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If you are unable to work due to an injury or illness that occurred on the job in Woodland Hills, you might be qualified for workers' compensation benefits. When a workplace injury happens, you may find yourself losing out on paychecks, accumulating medical bills, and being overwhelmed with paperwork. This can be an extremely difficult and uncertain time.
Thankfully, California law protects workers from negative fallout related to work injuries by requiring companies to carry workers compensation insurance.
What is Workers’ Compensation and How Does It Work?
Workers' compensation is a type of insurance that is purchased by a company to protect their workers from job-related injuries and illness. It provides a safeguard for injured employees to ensure they are not left with no job and no money while trying to recover from an injury. Some jobs can be hazardous, and it shouldn't be the responsibility of the employee to handle all the consequences that come with an injury.
Under the California Workers' Compensation Act, people that are hurt on the job can get different types 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 incident. However, injured workers can not recover compensation for damages typically granted in a personal injury lawsuit.
Common Causes of Workplace Injuries
The top three leading causes of work-related injuries account for more than 84% of all nonfatal injuries on the job. This includes:
Overexertion and Repetitive Motion Injuries
Overexertion injuries can happen when a worker uses excessive physical effort to do a task and gets injured. 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 job. Common repetitive tasks include lifting boxes, typing on a computer, using a ten-key machine, sitting for long hours, and working on an assembly line.
Slip and Fall Injuries
Slip and fall accidents are among the most frequent on-the-job injuries. They make up 25% of yearly injury cases, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Falls on the job include falling from slippery floors, from tripping, and from heights like ladders, roofs, scaffolding, or various other structures.
Injuries from Contact with Equipment and Objects
Contact with equipment and objects refers to injuries that occur when a worker is struck by something or runs into something. This can include an employee being struck by a moving object, bumping into or being pushed in front of an object, being crushed in equipment, or being caught in cable or rope. It might also include incidents like a worker being struck or crushed by collapsing structures, equipment, or materials.
Workers' Comp Can Also Cover Occupational Illnesses
In addition to being injured, employees can also get sick with an illness because of their job. When this happens, workers compensation insurance is designed to help cover some of the costs.
Job-related illnesses include diseases that arise from dangerous work environments or workplace exposures. Some typical illnesses that occur on the job include:
Cases involving job-related illness are complex 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 happened during your personal time. This is even more complicated by the fact that a lot of illnesses develop gradually, which makes them more difficult to notice and to determine the origin.
What Should I Do If I Am Hurt on the Job?
If you become hurt during your employment, you should always report the accident, injury, or illness as soon as possible to your employer. This is necessary even if an injury appears minor. This, because injuries that appear small initially can become much more severe in the coming days or weeks.
For example, an injury that may feel like only a strained muscle can end up being a sign of long-term 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 work-related injury examined by a doctor. This is the only way to learn the extent of your injury, and what can be done to recuperate. This is especially important for stress or repetitive motion injuries. In this case, making changes in the ergonomic environment might not only treat the injury, but help to prevent injuries to others. Further, to protect the long-term ability of a worker to maintain and continue in his or her job.
Finally, waiting too long to report an injury at work may seize your right to claim any kind of workers' compensation benefits.
Should You Contact a Woodland Hills Workplace Injury Attorney?
Consequently, if you suffer an on-the-job injury in Woodland Hills, speak to the Woodland Hills personal injury attorneys at Drake Law Firm. Don't go through these hard times on your own. We are here to assist you with your case. We understand the causes and impacts of work accidents and injuries. Also, we know the laws and regulations related to workers' compensation in California and will work to maximize the compensation you receive.
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