Redding Workers’ Compensation Law Blog

Have you recently been injured on the job and are now left wondering… “When does workers' comp start paying lost wages?” You're not alone—and the answer isn’t always straightforward.  Workers’ compensation laws vary by state, and multiple factors can influence when you’ll receive your first payment. Let’s break it down with this LTHZ Law guide so you can breathe a little easier and focus on what matters most: healing and recovery. Understanding Workers’ Compensation What Is Workers’ Comp? Workers’ compensation is an insurance system employers are legally required to carry. It provides medical care, wage replacement, and other benefits to employees who are injured or become ill due to their job. Purpose of the Program Think of it as a...

Workplace injuries can happen in the blink of an eye, leaving employees struggling to recover physically, emotionally, and financially. While California’s workers’ compensation system aims to provide a safety net, the path to securing benefits can be riddled with obstacles. This is where a workers’ comp lawyer in California becomes essential, advocating for your rights and ensuring you receive the benefits you deserve. Let’s explore everything you need to know about workers’ compensation and why expert legal guidance at LTHZ Law is invaluable. What is Workers' Compensation in California? Workers’ compensation is a no-fault insurance program mandated by the state to provide benefits to employees who suffer job-related injuries or illnesses. This system protects both employees and employers by ensuring...

Are Undocumented Workers Eligible For Workers’ Compensation? Undocumented immigrants are a substantial and important part of California’s workforce. However, undocumented workers are just as likely to suffer a serious work accident as their colleagues. Regardless of what you may have heard, undocumented workers are eligible for workers’ compensation. If you suffered a work injury and your immigration status is a concern, let Leep, Tescher, Helfman and Zanze help. Attorney Ben Helfman represents workers throughout Shasta County and the surrounding counties in California regardless of legal status. You likely have unique concerns about your career, your family and your home. You do have legal options, and an experienced lawyer can explain them to you. Know Your Rights – Even Without Documentation...

The workers’ compensation system is designed to provide essential financial support, along with other kinds of assistance, to employees who suffer work-related injuries or illnesses. The supplemental job displacement benefit (SJDB) is one of the lesser-known forms of assistance injured workers can receive. When a complete recovery from an on-the-job injury or illness isn’t possible, SJDBs can provide new hope – and a chance to learn new skills – for workers who want to return to work, even if they can no longer go back to their old professions. The Key Features Of Supplemental Job Displacement Benefits The supplemental job displacement benefit is a unique provision within California’s workers’ comp system, in line with this state’s commitment to look after its workers’...

Despite the fact that workers’ comp can provide medical and financial lifelines for injured workers, few people want to be off work any longer than necessary. However, part of the workers’ compensation process is determining whether you need temporary or permanent work restrictions once you return. What Are Work Restrictions? Work restrictions are medical guidelines established by the doctor in charge of your care that are designed to modify or limit your work-related activities. Work restrictions are important to: Employee safety: The primary goal of work restrictions is to prevent you, the injured worker, from engaging in activities that could cause you additional harm. Faster recoveries: By tailoring your job duties to accommodate your condition, work restrictions help speed your...

Thousands of workers hit the road as part of their job every day in California. There are numerous professionals whose job consists almost exclusively of driving. Some people drive their own vehicles, while others operate vehicles from a fleet maintained by their employer. From those who operate school buses to those who provide rideshare services or deliver pizzas, many workers are on the road for almost their entire shift. There are countless other employees who have to run errands or drive to client locations as part of their jobs. A manager at a restaurant might need to drive to the bank to get change or to a supplier to pick up heavy cream when the kitchen runs out unexpectedly. Plumbers...

The average person might not understand how demanding restaurant work can be, let alone how dangerous it often is. Many fail to understand the skill required to handle the constant pressure that comes with restaurant jobs. The professionals that serve in the restaurant industry often work long hours to provide service for customers, and they also frequently put themselves at risk of serious injury. What makes restaurant work so dangerous? Slip-And-Falls People can slip and fall in any environment, but a restaurant is a perfect storm of dangerous conditions. People have to move at a quick pace, and there are constantly liquids and other items getting transported. All it takes is someone spilling a drink or dropping a few candies...

There are many different kinds of jobs, but no matter what kind of work people have, there’s always the chance of injury. Workplace injuries happen much more often than people realize. There’s nearly an accident every minute, with millions of accidents happening across the country every year. Every job has its own unique struggles. And, while each injury is unique, many of them fit into a few categories. Here are the most common workplace injuries: Slip And Falls People slip and fall at home all the time, so it’s only likely people will have the same issues in uncontrollable environments such as work. A slip and fall accident can lead to serious head and spine trauma. Some injuries may only cause minor...

