根据美国职业安全与健康管理局 (OSHA) 的规定，当发生以下情况时，伤害或疾病被视为与工作相关：

• 工作场所的事件或暴露导致或促成了伤害，或
• 工作场所的事件或暴露显著加剧了先前存在的伤病。

加州受伤工人享有以下一些法律权利：

• 受伤者有权看医生并寻求医疗救治；
• 如果医生允许工伤人员复工，他/她有权回到工作岗位；
• 如果伤病导致工人无法重返工作岗位（永久或暂时），他们有权获得残疾赔偿；
• 如果受伤工人不同意雇主、雇主保险公司或工人赔偿法院的任何决定，他们一般有权对其提出上诉；
• 受伤工人有权在不担心雇主报复或骚扰的情况下追究其工人赔偿索赔；事实上，违反对这项权利的雇主将受到处罚；
• 在整个过程中，您有权由您选择的律师代表。

请注意： 如果您的雇主鼓励您使用自己的

是的。在工伤赔偿方面，可能有不止一种获得公正赔偿的方式。换句话说，工伤赔偿可能不是您获得应得赔偿的唯一途径——尤其是在您的工伤是由第三方疏忽或有缺陷的产品造成的案件中。其他人或实体可能直接或间接对您的伤害和损失负责。例如，您以开送货卡车为生。一名粗心的司机撞上您，导致您受重伤。您当然有权获得及时的医疗治疗和其他工伤赔偿福利，因为您是在工作中受伤的。根据侵权法，肇事司机也要对您的伤害和损失负责，这可能远远超过工伤赔偿的数额。这类案件被称为“混合型”。这就是为什么您应该立即咨询一位有能力、值得信赖且富有同情心的“优选律师”。立即了解您的权利和义务是免费的。请记住，在伤害问题上，您所不知道的可能会成为对您伤痛的侮辱。

尽管工人赔偿法限制了工人起诉雇主的选择，但在某些情况下，加州工人可以起诉他们的雇主和/或第三方，例如：

雇主肢体攻击和殴打

在加利福尼亚州，如果雇主或其代理人故意对工人造成伤害，除了构成殴打罪之外，雇主还可能因侵权行为（如殴打和伤害）而承担民事责任。这意味着雇主必须赔偿，以使受害雇员“恢复原状”。例如，如果雇主攻击雇员并造成伤害，雇主可能要赔偿雇员的身体伤害、疼痛和痛苦、精神困扰，甚至可能包括惩罚性赔偿。如果雇员是无证移民，他/她可能会根据“犯罪受害者”原则获得某些移民福利。

欺诈性隐瞒（雇主谎言）

在某些情况下，雇主可能会故意误导员工。例如，雇主可能不披露某些危险物质或状况的存在，或者忽视必要的安全规程要求。在这种情况下，受伤的员工可以起诉雇主欺诈性隐瞒或未能提供必要的培训和安全设备，这可能使员工获得远超工伤赔偿金的赔偿。

雇主制造的有缺陷的产品导致雇员受伤

一般来说，如果工人在工作期间因任何有缺陷的产品而受伤，他们可以起诉有缺陷产品的制造商、批发商和零售商。这项权利是在产品责任法下产生的。显然，如果这种有缺陷产品的生产者是雇主，规则也是一样的。雇员可以就雇主生产的有缺陷产品造成的伤害起诉他们的雇主。例如，一家雇主生产割草机。一名雇员正在使用雇主的一台割草机修剪雇主办公室前的草坪。机器发生故障，严重伤害了该雇员。在此示例中，除工伤赔偿福利外，受伤的雇员还可以就赔偿起诉其雇主。

如果雇主未能购买工伤保险，员工可以起诉雇主。

在加利福尼亚州，几乎所有雇主，无论其规模大小，都必须拥有工伤赔偿保险。如果雇主不遵守法律，除了刑事处罚外，雇主还需对工人的伤害负责。在这种情况下，雇员可以就工伤赔偿法允许的更广泛的损害赔偿起诉雇主。正如您所见，在工伤中获得公正的赔偿可能是一条复杂的道路。我们在此确保考虑所有事实和情况，不放过任何细节。如果您在工作中受到任何方式的伤害，请点击或致电 Chosen Lawyers。Chosen Lawyers 在此告知您的权利，以正确的方式、立即地保护您的权利。

