If you live in the Bay Area, you know better than anyone that there are many huge companies that employ thousands of workers. What that means for residents of the Bay Area is that there are many great companies to work for and a wide selection of career paths that can allow you to have a job you enjoy and the ability to thrive in all aspects of your life. If you are thinking about moving to the Bay Area, be sure to check out the job openings at major companies such as these, which are the largest employers in the region:
- Apple
- Meta
- Cisco
- NVIDIA
- Salesforce
- Kaiser Permanente
- Sutter Health
- Lockheed Martin
- Adobe
- Intuit
- Visa
- eBay
- HP
- NetApp
As you review these names, you might be thinking that it would be perfect to work for these companies, but it is vital that you understand that there are no perfect employers. While there are some good employers who work diligently to protect their workers, others are less careful. In those situations, it is more common than ever for workers to face hazards and difficult work conditions that can increase the likelihood of suffering a workplace injury. If you are currently employed at one of the less than perfect companies and have been hurt on the job, please know that you do not need to face the hardships of your on the job injury alone. The caring staff at California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group is just a call away and is ready to provide the information and help you need.
When you reach out to California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group, there is always a team member ready to take your call. You never need to leave a message and hope for a call back. Instead, our dedicated staff works around the clock to ensure that workplace injury victims like yourself get the answers and help they need to recover from the physical and financial harm that comes from an on the job injury incident. On the first call you make to the office, you will be provided with helpful information, guidance, and a sense of hope that you can resolve the challenges and expenses created when you got hurt at work.
The office staff will also assist you in booking your free consultation with a Bay Area Worker’s Comp lawyer who will help you understand how to secure any benefits you deserve and need after getting hurt while on the clock. After you relate the facts of your injury incident to your lawyer during your free consultation, they will help you understand how the Worker’s Comp program works and the services it could provide to you when you open a claim. In addition, your California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group Bay Area Worker’s Comp Lawyer will explain any other legal action that you might be able to pursue to seek added compensation for the losses and expenses created by your workplace injuries.
Once you have all of this information, all the choices and actions you take are up to you. Please know that you are never required to open a Worker’s Compensation claim, nor are you obligated to hire California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group if you decide to pursue legal action related to this matter. Our only motivation in offering all of this information to worker’s who got hurt on the job is to ensure they understand how the Worker’s Comp program can help them and the services our firm provides to handle other legal matters related to on the job injuries. All we ask of victims like yourself is that you contact our office as quickly as possible, as there are time limits for you to take action to secure the help and compensation that is owed to you.
Common Bay Area Workplace Injury Incidents
There are nearly countless kinds of injuries that can occur when you are at work. Some accidents are specific to the kind of work you do, such as being exposed to cleaning chemical hazards if you are in the janitorial profession or suffering harm to your back if your job requires you to lift large or heavy objects regularly. Sadly, other workplace injuries have nothing to do with the type of job you perform. Instead, they are simple issues that could be prevalent anywhere, such as a trip and fall or a slip and fall, which could even happen in your home. The simple fact is that all Bat Area jobs present some risk of injury to workers each day when they clock in or sit down at their desk. But workers in the Bay Area are fortunate to be covered by the California Worker’s Comp Program that will offer them assistance when they suffer harm on the job.
How Do I Know If I Am Covered By Worker’s Comp?
Many workers who get hurt while on the clock contact California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group because they are unsure about eligibility for Worker’s Comp and are unsure if they are even covered by the program. The short answer for most of these victims is that they are covered and can seek help from the WC program. What they do not know is that all businesses in the state are legally required to participate in the Worker’s Comp Program and cover all the costs to enroll and protect their employees with this valuable insurance. So, if you get hurt at work, you can seek help from Worker’s Compensation in almost all cases. The only exceptions that would prevent you from receiving Worker’s Comp benefits are in cases where you were under the influence of a mind-altering substance at the time of the incident, or you were acting irresponsibly and taking part in horseplay at the time of your injuries.
What Workplace Injuries Are Covered By Worker’s Comp?