If you were off the job due to a work-related injury and were receiving workers’ comp, you may have reasonable concerns about going back to work. Will you be able to perform the job successfully? Will you aggravate the injury you just recovered from? Will your employer be flexible if you have certain physical restrictions on what you can safely do? All these worries are quite understandable. As much as you want to get back to work, you want to do so in a manner that protects your physical well-being. While You Are Healing While you are getting better, your doctor will likely communicate with the claims administrator. The doctor will give you the green light to resume your job...

Nursing can be a very dangerous industry to work in. Nurses spend every day working with sick and injured patients, and this can sometimes create a dangerous environment. They need to be wary of the injury risks. It’s impossible to predict all of the different ways people can be hurt on the job, but you can look at overall trends and statistics to find out what happens most often. Below are a few examples of the common injuries that nurses suffer every year in the United States. Overexertion Injuries These often happen when nurses are asked to lift patients or help move them. Patients may weigh more than the nurses themselves, but there’s no way to provide care without helping them move...

In many cases, an injury at work is something that takes place all at once. A worker is completely healthy, for instance, and then they suffer a head injury in a fall. They get rushed to the hospital and it’s clear that they’ve been injured that very day. However, there are a lot of workplace injuries that are a bit more cumulative in nature. The effects build up over time. This doesn’t make them less serious, but it does sometimes cause workers to overlook the issues. They simply don’t realize that they’re being harmed in the same way. One example of this is hearing loss. A Permanent Issue One potential problem with work-related hearing loss is that there’s often nothing...

If you suffer injury or illness at work, you probably know you can claim workers’ compensation. Most California employers must hold it, and as it is no-fault insurance should cover most cases. What you might not know is what workers’ compensation covers. Is it just your medical bills? Or more? Here is what workers’ compensation could cover in California: 1. Medical Treatment Depending on the extent of the injury or illness, you could require considerable medical treatment, as well as rehabilitation. The cost of ongoing medical care can be costly, and you might require care for a considerable amount of time. 2. Lost Wages Because You Cannot Work Temporary disability benefits cover wages lost while you are off work recovering. Permanent...

Back pain is a very common health issue that affects people from all backgrounds and professions. Certain professions do have higher risks. If you work in health care, for example, you have roughly a 70% chance of developing back issues. Anyone who lifts or twists on the job could suffer a serious back injury. Despite their prevalence and how much they can affect someone’s quality of life and ability to work, back injuries are among the medical issues people are most likely to ignore or downplay at first. A surprising number of adults try to continue working when they have intense back pain on the job and may put off getting medical care. Doing so could be a major mistake. Back Issues...

You do a lot of manual labor, which means that you’re frequently exposed to working conditions and jobs that put you at risk of various injuries – and, one day, your luck runs out. You get hurt. Your boss, however, tells you that you’ll just have to go home and rest until you heal because you aren’t entitled to any benefits under workers’ compensation since you’re “just a seasonal or temporary” worker. On top of that, you’re an immigrant without documentation. Don’t Listen To Your Employer’s Attempts To Hide The Truth Immigrants are an important part of California’s labor force. The law recognizes that by making discrimination against injured workers illegal – regardless of whether they have legal documents or not. In...

When you are hurt at work, you might be inclined to believe you will automatically receive the financial restitution you need to recover from your injuries and pay for the other damages. After all, workers’ compensation claims are meant for just that, taking care of injured workers. However, it helps to understand that multiple factors come into play when determining the compensation you will receive following your workplace injury. Some of these factors include the extent of your injury as well as the nature of treatment you will need. Here are two questions that can help you negotiate a better settlement for your workers’ compensation. Are Your Injuries Permanent Or Temporary? Workers’ compensation settlements can be awarded in lump sums or...

When you’re hurt on the job, the one thing you hope will be true is that your employer will take responsibility and you will get your claim approved for workers’ compensation. Unfortunately, that is not always how things work, and it’s possible that your claim could be denied. There are many reasons why your claim might be denied ranging from not including enough information to missing important deadlines. Here are the five most common reasons and what to do next. 1. You Didn’t File In Time. The first reason that you might have a claim denied is if you didn’t file the claim soon enough. To avoid this, let your employer know as soon as you can after your injury....