您的赔偿金可能因您的伤情类型和严重程度以及您完全或部分康复所需的时间而异。您花了多长时间报告您的伤情，当然还有您的律师团队有多优秀。

谨防：YouTube 上以及网络广告中那些声称利用人工智能（AI）即时评估您案件的内容，是一种诱骗您并将您的案件卖给不合格律师的欺骗手段。在 Chosen Lawyers，我们深知，在遭受工伤后，您可能会被焦虑、恐惧、悲伤和沮丧等情绪淹没；账单、压力和身体疼痛甚至可能导致抑郁。Chosen Lawyers 将帮助您在身体、情感和财务上重拾生活！

根据美国劳工统计局（BLS）的数据，以下是最常见的工伤事故原因：

1. 扭伤、撕裂和拉伤（每10,000名全职工人约35起事故）

2. 疼痛和酸痛（全职员工每万人约18例）

3. 撕裂伤、刺伤和割伤（每万名全职工人约有9起事故）

4. 挫伤和瘀伤（每10,000名全职工人约有9起事故）

5. 骨折（全职工人每万名约发生 8 起事故）

然而，导致员工缺勤时间最长的伤病是：

1. 多处骨折及损伤（中位数为48天）

2. 骨折（中位天数为 32 天）

3. 截肢（中位数为 31 天）

4. 腕管综合征（30天内中位数）

5. 肌腱炎（中位数为14天）

6. 拉伤、撕裂和扭伤（中位数为 11 天）

7. 多处创伤（中位数为9天）

8. 酸痛或疼痛（中位数为8天）

9. 多处扭伤伴损伤（中位数为7天）

10. 挫伤和瘀伤（中位5天）

11. 热烧伤（5天中位数）

12. 撕裂伤、刺伤和割伤（中位数为 4 天）

13. 化学烧伤（中位数为 3 天）

根据职业安全与健康管理局（OSHA）的数据，最常见的工安违规行为如下：

根据美国职业安全与健康管理局（OSHA）的数据，最常见的工安违规行为如下：

可能增加工伤风险的一些常见错误有哪些？

1) 加班赶工 员工们常常感到完成任务的巨大压力，以便他们可以着手下一个项目。赶工增加了不遵守安全措施的几率。当工作落后于计划且最后期限的压力越来越大时，事故就会增加。提醒雇主工作安全比利润和遵守最后期限更重要。

2) 挫败感 当面临不安全的工作条件、糟糕的程序、沟通不畅、材料错误或不足以及家庭问题时，工人可能会感到沮丧。并非所有情况都能得到管理和控制，但创造一个积极、富有同情心的工作环境，培养合作与团队精神，可以让工人感到安全、受到关怀和归属。这些简单而合理的改变可以减少对员工和雇主都有的、易于发生的工作相关的心理、身体和经济伤害。

3) 疲劳/困倦/压力 疲劳和困倦会极大地降低准确性和表现，通常会导致粗制滥造和可预防的伤害。据称，疲劳的卡车司机比酒驾的司机更危险。这一简单的事实凸显了疲劳的危险性。管理者识别员工何时疲劳并采取正确行动解决根本问题非常重要。例如，为赶上截止日期，员工不应工作过长时间。公司必须设定现实的截止日期，并规划实现这些截止日期的行动方案，而不对员工施加过度的压力。

4) 虚假的安全感 虚假的安全感是最危险的心态，会导致许多不必要的事故和伤害。事故随时可能发生，任何人都有可能遇到，因此人们应时刻保持对工作的警惕。虚假的安全感源于不良的培训和坏习惯，这会导致事故的发生。管理层需要保持警惕，在员工因工作过于常规而感到厌倦、自满和疏忽大意时及时干预。这些心态会造成或加剧关键性错误，增加受伤的可能性。因此，员工必须时刻保持：

