Located in Los Angeles County, in the western San Gabriel Valley, Alhambra is a community of nearly 85,000. The community dates back to the early 1900s and is home to a very diverse population. As such, there are many gatherings, festivals, and events that offer great cultural experiences for the entire community. The most popular event in the town each year is certainly the San Gabriel Valley Lunar New Year Parade and Festival. The event can even be enjoyed around the world, as it is not televised on local or cable channels, allowing people to share the celebration.
Throughout the year, residents can be seen outside enjoying the many parks and family-friendly activities in Alhambra or walking along Main Street, taking a look at the make vehicle dealerships on Auto Row, checking out a few of the local eateries on Restaurant Row, or shopping in the markets and shops in this very walkable section of the community. The idyllic feeling of Main Street and the surrounding area is why many people choose to live and work in Alhambra. The largest employers in the city include:
- AHMC Healthcare
- Alhambra Unified School District
- The City of Alhambra
- Los Angeles County Department of Public Works
- Costco
- Emcore Corp
- Edison Company
- Home Depot
This wide selection of larger employers, along with all the locally owned and operated businesses, provides ample employment opportunities for those who want to work close to home. The benefit of avoiding the typical commute endured by many living in the Los Angeles area is worth more than can be quantified or given a dollar value. But even when you live and work in your hometown, it is vital that you understand there can be issues or safety hazards you encounter on any given day, no matter where you work or what job you are doing. And even worse, some of the Alhambra workplace accidents leave their victims dealing with serious injuries, a loss of their ability to work in the immediate or long-term future, and mountains of medical bills.
If you or a loved one has sustained an Alhambra workplace injury, or you simply feel that you need to be prepared in case the unthinkable happens to you, the team at California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group would like to share some priceless information with you. The information is what our legal professionals believe is crucial and what California workers need to know about workers comp claims in Alhambra. Understanding how to use your workers comp benefits could be the only thing that saves you and your loved ones from years of struggling, debt, and hardships that could have been avoided after you suffered a workplace injury. We will provide you with basic information right now, but please know you can gain insight and information specific to you and your situation. All you need to do is grab the phone and contact the office staff at California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group.
When you reach out to our caring office team, who is available 24/7, they will provide immediate information and schedule you for a free consultation with an exceptional California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group workers’ comp claim lawyer. At that meeting, you will share all the facts of the injury incident, and your lawyer will explain how to open your California Workers Compensation claim. They will also help you understand any other legal action you might be able to take to help you secure added compensation that is owed to you for the harm you suffered in the workplace injury incident. All we ask is that you reach out to our compassionate staff swiftly, as there is a time limit for you to open a WC claim or take other action related to injuries sustained when you were on the job.
How Can I Be Covered By The California Workers Comp Program?
Some form of that question is very common when workplace injury victims first contact the California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group. They are confused about whether they might be covered by this program and eligible for benefits, even though they never signed up for the insurance coverage and did not pay any premiums or costs to obtain this protection in the event of a workplace injury. But please understand that in nearly every case, the injury victim who contacts California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group is ecstatic to learn that they are covered by this robust program and are going to be able to open a California Workers Comp claim to get help with the expenses and losses caused by an injury at work.
The reason most workers are covered by WC is that the state requires all employers to participate in the Workers Comp Program and also to cover the cost to have their employees enrolled in the program. The idea of workers’ compensation was created to eliminate the hardships and financial struggles workers faced when they were injured on the job. The state determined that this insurance-like program was the best for all involved, including the employers who used to frequently face personal injury lawsuits filed by employees who suffered injuries at work.
Today, any worker who gets hurt while on the job has the right to open a Workers Comp claim to get help with expenses and losses covered by the program. That is a huge help to the injured employees. In addition, employers are now protected from the many personal injury lawsuits they once faced. As a benefit for the employers, the state prohibits employees who were hurt on the job from taking legal action against their employer in most cases. Instead, they must use only the benefits provided by the California Workers Comp Program to help them resolve their monetary challenges due to their workplace injuries.
What Would Allow Me To Sue My Employer For A Workplace Injury?
There are never any absolutes in this world, and the legal system and Workers Compensation are not exceptions to that rule. There is one exception or circumstance that does allow a workplace injury victim to file a personal injury lawsuit against their employer. For the lawsuit to be permitted, there must be evidence of gross negligence on the part of the employer that caused or contributed to the worker’s injuries. In these cases, gross negligence is defined as the employer showing disregard or a complete lack of concern for the safety of the employee.
