Inland Empire’s Premier Workers’ Compensation Attorneys
Work injuries or conditions are covered on a “no fault” basis. But what if the employer runs a business that is so unsafe that your injury was “just waiting to happen”. California has a special law to hold employers accountable for serious and willful misconduct.
If an employer is found to violate Labor Code 4553, the employer (not insurance company) may be liable to pay the injured worker a 50% increase in workers compensation benefits.
Every case is different, but generally, the basic idea is that the employer knew of a dangerous condition or practice, but failed to take appropriate precautions for their employees safety. If you believe that your work injury was caused by your employers disregard for your safety, give us a call at 1-800-497-9774 to schedule your free and confidential consultation.
If you work in California, you should know that the state provides certain benefits to workers who have suffered a job-related illness or injury. Injured workers can be eligible to receive benefits that can provide occupational retraining, medical compensation, and disability benefits.
Suffering a work-related injury can affect your life in a variety of ways. Obtain the benefits you need to recover.
If you or someone you know has been injured or suffered an illness while at work, it is important to know that the amount of benefits received will depend on several factors, including the type of injury sustained, its severity, and its duration. In order to get a maximum amount of benefits available – and to avoid having workers’ compensation benefits delayed or denied – it is critical to seek legal counsel of an experienced Inland Empire workers’ compensation attorney.
Dedicated Legal Support, When You Need It Most
The workers’ compensation attorneys at Castillo & Associates have over 30 years of dedicated experience in working with major insurance companies and handling multi million dollar cases. The firm thrives in helping injured workers obtain the benefits they deserve, and they have an established track record of successful cases.
The California workers’ compensation system is an intricate system, often requiring extensive legal proficiency. The attorneys at Castillo & Associates have successfully negotiated on some of the most complex workers’ compensation cases in California.
Attorney Domingo Castillo, as a prior insurance claims adjuster and senior claims examiner, has been in the insurance claims industry for over 30 years and handled thousands of cases for insurance carriers such as Allstate, Cigna and more. With a professional portfolio that includes the successful legal support of more than 10,000 clients, the firm has the skills and experience necessary to handle the most challenging claims. For a free, no-obligation consultation, consider contacting the firm today through their online Contact Form.
Workers’ Compensation in California is a No-Fault System
In order to be eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits, you do not have to demonstrate that another party caused your work-related injury. Even if the accident was your fault, you will still be eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits. Benefits, however, will only be available when the injury or illness was caused as a result of a work-related duty.
Workers’ Compensation is an Administrative Process
Workers’ compensation claims are not handled through a civil claim, like personal injury claims are. Instead, they are handled through an administrative process. This process, however, places a limit on the types of compensation an injured worker can receive. For instance, a person filing a personal injury claim can seek monetary restitution for his or her pain and suffering. Meanwhile, an injured worker filing a workers’ compensation claim cannot seek this type of compensation. Injured workers can only seek certain types of work injury benefits, such as wage replacement benefits, medical benefits, or occupational retraining benefits.
Nonetheless, if you were injured while at work, it is critical for you to obtain skilled legal representation that can bring your case support throughout the administrative process. In far too many cases, workers’ compensation benefits are denied as a result of a clerical error or the failure to submit sufficient medical evidence. With the support of an experienced legal team, you can avoid these types of errors and ultimately build a strong case that will maximize your claim.
Insurance Companies Are Not on Your Team
An employer’s workers’ compensation insurance carrier is not necessarily in business to provide injured workers the benefits they deserve following an accident. In fact, they are a for-profit business, set to avoid paying out claims whenever possible. Unfortunately, there have been cases where medical professionals recommended by insurance companies have failed to provide the injured workers with the appropriate care for their injury. Insurance companies will do what they can to avoid paying an injured worker.
Serving All Industries
Castillo & Associates serves clients from many different industries; work injuries are not just specific to hard labor jobs. We’ve worked with doctors, lawyers, veterinarians and executives in addition to those injured on the job at construction sites, Amazon warehouses, machine shops and offices. Workers’ compensation claims come in all different scenarios, and we’ve been doing this for so long that we’ve seen and pursued almost every possible circumstance.
Some of our recent articles:
- On the job injuries at Amazon
- Medical experts influence on a successful workers’ comp claim
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome & worker’s compensation claims
Types of Benefits Available in California
As previously mentioned, available workers’ compensation benefits will vary, depending on the type of injury sustained, the severity of the injury, and the duration of said injury or illness. In the State of California, the workers’ compensation system provides the following types of benefits:
Medical Benefits
These benefits will provide the injured worker with the necessary health care they need to recover from the work-related illness or injury.
Temporary Disability Benefits
Temporary disability benefits will provide affected workers with a partial wage replacement while he or she is unable to work and is in recovery.
Permanent Disability Benefits
Permanent disability benefits will provide payments to the injured worker in the event that he or she is unable to fully recover.
Skill Enhancement or Job Retraining Benefits
Here, eligible workers will be able to receive pay for the skill enhancement or job retraining they may need in the event that they cannot fully recover and will not be able to return to work.
Death Benefits
Death benefits are benefits available to the spouse, child, or other eligible dependent of the worker if the worker’s injury or illness resulted in his or her death.
Speak to an Experienced Workers’ Compensation Law Firm Today
If you seek to file a workers’ compensation claim or have already begun the process and received a denied or delayed claim, it is important to seek legal counsel as soon as possible.
With over three decades of dedicated experience, the attorneys at Castillo & Associates, have the skills necessary to handle the complex legal and insurance challenges typically associated with workers’ compensation claims in California. With a proficient legal team on your side, you will be able to focus on making a full recovery. If you are an injured worker, consider contacting the firm today for more information on your rights and legal options.