• 目光专注于他们的任务，并且

• 工作时要专心。

工伤赔偿保险的成本因州而异，福利也因州而异。根据被保险的员工从事低风险工作还是高风险工作，费率也有所不同。

保险费用基于公司的薪资总额。例如：

• 在加利福尼亚州，低风险工人的工伤保险费用平均为每100美元工资支出40美分，而高风险岗位的费用则为每100美元工资支出33.57美分。
• 在佛罗里达州，低风险工作的平均报酬为每$100 26美分，高风险工作则为$19.40。
• 在纽约，低风险工作的平均费率为每$100收取7美分，高风险工作的平均费率为每$100收取29.93美分。

1) 医疗费用： 这些费用包括医疗评估、治疗、手术、处方药、医疗辅助设备以及往返医疗机构的交通费用。如果受伤工人使用私人车辆在加利福尼亚州出行，他们每英里可报销 65.5 美分。此金额自 2023 年 1 月 1 日起生效。

2) 暂时性部分残疾赔偿金： 如果因工伤或疾病导致伤残工人无法工作，他们将根据国家强制性最高额度获得平均周工资的三分之二的赔偿。这些赔偿金最长可支付2年（104周），但必须在5年期内支付，除非该伤病与以下情况相关：

• 乙型肝炎或丙型肝炎
• 眼外伤
• 肺纤维化
• 慢性肺病
• 截肢
• 严重烧伤
• 艾滋病

在此类情况下，受伤工人有权获得 240 周的临时完全残疾赔偿金。

3) 残疾津贴这些付款支付给那些无法返回原岗或找到其他工作的工人。这些付款根据永久性残疾评级进行衡量和支付。这些付款的期限从 4 周到 14 年不等。

4) 终身养老金支付： 对于永久伤残等级在70%至99%之间的工人。此类受伤工人除每周的永久伤残津贴外，还将获得一笔小额的每周生活津贴。不过，终身养老金将支付至该伤残工人终身。

职业再培训补贴： 这项补充性失业补助金适用于因工受伤且无法恢复原有工作的员工，且其雇主未向其提供调整后或替代性工作岗位。该补助金的金额为$6,000，必须用于支付学费、杂费和教材费。

6) 死亡抚恤金工亡职工的合格受抚养人或配偶有权享受死亡抚恤金，其中包括丧葬费。截至 2013 年 1 月 1 日，这些款项为：

a) $10,000 用于丧葬费

b) $250,000（一名受抚养人）

c) $290,000（两名或两名以上受抚养人）

d) $320,000（供养三人或以上受抚养人）。

以下亲属可能有资格领取已故工人的死亡抚恤金：

死者直系亲属中有部分人自动被视为全部受抚养人和受益人：

• 因精神或身体残疾而无法谋生的残疾儿童
• 18岁以下儿童
• 如果在劳动者去世前的12个月内，配偶的收入不超过$30,000；若遗属配偶的收入超过$30,000，则必须提供部分或完全依赖的证明。

