Workers Compensation Attorney Law Firm

Railroad workers run greater risks of occupational injury than most other professions, and therefore, there are many special safety regulations and compensatory rules that apply to them. Falls from moving railroad cars, loss of a limb in heavy machinery, being electrocuted, burns and defacement due to toxic chemicals, and numerous other dangers are all too common. Fatality rates, too, among railway employees are relatively high.

The Federal Employers Liability Act, rather than state-level workers’ compensation insurance, covers most railroad workers in California in the event of on the job injury or death. Similar types of claims are filed under FELA, for medical bills, wage loss, and non-economic damages - but the process is different. We are experts at securing railroad employees their rightful compensation, no less than those in other industries, and we have a long history of winning generous settlements.

Injury to the back, neck, or spine is easily among the most debilitating and painful types of injuries you can have. But back and neck injury is not at all uncommon either. Any job that entails heavy lifting, repetitive lifting, bending, or twisting, or exposes one to environments where slip and fall accidents may occur - poses a serious risk in this regard.

Also, driving jobs may result in such injuries in the aftermath of an accident or even just a sudden stop on the highway to avoid an accident. Whiplash may not show immediate signs, but appear later and prove extremely painful and debilitating. One major problem with this injury type is that it can be difficult to prove the source or cause of the injury or of the pain. It can also be difficult to prove the severity of pain. But rest assured our attorneys have deep experience in doing just that!

An injury to the hand, wrist, or arm often immediately makes it impossible to continue with your usual work performances as usual. Sprains, strains, and lacerations may create a temporary disability, while fractures may be long term, and even permanent damage or amputations may occur and create a permanent disability.

While those whose job involves intense physical labor file the majority of hand injury claims through workers’ comp, there are also many claims from office workers, factory workers, and others for carpal tunnel, tendinitis, arthritis, wrist or elbow injury, and repetitive motion disorders affecting the hands. Don’t assume that a hand or arm injury has to involve visible cuts or bruises or total inability to move the arm before it counts under workers’ comp. The truth is, any and all significant conditions affecting the arm will qualify.

Easily among the most traumatic of all injuries, you can sustain at work, or anywhere else for that matter, is any injury to the head. Being struck in the head by moving machine parts, hitting your head against an object, falling head first to a concrete floor, or smashing your head in a car crash are among the most common causes of such injuries.

The effects of a head injury can include much more than temporary bruises and short-term pain: they may include ongoing headaches, speech problems, traumatic brain injury, memory loss, permanent numbing, or even paralysis. Properly diagnosing a head injury is often very difficult and takes multiple examinations, while treatment and rehabilitation is even more costly and complex. Employers and insurers may be tempted to try to deny or restrict your claim in such high-cost cases, which is why you need the assistance of an experienced workers’ comp lawyer from the beginning to the end of the claim process.

Loss of hearing can occur quickly following an accident, especially when the head was severely impacted in and around the ears, but usually, this type of injury comes upon you slowly over a period of months or years. Excessively noisy work environments, where high decibels and either sharp, sudden bursts of noise or continuous dangerous noise levels may ultimately make one hard of hearing or even deaf. This is a valid claim to file against your employer’s workers’ compensation insurer.

Note that employers in California are legally required to provide workers with adequate hearing protection and to monitor sound levels for safety purposes. Even partial deafness can have a huge impact on one’s ability to perform at work and in life, and yet, this is not a “traditional disability category.” Plus, it can be more challenging to prove when and how hearing loss occurred than with many other injuries, especially if it occurred gradually. For these reasons, the expertise of a dedicated attorney experienced in workers’ compensation law is essential to winning a fair settlement.

Needless to say, the full use of one’s legs, knees, feet, and ankles is essential to many employment tasks and to general functioning and comfort as you go through life. Injury to this part of the body is common in many California workplaces. Broken legs, soft-tissue strains and sprains, a broken knee cap, a badly twisted ankle, broken or crushed feet and/or toes, or damage to the cartilage and tendons in the knee area are all examples of this type of injury.

Surgeries, rehabilitation, prescription drugs, and other treatments for foot, knee, and leg injuries are very expensive and require a good deal of time before you are ready to return to work, in most cases. Impacts, falls, repetitive tasks, getting caught in heavy machinery, or stepping on nails or sharp objects are all common causes of these injuries. To collect compensation, you will need to prove that the injury was work-related, that it occurred at all, and show its true severity, cost, and disabling nature. We can help you to prove all that and more so as to collect your full claim and to not lose your job due to an accidental foot, ankle, knee, or leg injury.

There are many ways in which the shoulders or elbows can be seriously injured while completing employment tasks. Pulling, lifting, and carrying of heavy objects on a routine basis is a common cause. Malfunctioning of machinery, trip-and-fall accidents, and lack of proper training and safety procedures may also cause or contribute to shoulder and elbow injuries. Dislocated shoulders or elbows, shattered or fractured bones, torn rotator cuffs, elbow hyperextension, contusions of the ulnar nerve, and more can result from a variety of causes, and the injured party may not even know immediately what caused his or her injury.

Don’t hesitate to seek immediate medical attention when you know you have a severe shoulder or elbow problem. Not only will you get needful medical help, but this will lay the groundwork for later filing a workers’ compensation claim as well. It may take time and careful investigation to pinpoint the exact cause of your injury, but if it is work related (regardless of whether due to sudden or gradual causes), you are entitled to compensation for it under California’s workers' compensation insurance system.

Easily ranking among the most hazardous of all occupations is that of the construction worker. Working with dangerous tools day to day and with heavy equipment, walking on staging far off the ground, walking on rooftops, working in difficult weather and environmental conditions, and a host of other factors create a truly “high-risk job” for construction workers.

Falls of ladders and scaffolding, being hit by falling objects, electrocution, heavy lifting, falling into a ditch or trench, or getting trapped under a collapsing roof are among the many causes of construction accidents. Work-related vehicle accidents are also common. And malfunctioning tools can also create a very dangerous situation. As the workplace of construction workers changes continually, and as there are many safety regulations that apply to this industry, there is much legal work to be done to establish the validity of your claim and to secure you your full reimbursement. We at The Workers Compensation Attorney Law Firm are 100% up to the task!

Across a wide range of industries, it is necessary to use various chemicals that can be toxic and dangerous when exposed to human skin or eyes, ingested, or breathed in. Workers in factories, hospitals, hotels, and many other job-types often file workers’ comp claims in California for toxic chemicals exposure. Burns, rashes, respiratory problems, poisoning, and other health problems may occur due to chemicals being spilled, improperly stored or labeled, or wrongly used.

Chemical injuries may last for months, years, or even be permanent. Disfigurement, loss of strength, difficulty using affected body parts, and certainly the loss of ability to perform at work at the same level as before the accident, can all result. Many times, the employer failed to follow safety procedures fully or to train workers adequately in regard to working with dangerous chemicals. In that case, there may be negligence and grounds for a tort lawsuit on top of a workers’ comp claim.