7. Keep and organize all medical bills associated with your accident
  8. Hire our Orange County workers’ compensation attorney firm to represent your case

Filing Workers’ Compensation Claims

To create the strongest claim possible, you should:

  1. Contact our workers’ comp attorney before filing your claim
  2. Report your injury to your employer as soon as you receive a confirmed diagnosis
  3. Complete the necessary claim paperwork within the required deadlines
  4. Attend follow-up medical evaluations and treatments
  5. Never skip a doctor’s appointment, or you may damage your claim
  6. Discuss your options with your attorney after receiving an offer from the insurance company

Injured workers filing for workers’ compensation typically face many challenges. Insurance companies want to pay as little as possible, offering amounts that often cannot cover all of the financial damages. Typically, you can expect workers’ compensation to cover two-thirds of your normal earnings, so if you’re too sick or injured to work for a long time, you might lose a good portion of your regular income.

Unlike lawsuits, workers’ compensation does not offer any “pain or suffering” payouts or punitive damages. For example, if an accident leaves you permanently blind, compensation for medical bills and only a portion of your salary will not cover everything you’ll have to endure for the rest of your life with the disability.

Our workers’ compensation lawyers can help you navigate these tricky scenarios so that you don’t end up in a financial hole. For example, you could consider an injury lawsuit, depending on the details of your accident. Lawsuits can offer larger payouts, though they come with bigger risks.

How Our Orange County Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Team Can Help With Your Insurance Claim

Our experienced Orange County workers’ compensation attorneys at The Dominguez Firm spend ample time working with cases just like yours.

Our team can:

  • Evaluate your workers’ comp case. We will look through evidence, witnesses, and other involved parties to determine lawsuit eligibility.
  • Tally up all your owed expenses, including medical bills and income losses. We will make sure you don’t forget any key financial debts.
  • Help you complete the necessary legal actions and paperwork, including filing the claim or any other steps you choose to take.
  • Advise you on whether or not to accept settlements from insurance companies. We will also offer opinions on your most optimal routes moving forward.
  • Fight for your case in court, if necessary.

Our experienced team of workers’ compensation lawyers at The Dominguez Firm wants to help you seek maximum compensation. We understand that moving forward after a workplace injury is challenging, but we can help you to finally receive the funds you need to recover.

Our team at The Dominguez Firm in Los Angeles, CA, stands ready to speak with you 24/7, so call us today at (800) 818-1818 for a free consultation!

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