请注意： 一些支付给18岁以下儿童的款项会一直持续到最年幼的孩子年满18岁。

合格的受抚养人必须在工人死亡之日起一年内，并且最迟在工伤事故发生后 240 周内申请死亡抚恤金。如果雇主有不当行为，这些时限可能会有所不同。

在加利福尼亚州，您受伤后可能可以立即去看自己的私人初级保健医生，但前提是：

• 您享有与工伤无关的医疗治疗的医疗保健福利。
• 您在工伤发生之前（称为“预先通知”）已向雇主发出书面通知，并且
• 您的医生已事先同意为您治疗工伤或职业病。

如果您尚未指定主治医生，您可能需要从雇主或其保险提供商提供的医疗服务提供商网络（MPN）名单中选择一位医生。不过，此规定也有一些例外情况，包括以下情形：

• 您需要紧急医疗救助，或者
• 你的雇主未向你提供法律规定的某些通知和信息。

根据您的伤情性质以及是否符合其他资格要求，您可能在领取工伤赔偿金的同时，还能领取社会保障残疾保险（SSDI）福利。但如果工伤赔偿金和SSDI福利的总和超过一定金额，您的福利金额可能会被削减。 通常情况下，您无法因工伤领取加州州立伤残保险（CASDI）。但当雇主的保险公司拒绝或拖延支付您的福利时，您可能有资格从CASDI获得临时福利。 如果您日后能够领取工伤赔偿金，CASDI将依法有权要求您偿还其已支付的款项。

是的，您需要为保姆购买工伤保险。在加利福尼亚州，任何雇佣一名或多名全职或兼职员工的人都必须购买工伤保险。 在绝大多数情况下，保姆被视为雇员（而非独立承包商），因为父母对保姆的工作方式拥有相当程度的控制权（例如，决定给孩子吃什么、保姆与孩子进行哪些活动等）。 对于保姆或其他育儿人员等家政雇员，加利福尼亚州有特殊规定。 就工伤保险而言，如果家庭雇员在受伤前90天内工作时间少于52小时，或收入不超过1,400美元，则不被视为雇员。由于您的保姆将从事全职工作，因此她将受到工伤保险的保障。

加利福尼亚州法律规定，该州内拥有至少一名雇员的雇主必须投保此项保险。

加利福尼亚州没有专门的法律要求雇主在受伤员工恢复工作能力后将其重新录用，或在员工无法胜任原有工作时为其安排新岗位。然而，加利福尼亚州确实有一项强有力的反歧视条款。 根据《加州工伤赔偿法》第132a条，雇主因工伤解雇员工属于违法行为。换言之，虽然雇主没有义务重新雇佣受伤员工，但若无法就此提供正当的商业理由，则可能面临歧视指控。 例如，假设一名员工已获准复工且其原岗位仍空缺。雇主在未作解释的情况下拒绝重新雇佣该员工，该职位空缺数月后，最终雇佣了一名经验较少的员工。这可能被视为歧视的证据。 若雇主有合理理由相信该员工永久丧失工作能力，或其伤残将持续至必须被替换的程度，则可证明存在商业必要性。在某些情况下，员工还需证明自己因工伤而遭到区别对待，受到不公平的待遇。 一项对所有员工一视同仁的中立政策，通常不构成歧视的证据。例如，如果雇主有一项普遍规定，要求所有休假员工必须定期与主管沟通，而您因未履行此要求被解雇，这很可能不违反法律。 另一方面，如果雇主对因个人原因或非工伤需要休假的员工有宽松的休假政策，却在你工伤后仅几周就解雇你，这可能构成歧视的证据。 《美国残疾人法案》（ADA）下的合理便利如果员工的工作伤病足够严重，可能符合《美国残疾人法案》中“残疾”的定义， 《美国残疾人法案》（ADA）。 《美国残疾人法案》（ADA）是一项联邦法律，要求拥有15名或以上员工的雇主为残疾员工提供合理的便利措施，以帮助他们履行工作职责，除非这会给雇主造成过度的困难。该 《加利福尼亚州公平就业与住房法》（FEHA） 这是一项类似的州法律，适用于拥有五名或更多员工的雇主。

联邦家庭和医疗休假法案（FMLA）和加利福尼亚州家庭权利法案（CFRA）要求拥有50名或以上员工的雇主，为严重的健康状况提供长达12周的带薪休假。如果您遭受的工伤相对严重，但只影响您休假12周或更短时间，您可能有权返回原来的工作岗位。

