You have a right to work in a safe environment free from harm. This was not once guaranteed. Nowadays, it is protected. This means that if you were injured on the job, you have the right to compensation pay. This pay is there to help you cover the costs of your accident.
There are a few types. You can be injured in a total accident and receive compensation, and you can also sue in a personal injury claim if the accident was caused by negligence on your employer’s behalf. Your rights and the rules also vary from state to state, so if you are in California, use this guide to help you better understand worker’s compensation.
What Does Worker’s Compensation Cover?
When you hire a great compensation lawyer, you should be able to receive compensation to cover five different benefits:
- Medical Costs Covered
- Temporary Disability Costs Covered
- Permanent Disability Costs Covered
- Supplemental Job Displacement Costs Covered
- Loss of Income/Death Benefits
Therefore, the type of compensation and the amount depend entirely on the injury, its severity, and how long it will impact you. If the injury has resulted in a lifelong disability, for example, then your compensation payout will be far higher than someone who was injured and expected to make a full recovery.
Tips for Hiring a Worker’s Compensation Lawyer
Hiring a compensation lawyer can feel like a straightforward task, but you realize that it is anything but once you see the sheer volume. There are a few things that you are going to want to look into when choosing a lawyer.
The first is very simple but so essential. They must be based in California and be allowed to practice in the state. When you search online, there is the risk that a promoted post can send you to an attorney in a different state, even if you are physically close by.
The second is to make sure that they can handle your type of case. There are many different kinds of personal injury attorneys out there, and you need one that specializes as specifically as possible. For example, you don’t just want a personal injury attorney; you want one with a history of protecting Moreno Valley workers when injured. Specifically, you will want someone at that firm who has worked with your type of injury case before.
What Are the Steps to Getting Worker’s Compensation?
You will need to:
- Report the injury
- File the claim with your employer
- File a claim with the Worker’s Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB)
You must file the claim within a year of the injury. If you wait longer than this, then the statute of limitations is up, and you will not get compensation for your injury unless there are extenuating circumstances. In some cases, for example, with an illness, you may only start experiencing noticeable symptoms later. In this case, you must file your claim within a year of being aware of the injury or illness.
The more specific and the more extensive their experience with your type of case, the better.