Woodland Hills Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

Every year in California, employees are injured on the job. Some employees work in incredibly dangerous industries, but a workplace accident can happen to any employee. Regardless of the inherent dangers present in an industry, all employees have the right to safe workplaces and the right to financial compensation if they are injured.

Workers’ compensation insurance in Woodland Hills, California protects employees from severe financial damage after a workplace accident or developing condition. When you’re injured on the job, you may be unable to work and earn income, and you may be dealing with the costs of care and treatment for your injury. You have the right to workers’ compensation to cover these costs and provide you with financial stability as you recover.

Workers’ compensation insurance also exists to protect employers. Without this insurance, injured employees could file personal injury claims against employers directly. California requires employers to carry workers’ comp insurance. Employers who don’t carry this insurance face civil penalties from injured employees and criminal penalties from the state.

If you are an employee who was injured while completing your job, you can file a workers’ compensation claim. An effective way to increase the compensation you receive from this claim is by working with a Woodland Hills workers’ compensation attorney.

Barry Law Group: Your Attorneys for a Workers’ Compensation Claim

Barry Law Group has been helping employees who are injured on the job for 35 years, working tirelessly to maximize the compensation they earn in their workers’ compensation claim. Whether you have a straightforward claim or are facing opposition from your employer, their attorneys, or their insurance provider, an attorney of your own greatly benefits your claim.

The attorneys at Barry Law Group want to protect your rights, review your situation, and fight for the financial benefits you deserve. We believe strongly that employees should have access to their workers’ compensation benefits. The process of filing and negotiating a workers’ compensation claim can often be complicated, and it can be made even more difficult when you’re dealing with significant injuries and pain. Our attorneys can handle this for you as they work to protect your health and livelihood during this difficult time.

What Happens After a Workplace Injury?

If you are in a workplace accident, or discover that you’ve developed an occupational illness or repetitive motion injury, there are several steps you should take to protect yourself and aid your filing of a workers’ compensation claim.

1. Get Medical Care: The most important thing is to get medical care, especially if your condition is an emergency. Regardless of the injury’s severity, documentation and information from a healthcare provider is essential in a workers’ comp case. If you are able to, get a list of healthcare providers from your employer who are approved by the workers’ compensation insurance provider. If it’s an emergency, you can go to any available healthcare provider. Inform the healthcare provider that you’re there for a workplace injury so they can generate and secure the documentation.
2. Inform Your Employer: The sooner you tell your employer of the accident, injury, or condition, the better. If you experienced an accident at work, you should tell your employer immediately unless you have to receive emergency medical care. Otherwise, tell them as soon as possible, within 30 days. If your condition is a developmental injury, inform your employer as soon as you decide to receive medical care. Your attorney can provide you with the forms needed to file your workers’ compensation claim.
3. Document Your Experience: Document the accident or development of the injury as well as any coworkers or individuals who can corroborate that information. Take pictures of injuries or the accident site. This may be essential evidence for your claim.
4. Contact an Attorney: When you need to file your claim, it can be helpful to contact a workers’ compensation attorney. They can guide you through the filing process and protect you if your employer denies the accident or if the insurance provider refuses to provide you with the compensation you deserve.

How Does a Woodland Hills Workers’ Compensation Attorney Help Me?

The purpose of workers’ compensation is to support injured employees. Unfortunately, actions by employers and insurance providers can complicate this. Insurance providers may deny a valid workers’ compensation claim. Workers’ compensation insurance providers have a goal to protect their bottom line, which incentivizes them to deny claims or provide you with less compensation than you’re worth.

Additionally, employers could illegally retaliate against employees who file a claim. An employer could also claim that the injury was not work-related. These complicated issues are difficult to manage by yourself. An attorney can navigate these issues while protecting your rights, appealing denied claims, negotiating for your rightful compensation, and doing so efficiently. If the insurance provider will not provide you with the coverage you need to support yourself, your attorney can take your claim to trial.

Even if your workers’ compensation claim does not have these issues, an attorney can make the claims process faster and less stressful while increasing the chances of maximizing the financial benefits of a claim. You should be taking the time after an injury to rest and recover, and working with an attorney can allow you to focus on healing.

What Benefits Are Available in a Workers’ Compensation Claim?

Many employees are not aware of the scope of damages they can claim through workers’ compensation. When you work with a knowledgeable attorney, they can calculate the entirety of your damages to ensure that your needs are covered. The benefits that may be available in a workers’ comp claim include:

• Medical Costs
  Any medical and hospital bills associated directly with the injury or condition in your workers’ compensation claim could be covered. This includes doctor’s visits, surgeries, the cost of transportation to the hospital, hospital overnights, medical equipment, and prescriptions. It also includes rehabilitative medical costs, such as physical therapy, and prosthetic or mobility devices needed for recovery.
• Temporary Disability Benefits
  When your injury prevents you from returning to work for a short period of time, temporary disability benefits cover a portion of the wages you would be earning. These payments are generally ⅔ your average weekly wages, and they can last up to 104 weeks or 204 weeks in cases of severe injury. Often, the maximum number of weeks isn’t needed for recovery. An attorney can help you determine how long you will need temporary disability payments based on your injury.
• Permanent Disability Benefits
  When you suffer a permanent disability or impairment from your workplace injury, you’re eligible for permanent disability benefits. These payments are also a portion of your weekly wages and can last for several months up to the rest of your life. Permanent benefits are meant to make up for lost earning capacity, as you may never be able to work in the same field due to your injury.
• Vocational Training
  If you are unable to work at the same job or in the same field, workers’ compensation benefits can cover the cost of job training, further education, or job placement programs.

FAQs About Woodland Hills, CA Workers’ Compensation Laws

How Long Do Most Workers’ Comp Settlements Take?

Every workers’ compensation case will have unique factors influencing how long it takes to settle. In California, a straightforward claim could take only 30 days. However, a more complex claim could take months. If your injuries are more severe, there are more significant damages you can claim, and this may take longer to negotiate.

Additionally, if you face opposition from an employer or their insurance provider, your claim will take longer. If the insurance provider is unwilling to provide you with the compensation you need, your attorney can take the case to trial. A trial case takes much longer than a privately settled case.

What Happens After a Workers’ Comp Deposition in California?

A workers’ compensation deposition exists to question the employee and other important witnesses. The deposition will review the circumstances of the injury or illness and question the employee under oath. This testimony will then be compared to testimony given in court to ensure that the employee says the same thing. After a deposition, the employee will receive a transcript of the interview, and they can make changes to inaccurate or differing information. After reviewing it, the employee will sign the transcript and send it back to the insurance provider’s attorney.

What Is the Average Workers’ Comp Settlement in California?

A workers’ compensation settlement may be anywhere from several thousand to hundreds of thousands of dollars. The exact amount of a claim varies based on the claim’s unique circumstances. Factors that influence the amount of a claim include:

• How severe the injury is, and how long recovery will take
• If the employee can return to work, and when they can return
• The employee’s income before the injury
• The employee’s expected earning capacity
• If the injury or illness is expected to have future complications

An attorney can review your individual situation and calculate the likely amount of a settlement.

How Often Do Workers’ Comp Cases Go to Trial in California?

A very small amount of workers’ compensation claims go to trial. It is usually in the interests of all parties to reach a settlement privately, and negotiation is less expensive and faster than a trial. However, if the insurance provider isn’t willing to negotiate a fair settlement to cover the injured employee’s financial losses and needs, a trial may be necessary.

Guiding You Through a Workers’ Compensation Claim

The attorneys with Barry Law Group believe that you deserve workers’ compensation benefits and want to fight for your rights. Contact our team today to see how we can help.