要在加利福尼亚州获得永久伤残福利，您的医生必须出具一份报告，说明您的康复已达到“最大医疗改善”（MMI）或“永久且稳定”（P&S）的状态。一旦达到MMI，您的临时伤残福利将终止。 如果您已完全康复且能够无任何限制地重返工作岗位，则无资格领取永久伤残福利。但如果您的伤病导致您在工作能力上存在永久性的身体或精神限制，您可能有权获得赔偿。 在工伤赔偿术语中，这被称为“永久伤残”（或简称PD）。 完全永久性伤残 针对伤病所致长期影响的赔偿金额，主要取决于您的伤残程度。永久性伤残（PD）福利主要分为两类：完全伤残和部分伤残。只有当预计您余生将完全丧失任何工作能力时，才有资格获得完全永久性伤残福利。 在工伤赔偿案件中，完全永久性伤残较为罕见。对于某些严重伤情（如双眼失明、双臂丧失功能或全身瘫痪），法律推定受伤员工属于完全且永久性伤残（《加州劳动法典》第4662条）。 在所有其他情况下，只有当工人的永久残疾评级（下文将讨论）累计达到100%时，才可领取此类福利。 若您的永久伤残评定（PD）达到100%标准，您将有权终身领取与临时伤残福利同等金额的定期款项：通常为受伤前平均周薪的三分之二，但其最高和最低限额与全州平均周薪挂钩 （因此会定期调整）。部分永久伤残 任何低于 100% 的永久伤残均被视为部分伤残。 您收到的支票金额——以及这些支付的持续时间——将取决于您的伤残百分比（最高为99.75%），即所谓的伤残评级。确定该评级的规则较为复杂，但我们将在下面进行总结。

起初，您的主治医生会撰写一份报告，描述您因伤病所导致的任何永久性功能障碍。这意味着，您身体受伤部位（或正常心理功能）的正常使用能力丧失了多少。 例如，您的肩部活动范围可能受限，手部握力减弱，或拇指被截肢。医生必须遵循详细的指导方针来描述您的功能障碍。 如果您或保险公司对该报告的结论有异议，则可通过特定程序选定一名合格医疗评估师（QME），就争议问题提供另一份专家意见。 （如果您聘请了律师，您的律师和保险公司可能就医疗评估师的人选达成一致；该评估师的意见在审理您案件的工伤赔偿法官面前将具有更大的分量。）

根据工伤赔偿规定，如果您的近期工伤或职业病导致原有疾病加重或“复发”，原有疾病并不一定会影响您获得赔偿。但在计算永久性伤残赔偿金时，加利福尼亚州要求医生将您的永久性伤残程度按比例分配给旧伤和新伤。 如果可能，医生的报告必须确定您的永久性伤残中有多少百分比是工作相关伤病直接造成的，又有多少百分比是由其他因素（包括既往伤病）引起的。

除少数例外情况外，永久性伤残津贴必须在您的临时伤残津贴停止发放后的14天内开始支付。保险公司必须至少每两周向您支付一次。如果任何一笔款项逾期（无论原因如何），保险公司将自动欠您逾期金额的10%作为额外赔偿。 此外，如果保险公司对延迟支付没有合理理由，您可能获得每次逾期付款最高25%的赔偿，累计最高可达$10,000。

是的。如果您对报告中的任何内容有异议，应立即以书面形式通知保险公司。您的指定律师必须在收到报告后的20天内发送此函；如果您没有律师，则有30天时间提交异议。 请谨记：永久伤残福利对保险公司而言是一笔巨额开支，他们会不择手段地试图限制或降低您的伤残评级。您经验丰富且尽职尽责的指定律师深谙如何以正确的方式，全程捍卫您的权益。

因永久性部分伤残而无法重返原有岗位的工人，可获得金额为$6,000的补充性失业安置券。该券可用于支付教育、培训、执照或认证费用、计算机设备以及职业咨询费用。 只有当您的雇主既不让您重返原岗位，也不为您提供合适的替代岗位时，您才有资格获得此券。