When people think about workplace injuries, they often consider catastrophic events, like someone falling off of a 10-foot ladder to the concrete floor below. But things don’t have to be this traumatic for you to suffer serious complications. For instance, despite the popularity of standing desks and the need for many workers to be on their feet, it’s been found that standing can take a serious physical toll on your body. This isn’t to say that sitting is necessarily better, as it has been linked to obesity and plenty of other health issues, but it’s important to know that simply being at work all day may be causing your body to wear down. What Problems Can It Cause? There many...

Most people associate job-related wrist, hand and arm pain with carpal tunnel syndrome, especially if their work involves repetitive movements. While carpal tunnel is a legitimate workplace injury, it is not the only form of continuous trauma that affects the arm and hand. When you believe your pain is carpal tunnel syndrome, you may choose to treat it yourself, at least for a while, with Tylenol or ibuprofen. Unfortunately, if your condition is not carpal tunnel, you risk it worsening to the point that it impacts your work and lifestyle. Wrist Tendonitis Many people confuse tendonitis of the wrist with carpal tunnel syndrome. The symptoms of these conditions are similar, but they are two different continuous trauma injuries. Pain on the bottom...

After you got hurt on the job, you thought that you’d be able to make a claim and get the financial support that you needed. You were surprised when your workers’ compensation claim was denied, leaving you with no support at all. After a claim is denied, it’s important for you to know that you can appeal that decision. There are a number of reasons that a claim might be denied, but you have a right to appeal the denial of your claim by requesting a hearing with the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board. What Happens When You Appeal A Denied Workers’ Compensation Claim? If you appeal a denied claim, you will have your case heard by a workers’ compensation administrative law...

Every workplace has its share of hazards. But do you know the hazards that are specific to your workplace? Understanding potential hazards in your workplace can help you take appropriate steps to mitigate or eliminate them and prevent costly injuries and property damages down the road. Compensation resulting from workplace-related injuries costs organizations millions of dollars each year. This underpins the importance of putting structures in place to eliminate workplace injuries. With that said, here are three common reasons why workplace accidents, and injuries, happen. Overexertion And Fatigue Physically demanding tasks become hazardous when they are performed for a long time. Employees who do not take breaks from physically demanding jobs like lifting, pulling, bending, kneeling and pushing are likely to sustain...

When you’re injured on the job, your focus should be on your health and wellness. If you are hurt, you shouldn’t have to worry about filing a claim or having it be denied. For many people, it’s beneficial to work with a workers’ compensation attorney from the start of a case. The reason for this is because working with a workers’ compensation attorney increases your chances of getting the benefits you deserve. If your claim is denied, they can help you fight to have it approved. Some of the helpful things that workers’ compensation attorneys do include: Recommending qualified doctors or medical personnel for second opinions or expert opinions Supporting you during hearings Negotiation on your behalf Helping you build a case...

California requires employers to hold workers’ compensation insurance. It requires them to cover their employees, regardless of the hours they work for the company. So, if you work part-time, you should be covered. Yet what if you work for more than one job? What then? Workers’ compensation is particular to the company itself. So if injured while working for employer A, you claim against employer A’s insurance. If injured while working for employer B, you claim under their insurance. What If My Employer Tries To Say My Injury Or Illness Occurred At The Other Place Of Work? Employers or their insurers sometimes contest claims by saying a worker’s injuries or illnesses occurred elsewhere. It is easier for them to do so when...

Having your workers’ compensation claim denied can be a harrowing experience. It means that you will have to meet the costs of your medical treatment, and if you are unable to continue working, you will have no source of livelihood. Your financial security may be on the line. Given that you can appeal the denial, it is important to know what to expect in the process. It will increase your chances of a desirable outcome and, most likely, overturn the decision to deny your claim. Here is what you need to know. Understand The Reason For Denial Before setting out, you need to know why your claim was denied. Usually, it is indicated in the denial letter. Once you have...

Workers’ compensation offers both temporary and permanent benefits if someone cannot work because of a job-acquired medical condition. Broken bones are often injuries that people recover from quickly. After two or three months, the bone will heal, and another month of physical therapy and careful use can help regain full functionality in the affected body part. However, occasionally a worker who breaks a bone may need long-term or permanent benefits because of the fracture. When might a broken bone lead to lasting disability? When The Body Heals Improperly Sometimes, trauma like a fracture can cause lasting damage to nearby nerves tissue. Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a painful condition that people develop sometimes after breaking a bone. Instead of recovering from...