888-341-3071
495+Getting hurt on the job can turn your life upside down in an instant. One moment you’re working, and the next you’re dealing with pain, medical appointments, and the fear of falling behind on bills while you cannot earn a paycheck. If that’s where you are right now, you don’t have to figure this out alone. As your Riverside workers’ compensation lawyer, our team at The JLF Firm handles the legal side so you can focus on healing. When you’ve been injured, you need a pro. Call our Riverside office at 888-341-3071 for a free consultation.
What Workers’ Compensation Covers in California
Here’s some reassuring news during a stressful time: workers’ compensation is a no-fault system. California workers’ compensation law focuses on employment-related injuries and illnesses, regardless of fault. That means you can receive benefits whether the accident was your fault, your employer’s, or nobody’s at all. If you were hurt doing your job, you’re generally covered.
California law provides several types of benefits:
- Medical care for your work injury, from doctor visits and surgery to medication and physical therapy. The employee may receive up to $10,000 in medical treatment while the insurance company decides whether to approve the employee’s claim.
- Temporary disability payments while you recover. If the injury causes temporary total disability, the disability payment is two-thirds of the average weekly earnings during the period of such disability, with California setting a weekly maximum that caps how much you can recover each week.
- Permanent disability payments if your injury causes lasting limitations
- Supplemental job displacement benefits if you are unable to return to your old role
- Death benefits for families who lost a loved one on the job
The problem is that insurance companies don’t always pay what these benefits are truly worth.
Common Workplace Injuries We Handle
Work injuries happen in every industry, not just on construction sites. Our attorneys represent injured workers with:
- Back, neck, and spinal cord injuries
- Repetitive stress injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome
- Slips, trips, and falls
- Broken bones, burns, and crush injuries
- Occupational illnesses from toxic exposure
Whether your injury happened in a single moment or built up over years on the job, you may have a valid claim. Not sure where you stand? Call 888-341-3071, and we’ll talk it through for free.
How to Report a Work Injury and File a Workers’ Compensation Claim in California
California sets strict deadlines, and missing one can cost you your benefits. Three steps matter most.
- Report your injury in writing. Under the California Labor Code, you must give signed, written notice of your injury to your employer within 30 days or risk losing your right to receive any benefits.
- Complete the claim form. Within one working day of receiving notice or knowledge of injury, your employer must give or send you a claim form, known as the DWC-1. Fill out your section and return it. You can also download it from California’s Division of Workers’ Compensation.
- Don’t wait to start your claim. Under Labor Code section 5405, the period within which proceedings may be commenced for the collection of benefits is one year from the date of injury.
Once you file, the claims administrator, who is responsible for handling your claim, must notify you within 14 days whether your claim is accepted or whether additional investigation is needed. And if liability is not rejected within 90 days after the date the claim form is filed under Section 5401, the injury shall be presumed compensable.
Denied or Underpaid? We Stand Up to the Insurance Company
Insurance companies make money by paying as little as possible. They may tell you that you’re not hurt enough, that your injury isn’t really work-related, or that your condition was pre-existing. We’ve seen these tactics before, and we don’t let them go unchallenged.
If your claim is denied, you have options, including the right to have your case heard by a judge. Our team gathers the medical evidence, holds the insurer accountable, and pushes to recover every benefit you’re owed. Nobody gets to decide your future is “not valuable enough.” Hurt at work in Riverside? Call 888-341-3071 for a free consultation.
When You May Also Have a Third-Party Claim
Workers’ compensation is generally your exclusive remedy against your employer, so you usually cannot sue them directly. But if someone other than your employer caused your injury, you may also have a separate personal injury claim.
Common examples include a negligent driver who hit you while you were working, a defective machine or tool, or an unsafe condition created by another company on the site. A third-party claim can recover losses that workers’ comp doesn’t fully cover, such as your complete lost wages and pain and suffering. A separate two-year deadline usually applies to these claims, so it’s worth asking about early.
Why Injured Riverside Workers Trust The JLF Firm
Founded by Jeff Fayngor, The JLF Firm was built to fight for injured individuals throughout Southern California. We’re a full-service team of attorneys and legal assistants, and we handle your case from start to finish so you can concentrate on getting better.
Going the extra mile is what sets our team apart. That means honest answers, regular updates, and people who treat your recovery like it matters, because it does. When the insurance company tries to underpay you, we’re the ones standing in their way. Our Riverside office on Indiana Avenue serves workers across the area, and with five Southern California locations, receiving help is convenient and easy.
Talk to a Riverside Workers’ Compensation Attorney Today
You shouldn’t have to battle the insurance company while you’re trying to heal, and you shouldn’t have to worry about upfront costs to get started. Your consultation is completely free, and our team at The JLF Firm is ready to listen to your story.
When you’ve been injured, you need a pro. Call our Riverside workers’ compensation attorneys at 888-341-3071 today to get started.
