If you sustain an injury at work in California, you’re entitled to workers’ compensation. Workers’ comp is in place to help injured workers cover necessary medical expenses, recover lost wages, and in some cases, receive disability benefits. The amount awarded and the type of benefits each person receives depends on their injury and circumstance.
To help you recover the maximum amount of benefits for your work-related injury, consult with an experienced California workers’ compensation lawyer. They understand the tactics insurance companies use to offer lowball settlements to injured workers, and they offer legal advice to ensure you only accept the best possible offer.
Some injured workers receive workers’ comp benefits quickly. Medical benefits, for example, take effect as soon as an injured worker receives medical attention. However, certain benefits cannot be paid until the full extent of an injury is known. Temporary disability benefits typically amount to two-thirds of the injured worker’s wages, but calculating the amount they receive can be challenging. Fortunately, workers’ comp insurance companies are required to start paying temporary disability benefits after the injured worker misses three days of work or has been hospitalized overnight. An injured worker can begin to receive permanent disability benefits after determining that they have sustained a degree of permanent disability due to their injury.
Workers’ compensation payments are issued directly by an insurance company, employer’s insurance, or a workers’ compensation regulator. Benefits typically must be paid every fourteen days, depending on the settlement offer. The injured worker receives their workers’ comp benefits through a check delivered via mail. If the payment is late, the insurance company should automatically increase the payment amount by ten percent.
Some insurance companies will include check stubs with the issued date of the check, the amount, and what period it covers. Insurance should automatically increase the payment amount by ten percent if the check is late. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. It’s essential to save all check stubs in case a check arrives late or in case it’s the wrong amount.
Not every work-related injury requires a big fight for fair compensation. If the injury is minor and your employer admits the injury happened at work, the process of filing a workers’ comp claim isn’t complicated. Unfortunately, situations are rarely that simple. Attempting to receive full benefits for a work-related injury can quickly get complicated, whether it’s because of your employer or because you have a pre-existing condition. Some situations in which it’s a good idea to contact a lawyer include:
An experienced attorney can help ensure you correctly file all necessary forms, help you meet deadlines, and help gather evidence to support your claim. They can negotiate effectively with insurance companies and prepare your claim for trial if necessary. Even in relatively uncomplicated situations, it’s advisable to contact a California workers’ compensation lawyer to walk you through the process and help you avoid potential mistakes while filing your claim.
KCNS Law Group has a broad range of experience related to workers’ compensation representation. Our attorneys have over forty years of experience in insurance defense, workers’ comp defense, and personal injury experience. We understand how insurance companies approach claims and are ready to go to trial to help ensure our clients receive the full and just amount of compensation they deserve. At KCNS Law Group, we are committed to using our experience and abilities to help prevent companies and adjusters from paying injured workers less than they deserve.
Call (818) 937-9255 or fill out our contact form to schedule a consultation.
Our client-based approach is concentrated on our commitment to providing individual and strategic representation tailored to our client’s specific needs.