What To Do If You Have Been Injured On The Job In Mission Valley
Workers’ compensation is categorized as being one of the nation’s oldest social insurance program. It was adopted by most states including California during the turn of the 20th century. Under this program, employees are entitled by law to receive immediate and effective medical treatment for job related illnesses and injuries, no matter who is at fault, as long as the injury occurred on the job in Mission Valley or any other city with the state of California. Statistics indicate that a vast majority of claims are settled without any problems. But, in some instances a conflict may arise between employees and employers such as issues that surround whether or not the injury or illness occurred as a result of the job, as well as to how much compensation the affected is entitled to receive. In such cases, our experienced Workers Compensation Attorney in Mission Valley is here to protect your legal rights.
Emergency First-Aid/Medical Treatment: Once you sustain an illness or injury as a result of your working environment, you need to get medical treatment as soon as possible. In the event that you experience an emergency ,do not delay when it comes to calling 911. However, if the injury is not severe, be sure to see a doctor as soon as possible, such as a sprained ankle for example.
Report Your Illness/Injury: Once you receive medical treatment, you’ll need to report your injury to your employer as to which, they will give you a claim form. According to regulations, your employer must provide you with or mail you the Workers’ Compensation Claim Forum (DWC 1) within a period of one business day, after the date of which you reported the illness or injury. This is the form you will use to secure workers’ compensation benefits.
Filling Out The Claim: Before you fill out the claim, be sure that you read all the information that comes with it and only fill out and sign the “employee” section on the form. You’ll need to describe said injury in great detailed, such as listed every portion of the body that was affected by said injury. One you have done this, you will need to provide the claim to your employer. It’s highly recommended that you do this with the supervision of a workers compensation attorney Mission Valley as soon as possible to avoid any conflicts with your claim. You can choose to give the form to your employer in person. But, if you are unable to do so,as a result of your injury/illness you can mail it via Certified Mail.
Workers Compensation Claims in Mission Valley
Accepted Claim: If your claim is accepted you can receive one or more of the following benefits:
- Total Temporary Disability (TTD) – These are benefits that are provided when you are not able to conduct any type of work-related activity or if you are under restrictions temporarily such as “no heavy lifting for X amount of time” for example. Temporary disability is paid at a rate of 2/3 of what your typical weekly earnings are.
- Temporary Partial Disability (TPD) – In the event that your doctor proclaims that you are unable to work for more than ‘X’ amount of hours, you are entitled to 2/3 of the money that you have lost as a result of this restriction.
- Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) – If you reached maximum medical improvement and have been deemed of having a ‘permanent disability’, you are entitled to permanent disability advances.
- Death Benefits – In the event that you die as a result of your illness or injury, your dependent is entitled up to $250,000 which will be paid out at the rate of which temporary disability is paid out.
- Supplemental Job Displacement Benefits (SJDB) – In the event that you leave your job as a result of said work-related injury or illness, you are entitled to receive a voucher of as much as $6,000 for retraining and job enhancement classes.
Delayed Claim: If the insurance carrier finds an error in your claim, believes that the circumstances need to be investigated or simply because they choose to, can and will delay your claim. This in itself can take anywhere from weeks or even months in most cases.
Denied Claim: If the insurance carrier denies your claim, they will provide you with a letter that specifies the reason(s) as to why. However, in most cases, they will deny your claim because they do not believe that it is covered under the workers’ compensation guidelines or the injury did not occur as a result of or on the work environment. It’s worth noting though, that this can be appealed.
Workers Comp Lawyers Mission Valley
Unnecessary Stress
Even though you may be able to file an initial claim or respond to a denied claim on your home, it’s highly recommended that you use a workers compensation lawyer Mission Valley for several reasons, one of which is the inevitable stress. While you may not be able to perceive it at first glance, the delay process and the denial process themselves can lead to great financial turmoil. While it may be true that you are entitled to as much as $10,000 in medical care up until the claim is accepted, such a small amount of money cannot provide you with the quality of treatment that you need to speed up the recovery process and to raise your chances of recovering fully. In addition to that, in the event that it runs out, which typically happens in a matter of days, you will have to pay for the expenses on your own. In the event that you have been unable to work the required amount of hours that are set for you, you will also struggle to take care of your responsibilities such as food, utilities, rent, entertainment, school supplies and clothing for example.
Workers Compensation Attorney Mission Valley
Therefore, in order for you to avoid any possible conflicts that you may encounter, as well as to expedite the entire process you should use the services of a workers compensation lawyer Mission Valley. A workers compensation attorney Mission Valley will fight to make sure that you get the maximum amount of benefits that’s allowed by law as well as to ensure that you mitigate any problems that may arise which can furthermore delay the entire process. You have right! Call today and get setup with a qualified workers compensation attorney mission valley. Call Golden State Workers Compensation now at 619.415.0097!
