From construction site accidents to tripping on a carpet at the office, more than a million California workers every year sustain job-related injuries or illnesses. For many of them, applying for and receiving worker’s compensation is a process fraught with confusion and anxiety. Here are just a few of the reasons why, if you’ve been injured on the job in southern California, you need the advice and services of an experienced California workers’ compensation lawyer based in Los Angeles: A good disability lawyer can help you:
- complete and file your disability application
- find understanding, skilled doctors
- handle the insurance company
- negotiate a lump-sum settlement
- receive income while you’re not working
- advocate on your behalf at a hearing, if needed
- obtain vocational retraining, if needed, so that you can return to work
The most frequent on-the-job injuries happen in traffic accidents, falls, and by lifting or moving heavy objects. Almost any injury that happens at work or that is work-related will qualify you for workers’ compensation. Tell your employer immediately when you are injured or when a job-related illness develops. Unless it’s an emergency, notify your employer before seeking medical treatment because your employer may want you to see a physician who is part of the employer’s medical provider network. Your employer’s insurer might refuse your claim by charging that:
- the evidence of an injury is inadequate
- the injury isn’t job-related
- the injury was pre-existing
- you don’t require medical treatment
- you are actually able to work
You are entitled by law to workers’ comp benefits if you’re injured on the job, but those benefits don’t arrive automatically. That’s why you should apply with the help of an experienced California workers’ compensation lawyer based in Los Angeles. Obtaining workers’ comp benefits can be a lengthy process, so do not wait to make the call.