Alhambra, California, is a community of around 85,000 residents. It is located in Los Angeles County in the western portion of the San Gabriel Valley. Home to a very diverse population, this town dates back to the early 1900s and has a rich history and cultural background. While there are many festivals and events each year in the community, the most popular and reason for a great deal of the notoriety of the city is the San Gabriel Valley Lunar New Year Parade and Festival held each year in Alhambra. People across the state and around the world tune in on local and cable channels each year to watch this spectacular event and consider living in the community and experiencing the festivities in person.
But the draw to Alhambra is about more that a once a year event. Many residents have come to the community because they appreciate the outdoor activities that can be enjoyed all year round, thanks to the mild weather in Southern California. Others are here because they love the family-friendly feeling and feel like this is a good place to put down roots. Walking along Main Street in Alhambra, you will find Auto Row filled with all the makes and models of vehicles you could want, while what is known as Restaurant Row is filled with chain and local eateries. Residents like the walkable community that has local markets and shops as well as larger, national businesses. This diversity feeds the local economy and provides the variety of jobs that residents want and need.
If you know much about California, you understand that the traffic can be a nightmare, and it is often why residents want to live in the same community where they work. That wise choice saves them a commute that can become hours if there is an accident or incident on the highway. But what you need to understand is that even if you are working in your community of Alhambra for a locally owned and operated business or one of the major employers in the area, like AHMC Healthcare or Costco, you face the risk of a workplace accident and injuries that can turn your life upside down. Suddenly, what was the perfect place to live and work is now a place filled with stress and struggles as you worry about paying bills and how to cover medical care costs. But instead of trying to handle all the issues on your own, the team at California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group hopes you will reach out to our office staff to learn more about our Alhambra, California workplace injury lawyers and how they can help you.
The team manning our office can be reached around the clock to ensure you have a trusted resource to call when you need guidance, peace of mind, and confidence that there are solutions for the hardships you face because of an Alhambra, CA, workplace accident and injuries. On that first call, our staff will provide more information about our team, the services we offer, and how the California Workers Compensation Program can help workplace injury victims overcome the losses and expenses caused by their unfortunate situation. In addition, you will have the opportunity to schedule your free consultation with an Alhambra, California workplace injury lawyer to discuss the specifics of your case. After that meeting, you will understand how to open a Workers Compensation claim and any other legal action that could provide you with help and services to overcome the challenges created when you got hurt on the job in Alhambra.
All we ask is that you reach out to the office team at California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group as quickly as possible. There are time limits for you to make choices about the action you will take. And if you wait too long to act, you might lose a very valuable opportunity for help and justice.
I Never Signed Up For Coverage From California Workers Compensation
Many new clients reach out to California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group and ask if there are other programs or services that can help them after a workplace injury incident because they never enrolled in the Workers Comp Program. But what they are not aware of is that they never needed to take any action to be enrolled in the program because that responsibility falls to their employers. In California, every employer is legally obligated to enroll all their employees in this critical program that offers assistance should a worker get hurt on the job. In addition, employers are responsible for paying all of the costs to have their employees covered.
So, even though you never signed up for the WC program and never paid any of the premiums for the coverage, your employer did. And that means you have this helpful and valuable program to help you when you get hurt on the job in Alhambra, California. And the only thing you need to do is reach out to the staff at California Workers Comp and open a claim within 30 days of the accident injuries. This time limit is very strictly enforced, and once it has passed, there is little you can do to get help from the program, even if your accident and injuries qualified for coverage. If you are unfamiliar with the WC program or processes, please reach out to the California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group staff to learn more and avoid making a very costly mistake by waiting too long to open your claim.
Are There Exceptions To The 30 Day Time Limit To Open A Claim With WC?
In most workplace injury cases in Alhambra, California, there are no exceptions to the time limit to open your claim. However, there is a less common kind of injury that does allow the victim more time to open their WC claim. If the Alhambra, California workplace injuries you suffered were caused by cumulative trauma, you have a longer time frame to open your claim and get help from the program. In these cases, cumulative trauma is often the result of years of repetitive motion while working that, over time, has caused an injury. It might have been using the same tool all day, like digging with a shovel, or a motion that you are constantly making, like pulling a lever on a machine. If you have had your injuries diagnosed by a medical professional as cumulative trauma, you have one year from the date of that diagnosis or the first day that you missed work because of the cumulative trauma injuries to open your claim with the Workers Comp Program and get help with your losses and expenses.
What Are The Benefits Provided To An Alhambra, California Workplace Injury Victim?