As an example of gross negligence, imagine that your job requires you to drive a company vehicle each day. After your workday, you stop to speak to your supervisor or employer and report that the brakes on your vehicle are worn out and need service or a repair. You ask for the vehicle to be fixed or to be given another vehicle to use until your original one is fixed and restored to being safe to drive. Instead of getting you another vehicle or repairing the current one, your employer tells you that you must still drive the unsafe vehicle or be fired. Neither is a great choice, but you keep driving the vehicle and try to give yourself added space and time to stop. But eventually, the brakes fail completely, and you are involved in a vehicle accident and suffer injuries.
The reason for the accident was clear. The brakes failed on the vehicle and caused you to endure a crash and suffer harm. In this case, your employer showed no concern for your safety and could be held accountable for gross negligence. In this instance, you could be permitted to file a personal injury lawsuit and seek compensation for the losses and expenses created by your workplace injury incident that were not covered by the WC benefits.
What Benefits Does The California Workers Comp Program Provide?
When you get hurt while at work, you can open an Alhambra Workers Comp claim and seek help from the program in a variety of ways. The staff at WC will evaluate your needs and care and then distribute benefits as needed in the following categories:
- Medical Expenses – The program covers the cost of all medical bills related to the accident injuries, including diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation, as well as things like prescriptions, essential medical devices, and any therapy or counseling needed to address the stress and trauma of the accident and injuries. It is also vital to understand that most medical care providers will work with the WC program and bill it directly, so you are never asked to pay a deductible, co-pay, or any of these medical expenses and then wait to be reimbursed.
- Lost Income – The WC program can provide you with up to 66% of your regular weekly income to help you pay your routine living expenses. The money is paid directly to you, and there are no restrictions on how you can use it.
- Disability Payments – If the workplace accident and injuries you suffered leave you with a disability, loss of capability or capacity, or limitations that will decrease your earning potential, the program can provide you with disability payments to help replace that decrease in your income.
- Job Training – When the harm you sustain is very serious, and the injuries you endured will not allow you to ever return to your current job, the program offers you free vocational training to allow you to prepare for a new career path once you are healed and ready to return to the workforce.
How Long Do I Have To Take Action After My Workplace Injury?
When you get hurt at work and need to open a Workers Comp claim, it is crucial that you understand that you have only 30 days from the date of the injury incident to open that claim with the program staff. If you wait longer than the allotted 30 days, the claim will typically be immediately rejected, and you will not get any program benefits. The only exception to the time limit of 30 days is when your workplace injury was caused by cumulative trauma.
Cumulative trauma most frequently happens because of repetitive motion or actions, like pulling a lever or moving items in a specific manner. To open a WC claim related to cumulative trauma, the injury must be diagnosed by a medical professional, and they should state the cause of the trauma as it relates to your job. In these instances, you are given one year from the first date that you miss work because of the cumulative trauma injuries or a year from the date of the diagnosis to open your claim with the California Workers Comp Program.
If the injuries you suffered were caused wholly or partially due to gross negligence, please understand that you have two years from the date of the accident to file your Alhambra personal injury lawsuit with the court. If the case is not filed within the provided two years, you lose the right to pursue legal action on the date of expiration of this time limit. Please reach out to the dedicated team at California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group to discuss the facts of your injury at work and determine if you have grounds for a lawsuit or if you will only be permitted to seek help from the WC program.
Why You Need California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group Working For You In Alhambra
After sustaining injuries at work, you could be feeling overwhelmed and stressed about the expenses and losses you face because of the incident. Fortunately, with just a single call to California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group, you are sure to begin to feel more confident in your ability to resolve the matter thanks to the help of our legal staff and the WC program. You will also be very pleased to confirm with our office staff that we never charge any upfront legal fees or expenses when we take on a new case. Instead, we handle any case with legal merit and only get paid when the matter is resolved, and our client has been paid. Finally, if your California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group Workers Comp Claim lawyer fails to win your case and get you the help you need, you owe the law firm nothing as part of our No Fee Guarantee. Please get in touch with our office today to learn more about this vital opportunity to resolve the upsetting and costly issues created by an Alhambra workplace injury incident.
