Were you injured while working at a fast-food restaurant? If so, you could have the right to file for workers compensation. Under California law, all employers are required to have workers compensation insurance to cover employees in case of a workplace accident. Of course, this includes fast-food restaurant workers.
If you are interested in learning more about the legal options available to you, contact the team here at our law firm as soon as possible. The California Labor Law Employment Attorney Group can help you every step of the way. Our workers compensation lawyers are more than ready to provide you with the guidance that you need to secure your benefits and reach the best claim outcome possible.
Examples of Incidents at Fast-Food Restaurants
There are many different incidents that can occur in fast-food restaurants. Workers may potentially experience some of the following:
- Resbalones y caídas
- Tropezón y caídas
- Falling objects
- Repetitive motion incidents (like bending, scanning items, entering keys on a register, etc.)
- Illnesses from exposure to chemicals (including cleaning chemicals)
- And more
The Injuries that May Occur
There are many injuries that workers at fast food restaurants may suffer due to workplace incidents. Some examples of these injuries could include the following:
- Head injuries, including concussions
- Neck and back injuries, specifically lower-back injuries, including strain, herniated discs, etc.
- Spinal cord injuries
- Shoulder injuries, hip injuries, knee injuries, etc.
- Respiratory injuries
- Síndrome del túnel carpiano
- Chronic pain
- Nerve pain
- And more
Understanding Workers Compensation
Under California law, all employers (with at least one employee) must have workers compensation insurance. When a workplace incident occurs, the employee can submit a workers compensation claim and obtain certain benefits. The benefits that could be available for recovery could include coverage for all medical care, temporary or permanent disability benefits, retraining benefits, and more.
What to do after a Fast-Food Restaurant Workplace Accident?
After any accident at your workplace, it is important that injured workers take the necessary steps to ultimately obtain workers comp benefits. Consider the following recommended steps:
- If there was an incident, take photos of the scene of the incident
- Take photos of any visible injuries that occurred
- Seek medical attention as soon as possible (this can be urgent care, the emergency department, or your primary care doctor)
- Report the incident/injury to your employer (your employer will provide you with a form as well as with information on their medical provider)
- Fill out the required form and return it to your employer (your employer will fill out their portion of the form and submit it to their insurance provider)
- Receive temporary benefits (you may start receiving temporary benefits right away)
- Wait for a decision (you should receive a final decision within 90 days)
The process of applying for workers compensation benefits is designed to be simple. In summary, the injured worker notifies their employer, the necessary form is filled out and submitted, and a decision is made. Unfortunately, things do not always go smoothly and may require legal assistance.
When Do Injured Workers Need Legal Representation?
Workers compensation claims can be handled without any legal representation, although it is not recommended. It is important that injured workers understand that they may need legal help with their claims. Workers may need legal help if the following are true:
- The employer/insurance allege that the injury did not occur in the workplace
- The workers comp claim is unfairly denied
- The employer does not carry enough workers comp insurance coverage
- The employer does not carry any workers comp insurance coverage
- The workers comp benefits are underpaid
- The workers comp benefits are delayed
To prevent from workers comp claims being unfairly denied or underpaid, it is recommended to have legal help from the start.
Our Team Can Help You!
If you are a fast-food worker who suffered an injury on the job, it is important that you understand that you could have the right to pursue workers compensation benefits. To ensure that you have a thorough understanding of whether you could get workers comp benefits after your workplace accident, it is important that you reach out to experienced fast-food restaurant workers comp lawyers as soon as possible. Our lawyers have decades of experience and can help you get the benefits that you are owed after a work accident. No matter the fast-food restaurant that you work in, our lawyers can help you fight for your rights.
Contact the California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group for more information on how we can help you after a workplace accident. Our firm is committed to remaining accessible to all injured workers looking to apply for workers compensation benefits. We offer both free consultations and free second opinions, so that you can access all the information that you need to start or continue your workers comp claim. To schedule a free case review, contact us today.
Zero-Fee Guarantee: you will never have to pay any upfront legal costs for any of our legal services. Our firm also works on contingency, so you will not be responsible for paying anything at all if your claim is not successful. if you do not win, you will not pay anything.
Contact our fast-food restaurant workers comp benefits lawyer as soon as possible.
