At Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers of Fremont, we provide strong representation for victims injured while at work. This can include employees who receive burns and must miss work. We demand the maximum in recovery support for victims from Workers’ Compensation and make sure employers are held accountable. Contact a skilled personal injury lawyer and schedule a free consultation.
Do I Need a Lawyer for My Workers’ Compensation Claim?
Turning your case over to a skilled Fremont Workers’ Compensation Lawyer means…
- …you could earn much more for your claim. After suffering a serious burn, that additional money may make a big difference in getting the right care and being able to recover financially after a major injury.
- …your case is protected against attacks. A lawyer also defends you when your employer and your employer’s Workers’ Comp Insurance try to cast doubt on how you were injured and the severity of your injuries.
A serious burn injury will build up more in medical debt and that will have Workers’ Compensation insurance adjusters working harder to limit the support you take home.
The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) explains that you should also speak to a lawyer if you believe your employer or the employer’s insurance provider is treating you unfairly. Turn to a lawyer if your injury isn’t being treated seriously enough by your boss. Suffering a permanent disability due to a devastating burn wound is another reason to turn your case over to an attorney. Your attorney would secure evidence and back your case with strong medical testimony.
Burn Injury Dangers on Fremont Worksites
Fremont workers may work around burn injury risks every day and not even think twice about it. Construction workers may spend the day working with heated materials or explosion risks. Farmworkers could have to use dangerous chemicals without proper skin protection. They may have to use tractors and accidentally come in contact with hot metal parts.
Office workers may not have to deal with hot-running machinery, but they can still be exposed to exposed electrical wiring, or sudden fires in cubicles and break rooms. Business owners must do everything they can to reduce burn risks for employees. When they get negligent in this duty and a worker gets hurt, they have an obligation to help employees get the Workers’ Compensation assistance they need and perhaps even contribute additional support.
The National Library of Medicine reports that workplace burns are more common than we might realize. A study found that around 14% of all burn injuries treated in the U.S. are work-related.
These are just a few of the types of burns local workers can suffer on the job:
- Contact with flames from a workplace fire
- Chemical burns while working with Hazardous Substances
- Scald burns often involving steam or hot liquid
- Inhalation burns from breathing in heated air or smoke
- Contact burns, e.g., touching super-heated machinery
- Electrical burns that can cause internal injuries that aren’t immediately visible
Burn injury patients can require surgery with the possibility of prolonged mechanical ventilation when victims can’t breathe for themselves. Restorative surgery may be necessary for those workers who survive a burn. What’s even more concerning, victims can still be at risk of a fatal reaction years after an accident.
A Fremont Burn Injury Attorney ensures that victims get the care they need, and also have financial support to pay for any further care needed in the future. This can include help with home care costs, and additional surgeries deemed necessary in the future. Workers’ Comp and negligent employers must be held liable for every cost.
How Does a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Help Injured Employees?
Fremont workers may be in a great deal of pain and struggling through a difficult recovery. It’s not a good time to be dealing with an unhelpful employer and the California Division of Workers’ Compensation.
A lawyer handles the complex process and allows victims to focus on getting better. These are just a few of the safeguards your lawyer will provide:
- Handles the paperwork and files the Workers’ Compensation claim for clients
- Keeps an eye on deadlines so victims don’t lose their chance to secure the support they need
- Fully investigates what happened and collects powerful evidence to back up your case
- Fights back against unfair treatment from the victim’s employer and insurance companies try to change the facts or question the severity of your injury
- Uses the evidence to negotiate the most support possible from your employer’s Workers’ Comp insurance provider
- Often secures much more for your injury than you could have handling the claim yourself
- Represents you before Workers’ Compensation administrators and judges and makes sure they hear the full story before they rule on your case
- Helps you file an appeal if you’ve been denied benefits
- Helps you file a lawsuit against your employer if necessary
- Takes legal action if you are threatened or fired unjustly
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I tell my supervisor about my burn injury?
As soon as possible. Let your employer know the day you get injured. Waiting more than a month to alert your manager about your injury may cancel out your ability to seek Workers’ Compensation help.
How long do I have to file a California Workers’ Compensation injury claim?
Victims should alert their employers immediately after an injury is suffered. Then victims must work with their employers to file a Workers’ Comp claim within a year from the date of the injury. The one-year deadline might be assessed from the day the worker learns of an illness or injury.
What Kinds of Things Can Injured Workers Earn Support for?
Victims should receive Workers’ Compensation support for all medical bills relating to the injury. They would secure temporary or permanent disability benefits. Injured workers can also receive funds to pay for training for a new career if they can no longer handle the duties of a previous job. Families could also be eligible for death benefits if a loved one is tragically killed in a workplace fire.
Can a Workers’ Comp Lawyer Help Me If I’m a Union Member?
Yes. Injured Union members still receive Workers’ Comp benefits, and a skilled lawyer can also help them secure more in a settlement with an employers’ Workers’ Compensation insurer. Union members also receive additional benefits through their labor agreements. A lawyer can help make sure they receive certain benefits such as full wage reimbursement, longer medical coverage for an injury, and strong job protections.
Can I Seek Help After Exposure to a Harmful Substance If I’m an Undocumented Worker?
Yes. California Workers’ Compensation is available to all workers. Undocumented workers can still be covered. Their immigration status does not matter. A Fremont Workers’ Compensation Attorney will work to get those workers full benefits. Our lawyers also take quick legal action if employers try to intimidate or threaten a worker for reporting an injury. This behavior is illegal.
Contact a Fremont Workers’ Compensation Burn Injury Attorney
Contact Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers of Fremont to schedule a free, confidential consultation with a real Fremont Workers’ Compensation Lawyer. We want to hear what happened to you and work on a plan to earn you the support you need.
We’re going to answer your questions and make sure you are prepared for the tactics you’ll face so you don’t forfeit valuable support. You’ll know what your burn injury is worth before an insurance adjuster tries to convince you it’s worth nothing at all.
Keep in mind, that you don’t have any savings to afford powerful legal representation. If you need our help earning what’s fair, we don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our pay comes out of the check Workers’ Comp must award you.