Salinas, CA Workers' Compensation Attorney

Lawyers for Work-Related Injury and Illness Claims in Monterey County

California law ensures that all employees with work-related injuries, illnesses, and health conditions have access to workers' compensation benefits through their employers. These benefits provide for the costs of medical care and treatment, and they can also provide important financial support for employees and their families in cases involving disability, death, and lost wages. However, obtaining these benefits can be challenging, and in many cases, injured employees benefit from the services of an attorney.

At Cramer & Martinez, LLP, we have dedicated our legal practice to helping employees with the workers' compensation process. Our attorneys have over 20 years of combined experience, and we will put it to use to help your claim proceed smoothly, and to protect your rights if you encounter any obstacles. You can rely on us to treat you with the attention and compassion that you deserve.

The Workers' Comp Claim Process in Salinas

If you have been injured and you have questions about filing your claim, we can offer advice and guidance starting from the very beginning of the workers' compensation process. This starts with taking the proper steps to notify your employer, file a claim form, and seek initial medical care. After that point, the process can look quite different depending on whether the claims administrator accepts or denies your claim.

With an accepted claim, you can continue receiving medical care from an authorized provider, knowing that your employer will cover all necessary costs. However, questions may remain regarding your eligibility for disability benefits, and the outcome often depends on the reporting of your primary treating physician. We can ensure that you have access to these reports and an opportunity to contest them or seek an additional opinion if you disagree with their contents. We will also help you ensure that all benefits are paid on time and in the full amount you have been awarded.

If your claim is denied, we will help you appeal the denial by petitioning the Division of Workers' Compensation for adjudication, giving us the chance to present your case to a judge. We will help you prepare the evidence necessary to make a strong argument, and we will negotiate on your behalf in a settlement conference with the claims administrator, or litigate on your behalf in a trial.

Securing All Available Workers' Comp Benefits

Eligibility for different types of benefits varies from case to case, but we will work to ensure that you receive all benefits for which you are personally eligible. This may include:

• Medical care: Your employer will pay for all reasonable medical expenses, including the cost of emergency care, diagnostic tests, surgeries, medication, equipment, rehabilitation and therapy, transportation, and other authorized treatment.
• Disability benefits: If your injuries keep you away from work for an extended period of time, or if they limit your work abilities and wages during your recovery, workers' compensation can provide temporary benefits. If your limitations are determined to be permanent, then permanent disability benefits will be awarded based on a rating of your condition.
• The Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit: If you have a permanent disability and your employer does not offer suitable work, workers' compensation provides a voucher to put toward your education, training, and search for new employment.
• Death benefits: Workers' compensation also provides for an employee's spouse and other dependents when work-related injuries are fatal.

Legal Representation For Different Injuries and Occupations

Throughout our decades of experience, we have served employees from a wide range of occupations, including construction workers, office workers, first responders, health care workers, farm workers, delivery drivers, and employees in unionized occupations. We understand the needs that different employees have, as well as the common types of occupational injuries and diseases they often face. We can help you with a claim involving an immediate injury due to a workplace accident, a repetitive stress injury resulting from years of work, the aggravation of a pre-existing injury, a health condition caused by exposure to hazardous substances, or a contagious disease like COVID-19 that you have contracted at work.

Contact a Salinas, CA Workers' Comp Lawyer

If you need assistance with your workers' compensation claim in Salinas, Monterey County, or the surrounding areas, we are ready to take your case. Contact us today at 408-848-1113 for a free consultation.