It is no secret that, although employers in Palmdale and across California are legally required to provide a workers’ compensation benefit scheme, it can prove difficult for injured workers to recover what they are entitled to when they need it. If you cannot return to work due to a workplace injury, therefore becoming unable to earn the income you and your household have come to rely on, you deserve to be adequately compensated. At Koszdin, Fields & Sherry, our attorneys focus solely on worker compensation claims, a focus that has enabled us to build an outstanding level of relevant knowledge, experience, and success.
Since 1955, our lawyers have assisted thousands of people from across Southern California, and we are here when you need the skills of an expert Palmdale workers’ compensation attorney.
What Are Workers’ Compensation Benefits?
Workers’ compensation benefits are intended to cover the expenses of all medical treatment required for you to achieve the maximum medical improvement from your workplace injury. This is defined as the point from which you are not likely to improve any further, even with extensive rehabilitation and other treatment. You will also be entitled to compensation in lieu of your lost earnings while you recover, generally capped at two-thirds of your average weekly wage. In the event that you have been left permanently disabled by a workplace injury, your employer’s workers’ compensation scheme could cover a permanent disability payment, based on the percentage of disability as quoted by your doctor.
What Could I Be Entitled To?
When you have sustained a serious injury in the workplace, or while carrying out a work-related task or travel, your employer’s workers’ compensation scheme could entitle you to several benefits. Your Palmdale attorney will ascertain exactly what you are eligible to claim following your initial consultation but, in general terms, you could receive:
- Medical benefits, including access to top specialists and the treatment you need
- Disability benefits while you are unable to work
- Permanent disability, or a settlement, when your injuries are unlikely to heal
- Social Security disability, where applicable
Should you fall victim to a fatal workplace injury, your surviving family members could be entitled to benefits as follows:
- Up to $10,000 funeral or burial expenses
- Up to $250,000 for a single dependant
- Up to $290,000 for two dependants
- Up to $320,000 for three dependants
Although there is no legal requirement for you to hire an attorney, it is strongly recommended that you do so. Despite your employer is obliged to offer benefits following a workplace injury, it is highly likely that you will receive less than you are entitled to. Similarly, if you have already had a worker’s compensation claim rejected by your employer or their insurers, hiring a Palmdale attorney could secure you the benefits you are entitled to.
If you or someone you know sustained injuries in the workplace, then you need to speak to one of Palmdale’s expert workers’ compensation attorneys. With years of experience and millions of dollars in settlement under their belts, it is apparent that our lawyers have the skill, experience, and reputation for helping clients obtain the maximum benefits from a claim. Palmdale’s attorneys have successfully litigated cases from beginning through to trial.
We know the importance of providing quality legal representation. Put your confidence in our team to get the results you deserve.
The types of workers’ compensation cases we handle include:
- Autoworkers
- Brain injuries
- Construction accidents
- Heart injuries
- Motor vehicles union
- Union workers
All the benefits that fall under the workers’ compensation system enable you to acquire other forms of medical treatment to help you recover from your injury. Should the injury be work-related, the insurance company is held accountable to pay for all medical bills, time away from or, and compensation. We answer the most typical questions our clients ask like:
- What would happen if my employer fired me after filing a workers’ compensation claim?
- What are the next steps if the insurance company denies the claim?
- Are injured employees permitted to select their doctor?
- What rights do injured employees have?
- Is it possible to bring both a workers’ compensation and civil claim forth?
First and foremost, it is illegal for your employer to fire you simply because you filed a workers’ compensation claim. They are allowed to terminate you for any other reason, though by law. You need to remember that the law gives equal protection to both employers and employees. With that, the employer can terminate workers for any reason they consider suitable. Similarly, employees can leave the job for whatever reason too.
If an insurance company denies your workers’ compensation claim, you may need to collect damages further to cover repair and medical costs. A Palmdale attorney can analyze the evidence presented from the accident, recreate the scene and determine who is to blame.
When an employee is injured at work, their option to select their doctor or form of medical treatment depends on the state where the claim is filed. Some states mandate employees to choose their medical provider to keep medical care in the network. Meanwhile, other states enforce the notion that the employer provides the injured worker with in-network choices.
Under abbreviated circumstances, injured employees rights include but are not limited to the right to work in a safe environment, the right to be covered by workers’ compensation insurance, the right to file a claim, the right to receive medical treatment, and the right to retain a workers’ compensation attorney.
In the unfortunate event that you are injured in the workplace because of negligence, you can file a workers’ compensation case against the employer and a civil lawsuit against the other person responsible for the wrongdoing or negligence as long as they are not your co-worker. The most common example would be work-related car accidents.
Schedule Your Free Initial Consultation with a Palmdale Workplace Injury Attorney Today
To ensure that you, and your family, receive the best possible outcome from your case, call Koszdin, Fields & Sherry at 800-747-3447 today for a free initial consultation.
Palmdale workers’ compensation attorneys offer an in-depth, comprehensive evaluation of the case facts to create a strategy for maximum benefits. Give our office a call today.
