Chico Workers’ Comp Lawyer

We’re Here to Support Injured Workers

Far too often, injured workers are left with no safety net underneath them because a workers’ compensation insurance company does not want to take their claim seriously. In other situations, they do not even know how to begin a claim or think they do not have the right to file one, so they do not. At the Law Offices of Larry S. Buckley in Chico, we want to do our part to make certain fewer and fewer of these situations happen. By providing experienced legal representation to everyone in our communities, we hope to let more people rest comfortably with the workers’ comp benefits they deserve.

Discuss your options now by calling (530) 413-0245.

Workers’ Comp Benefits in California

The vast majority of employers in California are required to purchase workers’ compensation coverage for their workforce. The law requires any employer with at least one employee to provide this type of insurance coverage. There are exceptions for companies that rely entirely on independent contractors, but, for the most part, if you work in California for an employer, then you should be able to get workers’ compensation benefits for an on-the-job or job-related injury.

Benefits that might be available to you are:

• Medical: All necessary medical treatments for an employee’s work-related injury must be covered by the policy. Insurance companies can try to find loopholes by arguing some care is not “necessary” and, therefore, not something they have to cover.
• Temporary disability: A worker who is injured to the point of disability can receive temporary disability pay equal to two-thirds of their average weekly wages for up to 104 weeks.
• Permanent disability: For more severe disabilities, permanent disability payments can be approved for up to 14 years, depending on the claimant’s disability rating.
• Life pension: When a claimant is deemed 70% disabled or greater by a medical evaluator, they can receive pension payments each week, only ending when they pass away.
• Vocational retraining: Employers must make a reasonable attempt to retrain an injured employee to let them return to gainful employment at an equal or greater earning capacity. Alternatively, workers’ compensation benefits can provide a claimant up to $6,000 to use on education that will help that claimant find a new job.
• Financial aid after an employee’s death: The family members of an employee who passes away due to a workplace accident can receive death benefits that pay for burial expenses. They might even be eligible to receive wage replacement benefits for a limited time.

Did You Cause Your Own Workplace Accident?

Are you worried that you cannot get workers’ compensation benefits because you contributed to or caused your own workplace accident? You should know that workers’ compensation is a no-fault system, meaning you remain eligible for benefits even if your mistake is what caused your injuries. The trade-off to being entitled to benefits through a no-fault system is that your employer also cannot be held at-fault in most cases. You will likely not be able to file a personal injury claim against them if you also file a workers’ compensation claim.

How Our Firm Can Help

The Law Offices of Larry S. Buckley and our Chico workers’ compensation attorneys primarily focus on workers’ compensation claims following a denial. If you were injured at work, told your employer, and tried to file a claim on your own only to have it denied, you should call (530) 413-0245 right away to see how we can help.

Our legal team is here to support you and your case by:

• Investigating: We will likely want to start your case by investigating any available evidence about what happened. Your medical records, coworker statements, accident reports, and security camera footage from your workplace can all be great sources of useful evidence that will become needed after a claim is denied.
• Appealing: After determining how the insurer wrongfully denied your claim, we can start working on a challenge letter or an appeal. In a best-case scenario, a challenge letter will be enough to get them to reverse their stance and approve your benefits.
• Litigating: Sometimes insurance companies do not want to back down or negotiate. If this happens with your case, then we can prepare for litigation and take them to court with a lawsuit.

Get a winning team of Chico workers’ comp lawyers on your side today. Fill out an online contact form and we will get back to you as soon as we can.