It is very comforting to learn that the Worker’s Compensation Program covers all kinds and severities of workplace injuries. If you are walking in a warehouse where you work and trip over a box and twist your ankle, the program will pay for any medical treatment you need to heal properly. In addition, if you are working with sharp tools and suffer a laceration, Worker’s Comp will pay for you to get stitches to close the wound and ensure it heals correctly. While these are helpful, the cost of the care needed for these workplace injuries is relatively minimal. You should also know that if you suffer very serious injuries, the program will still cover all the care you need for one or more of these very severe but fully covered injuries:
- Back, neck, or spinal cord damage
- Severe lacerations or puncture wounds that can include internal bleeding or damage to internal organs
- Broken or shattered bones
- Compound fractures
- Complete joint dislocations and the destruction of the soft connective tissue of the joints
- Facial injuries that include harm to the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, or the delicate skin on the face
- Contact burns
- Electrical burns
- Chemical burns or damage from inhalation of caustic chemical fumes
- Soft tissue damage and the destruction of the nerve tissue in the area
- Partial or complete amputations
- Head injuries can range from a skull fracture or severe concussion to a brain bleed or other traumatic brain injuries
What Help Does Worker’s Comp Offer Bay Area Workplace Injury Victims?
When you open a WC claim for your Bay Area injuries, the program will provide you with benefits on an as-needed basis that fall within these parameters and limits per workplace injury incident:
- Complete coverage of all medical expenses related to the harm suffered while on the job up to a total of $1M per incident – it is also vital to understand that you will never be asked to pay any part of these expenses and that most medical care providers will work directly with the program to get paid so you are not forced to make payments and then get reimbursed
- If you suffer injuries that cause you to miss work while you are healing, the program will pay you up to 66% of your regular weekly income to help you cover your routine living expenses until you can return to work
- If the injuries you sustained at work result in a loss of capability and earning potential, the program can provide you with disability payments to help offset that loss of earning potential
- In cases where you suffer such severe harm that you will never be able to return to your current job or role, the program will provide free vocational training to help prepare you for a new job when you are ready to return to work
When Can I Sue My Employer For More Compensation?
Many workers want to know if they can sue their employer for more compensation than is offered by the Worker’s Comp program. In most cases, the answer is no. You are not permitted to file a personal injury lawsuit against your employer for a workplace injury. The reason is that the WC program was created with two goals. While the first is to help hurt workers recover from their injuries and losses, the second is to protect employers from the lawsuits that were common before this program was created.
The only exception that allows a workplace injury victim to pursue legal action against their employer is when there is evidence of gross negligence on the part of the employer. Gross negligence is defined as a complete disregard for the safety of an employee. For example, think about a worker who drives a company truck each day. When the brakes on the truck are worn out and not working well, the employee tells their employer that the truck needs service and brake repairs. If the employer repairs the truck, there is no issue. However, if the employer refuses to have the truck’s brakes fixed and then they fail and cause an accident that injures the employee, the employer could be considered grossly negligent because they failed to consider and protect the safety of their employee. If you feel gross negligence was a factor in your workplace injuries, please reach out to California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group today for assistance.
How Long Do I Have To Take Action And Get Help?
If you suffer a workplace injury, you have 30 days from the date of the incident to open a WC claim. If you wait longer than 30 days to open the claim, it is typically going to be immediately denied, and you will not get any benefits. Keep in mind that the worker who gets hurt is responsible for contacting the WC program to open the claim and ensure it is being processed correctly.
If you have suffered a workplace injury and there is gross negligence involved, you have two years from the date of the injury incident to file a lawsuit with the court. This time limit is strictly enforced, and once it has passed, you will no longer have the right to pursue legal action related to this matter. Please also know that there are minimal exceptions that would grant you added time to take legal action once the original time limit has lapsed, so please reach out to California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group today to discuss your case and the time remaining for you to take action to get the help you need and deserve.
No Upfront Fees Or Expenses
When you work with the California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group, we never ask for any out of pocket fees or expenses to assist you in your Bay Area Worker’s Comp case. Instead, our team works diligently to help you get the services and care you need. And we only get paid once the matter is resolved. Finally, if your California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group Bay Area Worker’s Comp Lawyer fails to win your case and deliver that much needed compensation, you owe the firm nothing. Please reach out to our caring team today to learn more about your options after suffering injuries at work.
