If you are unable to work as a result of an injury or illness that took place on the job in Pasadena, you may be qualified for workers' compensation benefits. When a workplace injury occurs, you might find yourself losing out on paychecks, accumulating medical bills, and being overwhelmed with paperwork. This can be an extremely stressful and uncertain time.
Fortunately, California law protects workers from negative fallout related to job injuries by requiring companies to carry workers compensation insurance.
What Is Workers’ Compensation and How Does It Work?
Workers' compensation is a form of insurance that is purchased by an employer to protect their workers from job-related injuries and illness. It offers a safety net for injured workers so that they are not left with no job and no money while trying to recover from an injury. Some jobs can be dangerous, and it should not be the responsibility of the worker to handle all the consequences that come with an injury.
Under the California Workers' Compensation Act, individuals who are injured at work can receive different kinds of financial support to cover their injury-related expenses. This includes:
Unlike a personal injury case, workers can receive benefits despite being at fault for a job-related accident. However, injured workers can not recover compensation for damages normally granted in a personal injury claim.
Common Causes of Workplace Injuries
The top three leading causes of job-related injuries account for more than 84% of all nonfatal injuries at work. This includes:
Overexertion and Repetitive Motion Injuries
Overexertion injuries can happen when a worker uses excessive physical effort to do a task and gets hurt. This includes lifting, pushing, turning, holding, carrying, or throwing.
Repetitive motion caused by stress or strain on some part of the body is because of the repetitive nature of the task. Common repetitive tasks include lifting boxes, typing on a computer, using a ten-key machine, sitting for long hours, and working on a production line.
Slip and Fall Injuries
Slip and fall accidents are one of the most frequent on-the-job injuries. They make up 25% of yearly injury cases, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Falls at work include falling from slippery floors, from tripping, and from heights like ladders, roofs, scaffolding, or other structures.
Injuries from Contact with Equipment and Objects
Contact with equipment and objects refers to injuries that happen when a person is hit by something or bumps into something. This can include an employee being struck by a moving object, running into or being pushed in front of an object, being crushed in equipment, or being caught in cable or rope. It may also include accidents like a worker being struck or crushed by collapsing structures, equipment, or materials.
Workers' Comp May Also Cover Occupational Illnesses
In addition to being hurt, employees can also get sick with an illness because of their job. When this occurs, workers compensation insurance is designed to help cover some of the costs.
Occupational illnesses include diseases that arise from hazardous work environments or workplace exposures. Some typical illnesses that occur on the job include:
Situations involving job-related illness are complicated for a few different reasons. One of the main reasons is that you will have to prove that your illness was caused by your job, and not from any other factor like genetics or something that occurred during your personal time. This is further complicated by the fact that many illnesses develop gradually, which makes them more difficult to recognize and to pinpoint the origin.
What Should I Do If I Am Hurt On the Job?
If you get injured in the course of your employment, you should always report the incident, injury, or illness as soon as possible to your employer. This is necessary even if an injury appears minor. This, because injuries that seem minor in the beginning can become much more serious in the coming days or weeks.
For example, an injury that might seem like only a strained muscle can end up being a symptom of permanent nerve damage. Or a sore low back from lifting a heavy object could be a disc herniation that needs surgery.
Further, you should always have a job-related injury assessed by a medical professional. This is the only way to figure out the extent of your injury, and what can be done to recover. This is particularly important for stress or repetitive motion injuries. Here, making changes in the ergonomic environment may not only heal the injury, but help to prevent injuries to others. Further, to protect the long-term ability of an employee to keep and continue in their job.
Finally, waiting too long to report an injury at work might foreclose your right to claim any kind of workers' compensation benefits.
Should You Contact a Pasadena Workplace Injury Lawyer?
Consequently, if suffer an on-the-job injury in Pasadena, contact the Pasadena personal injury attorneys at Tim D. Wright. Do not go through these difficult times on your own. We are here to help you with your claim. We understand the causes and impacts of work accidents and injuries. Additionally, we know the laws and regulations associated with workers' compensation in California and will work to make the most of the compensation you receive.
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