After sustaining an injury while on the job in Alhambra, California, you are sure to have many concerns and issues that are making you feel stressed and unsure of what to do to regain control of your life. Mounting bills, an inability to work and earn a paycheck, and simply being in pain all take a toll on you each day. Fortunately, living and working in Alhambra, California, you are covered by one of the most generous and robust compensation programs created to help workers who get hurt on the clock. When you open your Workers Comp claim, you will become eligible for benefits in several categories that will be given to you on an as-needed basis, as determined by the program staff. The benefits you could receive include:
- Free vocational training is offered to any worker who was hurt while at work and will not be capable of returning to that job because of limitations or a disability caused by the accident. The program allows you to learn a new skill or trade to allow you to find a new career path once you have healed and been cleared by your medical care providers to return to work in a new capacity.
- If you sustained a serious injury that resulted in a long-term disability or permanent disability that will negatively impact your earning capability, the program can provide you with disability compensation. This money is paid to you to help cover your living expenses when you are unable to earn as much as you did prior to your workplace injury incident.
- Even a mild injury can cause you to miss work for several weeks or more as you heal. In these cases, the worker is often unable to get a paycheck and faces serious monetary challenges as they cannot pay their household bills and living expenses like food and other necessities. The WC program can provide you up to 66% of your regular weekly income when you are off work, healing from a workplace injury, to help you survive financially until you can return to work and earn a paycheck. The money is paid to you by the program, and there are no restrictions on how the funds can be used.
- Covering your medical expenses related to your workplace injuries is most likely the greatest benefit offered by the Workers Comp Program. It will pay all of your medical care costs, from hospital and doctor bills to the fees for therapy, treatment, or essential medical devices. In addition, there are never any deductibles or co-pays that you are required to pay. The program covers everything with a maximum per workplace accident incident of a full one million dollars. Finally, most medical care providers will bill the WC program directly so you are never asked to pay bills and wait to be reimbursed by the program. There is also no risk of these expenses going to collections and ruining your credit, as they are billed directly to the Workers Comp Program.
What Accident Injuries Are Covered By The WC Program?
As a worker in Alhambra, California, you need to know that all workplace accidents and injuries are covered by the program, as long as the incident and you meet three very simple criteria, which are:
- The accident happened while you were working at your regular job
- The incident that caused your injuries was not caused in part or wholly by inappropriate or unprofessional activities, horseplay, or roughhousing
- You were not under the influence of any mind-altering substance at the time of the Alhambra, CA workplace injury incident
Can I Sue My Employer For More Than My Workers Comp Benefits?
As an Alhambra, California, workplace injury victim, you are typically legally bound to seek only help from the WC program after getting hurt on the job. The state provides protection for employers who are funding the WC program from the cost and time consumed by personal injury lawsuits. This is the benefit given to the employers for the cost and time involved in participating in the WC program that protects employees. However, there is a single exception that allows a very small number of workplace injury victims to pursue a personal injury lawsuit related to their workplace injuries.
In these rare cases, there is evidence of gross negligence on the part of the employer, meaning they showed no regard for the safety of their employee. In one manner or another, that disregard for safety caused or contributed to the accident and injuries suffered by the employee. In these cases, the hurt worker has the right to pursue legal action in the form of a personal injury lawsuit to seek compensation for losses and expenses not covered by the WC benefits. For example, you could sue for any part of your lost wages that were not paid to you by the Workers Comp Program, or you might seek compensation for any personal property that was damaged in the incident, as WC does not reimburse you for that loss.
If you feel that gross negligence was a factor in your Alhambra, California workplace injuries, please reach out to California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group today. You have only two years from the date of the on the job accident to prepare and file your lawsuit with the court. Once that time has passed, you no longer have the right to take legal action related to this particular injury incident.
Why You Need An Alhambra, California Workplace Injury Lawyer From California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group
After getting hurt at work, your life is sure to be stressful and unpredictable. The wise and swift way to resolve the issues created by your injuries is to seek the guidance of an expert. At California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group, our legal team has helped and represented thousands of victims like yourself, and we are ready to help you. Please know that we never ask for upfront fees or expenses, and we will take on any case with legal merit. Finally, we only get paid after the case is resolved and you have the funds and help you need and deserve.
Thanks to our Zero Fee Guarantee, if your California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group, Alhambra, California workplace injury lawyer fails to win your case, you owe the firm nothing. We are here ot help and will never leave a client in a worse position than when they came to us for help. Please contact our staff today to learn more about resolving the issues caused by your Alhambra, CA workplace injuries.
