If you are injured on the job, you may be entitled to Worker’s Compensation for your injuries. With the exception of independent contractors, all employers in the state of California are required to either purchase a workers' compensation insurance policy from a licensed insurer in California or become self-insured.
Workers' comp insurance provides five basic benefits:
- Medical care: Paid for by your employer to help you recover from an injury or illness caused by work
- Temporary disability benefits: Payments if you lose wages because your injury prevents you from doing your usual job while recovering
- Permanent disability benefits: Payments if you don't recover completely
- Supplemental job displacement benefits: Vouchers to help pay for retraining or skill enhancement if you don't recover completely and don't return to work for your employer
- Death benefits: Payments to your spouse, children or other dependents if you die from a job injury or illness.
Types of Injuries Covered by Workers’ Compensation
- One Event at Work:
- Examples include hurting your back in a fall, getting burned by a chemical that splashes on your skin, or getting hurt in a car accident while making deliveries.
- Repeated exposures at Work:
- Examples include hurting your wrist from doing the same motion over and over or losing your hearing because of constant loud noise.
What should I do if I have a job injury?
- Report the injury to your employer
Tell your supervisor right away. If your injury or illness developed gradually (like tendinitis or hearing loss), report it as soon as you learn or believe it was caused by your job.
- Get emergency treatment if needed
If it’s a medical emergency, go to an emergency room right away. Tell the health care provider who treats you that your injury or illness is job-related.
- Fill out a claim form and give it to your employer
Your employer must provide you with a claim form (DWC 1) within one working day after learning about your injury or illness. Use it to request workers’ compensation benefits.
- Seek medical care
Get good medical care to help you recover. You should be treated by a doctor who understands your particular type of injury or illness. Tell the doctor about your symptoms and the events at work that you believe caused them. Also describe your job and your work environment.
About Us: Fiore Legal is one of the Top Personal Injury Law Firms in California. If you or someone you know was injured in an accident, contact us now for a free consultation.