Did you get hurt on the job in Torrance, CA? An experienced Torrance workers’ compensation lawyer can help you fight to overcome any challenges when it comes to getting fair benefits. Maybe your doctor is pushing you to return to work before you’re ready, your rights are being challenged, or you’re not sure whether you can file a lawsuit for additional damages.
The Simon Law Group has been providing top-quality legal advice to injured workers since we opened our doors in 2009. For our efforts, we’ve recovered over $600 million in settlements and verdicts for our clients.
Now, we’re prepared to put over 250 years of combined experience to work for you. Contact our law offices in Torrance, California to schedule a free consultation today at (424) 622-0812.
How Can The Simon Law Group Help With a Workers’ Compensation Claim in Torrance?
Your injuries are already forcing you to miss work. Medical bills may be adding up already. You have enough on your plate without worrying about fighting for compensation.
You probably know that you qualify for workers’ compensation benefits if you were hurt on the job. Still, it can be tough to know whether you’re getting a fair deal–and you may also have rights under California personal injury laws.
Our experienced Torrance personal injury lawyers at The Simon Law Group can handle every aspect of your claim.
To help you get the best possible outcome, our lawyers will:
- Investigate the details to determine the cause of your injuries
- Evaluate your rights under state personal injury laws
- Calculate the value of your workers’ comp benefits
- Handle all the paperwork and communications
- Represent you if your claim is denied or undervalued
- Protect you if your employer or doctor pressures you to return to work too quickly
- Negotiate with the insurance companies on your behalf
- Fight for you at trial if necessary to get fair compensation
The workers’ compensation isn’t always as simple as it should be. Our Torrance personal injury attorneys are ready to step in and help you stand up to the insurance companies.
How Common Are Workplace Accidents in California?
Private employers reported 419,300 non-fatal workplace injuries and illnesses to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022. Unfortunately, 504 California workers were killed on the job that year.
Overview of California’s Workers’ Compensation Laws
Work-related injuries are extremely common. When you’re injured on the job, your medical bills will start to pile up quickly and you may be unable to work. Workers’ compensation in California is meant to provide a solution.
Instead of filing a lawsuit, you file a claim for benefits to offset your costs. You don’t have to prove that someone else was responsible. In other words, workers’ compensation is a no-fault system designed to help you get money in your pocket quickly.
In exchange, you cannot sue your employer for injuries suffered on the job unless a rare exception applies. However, you may have a valid lawsuit if a negligent third party was also responsible for your injuries.
Do I Qualify for Workers’ Compensation?
Under California law, nearly all injured employees are entitled to workers’ comp benefits if they’re injured on the job. You can file a claim for benefits regardless of how you were injured, with only a few exceptions (such as if you intentionally harm yourself).
You qualify if:
- You were an employee, and
- You were injured in a work-related accident or repeated exposures or events at work
For example, you may deserve compensation if:
- You were injured in a scaffolding fall on the job site
- You were injured in a car accident while making deliveries
- You suffered hearing loss due to repeated exposure to noise in the workplace
Your employer must give you a DWC 1 claim form within one day of learning about your injury. Filling out the form begins the workers’ comp claims process. Temporary disability benefits start if you cannot perform your job for more than three days or if you were hospitalized overnight. Your check should come every two weeks.
Why Do I Need a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer if Workers’ Comp is a No-Fault System?
While it’s true that you won’t have to prove negligence to recover benefits, injured workers often face challenges as they navigate the system.
For example:
- Your employer might claim that your injuries aren’t work-related
- Your doctor might pressure you to return to work before you’ve fully healed
- Your employer might retaliate against you for claiming workers’ comp
- Your disability check might be less than you deserve
- Your claim might be denied
A lawyer can help protect your rights throughout the entire process. We can also make sure your paperwork is complete and submitted on time.
What Is My Torrance Workers’ Compensation Case Worth?
The value of your workers’ comp benefits depends on many different factors, including:
- Your medical treatment costs
- Your wages prior to the disability
- Whether you can work in some partial capacity during recovery
- The length of your recovery
- Whether your earnings remain impaired after reaching maximum medical improvement (MMI)
- Whether you’ll require any type of job retraining
- Whether your injuries are permanent
- Whether you can file a lawsuit for additional damages
Temporary disability benefits cover about two-thirds of your wages during recovery. The amount of any permanent disability benefits is determined by a formula that uses your earnings, age, and occupation. Your weekly benefit is also subject to a statewide cap that varies from year to year.
What Types of Benefits Are Available Under California Workers’ Compensation Laws?
Workers’ compensation provides the following types of benefits:
- Reasonable and necessary medical expenses
- Temporary disability benefits
- Permanent disability benefits
- Supplemental job displacement benefits to help pay for job retraining if you don’t fully recover and don’t return to work for your former employer
- Death benefits for the families of workers who die due to work-related injuries or illnesses
These benefits are similar to the types of economic damages victims can recover by filing a personal injury lawsuit. However, in personal injury cases, you can seek compensation for the full value of your economic losses. Workers’ comp only covers a portion of your lost income.
Further, there are limits to the types of medical care that workers’ comp will cover. You’ll also have to see a doctor that you have predesignated or one approved by your employer.
By filing a personal injury lawsuit against a negligent third party, you may be entitled to compensation for:
- Past and future medical expenses not covered by workers’ comp
- 100% of your lost wages
- Lost earning potential
- Rehabilitation
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress, depression, PTS, and other mental health issues
- Diminished quality of life
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Loss of consortium
To make sure you’re getting the full amount you deserve, call our Torrance workers’ compensation attorneys today. We offer free case reviews, so there isn’t any risk.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer in Torrance?
Most reputable personal injury lawyers in California work on a contingency fee basis. At The Simon Law Group, we don’t charge any upfront fees.
When we recover compensation in your case, we take our attorney’s fees out of your settlement or verdict. If we don’t successfully handle your claim, you owe us nothing in attorney’s fees.
Can I Recover Workers’ Compensation if I’m Partly Responsible for My Own Injuries in California?
Yes. You can receive workers’ compensation benefits even if you were entirely responsible for your own injuries.
California’s pure comparative negligence law only comes into play if you file a personal injury lawsuit for additional benefits. If that’s the case, your compensation will be reduced in proportion to your share of fault.
Our Torrance Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Will Fight To Recover Compensation for All of Your Workplace Injuries
At The Simon Law Group, we often represent injured workers who have suffered:
- Broken bones
- Nerve damage
- Back injuries
- Soft tissue damage
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Concussions
- Respiratory illnesses
- Repetitive stress injuries
- Hearing damage
- Organ damage
- Burns
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
Regardless of the type of injuries you’ve suffered, you can count on us to help you fight for the maximum compensation you deserve. Reach out to schedule a free case evaluation to learn more about your legal rights.
How Long Do I Have To File a Workers’ Compensation Claim in California?
You jeopardize your right to workers’ compensation benefits if you don’t report the injury to your employer within 30 days. Your employer has the right to investigate your injury and determine whether it was job-related. If lack of notice prevents them from conducting their investigation, you could lose your right to workers’ comp.
If you have the right to file a lawsuit for additional damages, your case is subject to a two-year statute of limitations in California. You must file your lawsuit within two years of the injury to recover compensation from a negligent third party.
Contact our law offices as soon as possible; there are exceptions to these time limits in certain circumstances.
Contact a Trusted Torrance Workers’ Compensation Lawyer for a Free Consultation Today
If you suffered a work-related injury in Torrance, our lawyers at The Simon Law Group are here to help with any challenges you’ve experienced. Contact us today to learn more about how an experienced Torrance workers’ compensation lawyer can help with your claim.
