Buttonwillow Workers’ Compensation Lawyers

Practice Areas Buttonwillow Lawyers Buttonwillow Workers’ Compensation Lawyers

Buttonwillow, California is located in Kern County and has a population of close to 1,500 people. Made up primarily of working-class individuals, this town in the San Joaquin Valley relies on its labor force. Our law firm understands that wherever there are people working, people are going to eventually get hurt on the job—Buttonwillow is no different. When those employees do get hurt, it’s important to have a good system in place that awards them the necessary compensation for medical treatment and accommodation. Workers’ compensation is a necessary asset for any business that has employees who are at risk for injury or illness.

What Is Workers’ Compensation?

Workers’ compensation refers to workers’ compensation insurance, a type of coverage purchased by employers to help offset the costs of workplace injuries. Also called workers’ comp, workman’s compensation and workman’s comp, workers’ compensation is meant to benefit both employees and employers by reducing expenses. More specifically, workers’ compensation protects employees and employers from financial loss if an individual gets sick, injured, or dies as a result of their job. Some of the costs associated with workplace injuries include the following:

• Lost Wages — When an employee is sick or injured, they will likely have to take off days from work. The money they could’ve made from working during that time is called lost wages. If an employee is injured on the job, their employer is responsible for covering those lost wages while the employee recovers, as they are technically a work-related expense.
• Medical Expenses — As with any injury, the individual’s health and safety is of the utmost importance. If the individual requires medical attention in any capacity, they should not refrain from treatment for fear of financial costs. Workers’ comp helps cover the expenses of surgeries, ambulances, and any other necessary medical interventions.
• Ongoing Care Costs — After the initial treatment, an individual may require additional assistance on their road to recovery; this could include extended hospital stays, disability accommodations, or pharmaceutical costs. Workers’ compensation will be awarded to help offset these costs as well, as they are technically a result of workplace injury/illness.
• Funeral Expenses — In the unfortunate event of a workplace-related death from illness or injury, workers’ comp insurance will help cover the cost of funeral services. This can reduce some of the stress on relatives or friends by reducing the financial burdens associated with the loss of a loved one.

Workers’ compensation insurance varies by state.

Filing a Workers’ Comp Claim in Buttonwillow, CA

After an injury occurs, the first thing you should do is ensure that the individual is safe from more harm and receives the proper medical attention. This could mean administering first aid, calling 911, or taking them to the hospital yourself. The next step is making sure the injury gets reported to whoever is in charge. If you are an employee, report it to the manager as soon as safely possible. If you are the manager, report to anyone above you and/or to the workers’ compensation insurance company as soon as you can. Make sure you collect as much information as possible for the report. While different states have different requirements on the details they need, there are some fundamentals that should be included across all claims, for example:

• Company information — This includes the location of the company, the account number, and the workers’ compensation policy number.
• Employee information — Personal information about the injured employee like gender, date of birth, race, name, addresses, phone number, social security number, etc. are all necessary aspects of detailing a workplace injury.
• Incident Details — The date on which the injury occurred, the type of injury, which body part was injured, what caused the injury, witnesses, how long the employee will be gone from work, the date an employee is set to return, etc. can aid in the insurance company’s investigation and decision regarding workers’ comp benefits.

These details should be submitted as soon as possible to the insurance company for the best results. Some states have a window of time for filing a workers’ comp claim if you hope to qualify for benefits, so pay careful attention to deadlines.

Who Is Eligible for Filing a Workers’ Comp Claim?

Filing a workers’ compensation claim is the responsibility of the employer. When an individual who is an employee of your company experiences an injury or illness for one of the following reasons, you should qualify for workers’ compensation insurance. The reasons for workers’ comp include:

• Your employee getting injured in the workplace
• Your employee getting injured due to their work environment
• Your employee getting injured due to work-related duties

If an injury or illness is caused by or related to an individual’s work in any way, there is a potential for workers’ compensation insurance coverage.

There are certain circumstances in which an employee is NOT eligible for workers’ comp benefits; this often happens when the worker is responsible for their own injury/illness. Examples of when a worker is not eligible for benefits include the following situations:

• If an employee is hurt in a fight which they started
• If an employee receives an injury as a result of them being intoxicated or under the influence of other substances
• If an employee sustains an emotional injury that is not tied to any sort of physical trauma in the workplace
• If an employee receives an injury on purpose; companies and insurance companies will conduct an investigation if there is suspicion about this aspect of a claim

Depending on the state in which the injury occurs, there may be additional situations barring employees from benefits.

When Is a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer in Buttonwillow Typically Necessary?

All states aside from New Jersey and Texas require companies to have some sort of insurance plan. Working with a Buttonwillow workers’ compensation attorney is not required by law but may be necessary when pursuing damages from large companies. Entities with a lot of money may attempt to bully employees into accepting less money than they deserve. A lawyer with connections and experience will not back down against corporations. Hire a Buttonwillow workers’ compensation lawyer that will fight for the compensation you deserve at a reasonable cost.

Is a Buttonwillow Workers’ Comp Attorney Worth the Cost?

At Chain | Cohn | Clark our Buttonwillow workers’ compensation lawyers do not get paid unless you get paid. If you lose your case, we won’t charge you for anything. This strategy not only makes it worthwhile for you to pursue workers’ comp damages, but also encourages us to put more effort into representing you. Call us for a free consultation to find out whether you have a case.

If you attempt to represent yourself in a workers’ compensation case, you may be taken advantage of by larger companies and your insurance provider. They will try to get you to settle for less than you deserve in an effort to save money. The potential winnings you can earn from hiring a Buttonwillow workers’ comp lawyer will outweigh the price of paying for an attorney, making it worthwhile to hire legal counsel.

Contact Experienced Workers’ Comp Attorneys at Chain | Cohn | Clark in Buttonwillow

At Chain | Cohn | Clark, we’ve been representing individuals in Buttonwillow and surrounding areas for 85 years now. Not only do we have the knowledge and skills to represent you, we also have the detailed track record to prove it. We’ve worked tirelessly for decades to ensure that you and your neighbors have representation against large companies that may try to take advantage of you after an injury.

Chain | Cohn | Clark is also different from other law firms because of our accessibility. We have a call line open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to hear your case. If we don’t answer right away, we’ll get back to you as soon as possible to set up an appointment and discuss the next steps. Don’t hesitate to reach out, call us at (661) 616-9829 to schedule a free consultation, or fill out the contact us form on our website.