我符合领取补充失业救济金的条件吗？

如果您符合以下条件，您有权获得补充失业救济金：

• 您因工伤或职业病导致永久性部分残疾，并且
• 你的雇主尚未为你提供符合法律要求的常规工作、调整后的工作或替代工作。

Once your doctor has found that your medical condition is Permanent and Stationary, the physician will evaluate your condition, decide whether you have a permanent disability, and if so, how that disability will affect your ability to do your job. The doctor will write up a report that spells out tasks that you can’t do, known as “work restrictions.” If you can’t return to the position you held before your injury “regular work”, your employer may offer you “modified work.” This means that the duties in your previous job will be adjusted to accommodate your work restrictions, or offer you a different job that you’re able to do (known as “alternative work”. Either way, the modified or alternative work must:

• last at least 12 months
• pay at least 85% of what you were earning before your injury, and
• be located within a reasonable commuting distance of where you lived at the time of the injury.

If your employer doesn’t offer you modified or alternative work within 60 days after receiving the doctor’s report, you’ll be eligible for the supplemental job displacement benefits. However, you won’t be eligible if you turn down an offer from your employer, as long as it meets the legal requirements for modified or alternative work. The insurance company’s claims administrator should send you the job displacement voucher within 20 days after the end of that 60-day period.

WHAT DOES THE SJDB VOUCHER COVER?

The voucher is worth up to $6,000 to pay the following expenses for retraining, building skills, and getting started in a new occupation:

• tuition, fees, books, and other required expenses for training or skills courses at a California public school or a program run by an organization on the state’s eligible training provider list
• the cost of occupational licensing or professional certification fees, as well as the exams and preparation courses to get those licenses
• the cost of occupational licensing or professional certification fees, as well as the exams and preparation courses to get those licenses
• up to $1,000 for computer equipment
• up to $600 to pay for the services of a licensed placement agency, a qualified vocational counselor, and resume preparation; and
• up to $500 for miscellaneous educational expenses, such as transportation and uniforms.

WHEN DOES THE SJDB VOUCHER EXPIRE?

The voucher expires two years after it was issued or five years after the injury, whichever is later.

HOW DO I GET PAYMENTS UNDER THE VOUCHER?

If you’ve paid the eligible expenses, you must submit receipts to the claims administrator before the voucher expires. However, you don’t need to provide itemized receipts for miscellaneous educational expenses, as long as you’ve submitted a request on the appropriate form. Schools or counselors may receive direct payment from the claims administrator if you present the voucher to them. The claims administrator should reimburse you or make the direct payments within 45 days after receiving the completed voucher form and documentation. You can’t redeem the voucher as part of a Settlement of Your Worker’s Compensation Case.

California has another program that provides an additional payment for injured employees who’ve received a supplemental job displacement voucher and whose permanent disability benefits are particularly low in comparison to the amount of earnings they lost as a result of their injuries. The one-time payment is set at $5,000, although the state may adjust that amount. The deadline for applying is generally one year after you received the displacement voucher.

If you are affected by any work-related injury or illness, whether it is sudden or gradual, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, you should immediately report it to the appropriate person supervising your work. That is because, depending on jurisdictional workers’ compensation laws, if you do not report your work-related injuries within a window of time, sometimes as short as 30 days, you may lose your right to workers’ compensation benefits.

No. Workers’ compensation programs are designed to pay weekly benefits and medical costs for work-related injuries and illnesses. With some exceptions, workers’ compensation is not dependent neither on worker nor employee’s fault. The fact that you sustained injuries or were affected by a work-related hazard is sufficient. Thus, you do not need to prove that your employer or your co-workers negligently caused your damages. Even if your own negligence caused your work related injury or illness, you are still entitled to obtain workers’ compensation benefits. Although, as alluded above, in a Workers’ Compensation Claim, you can only seek a weekly compensation, permanent impairment benefits, medical costs, and vocational rehabilitation. Thus, you are not entitled to collect lost earning capacity, pain and suffering, loss of consortium and enjoyment of life, punitive damages, and so on. In a nutshell, workers’ compensation recovery is a tradeoff for the right to sue employers and co-workers for any negligent acts or omissions that they have committed, which resulted in work-related injury. Could Injured Employees choose to file Civil Lawsuits against their Employers instead of Workers Compensation Claim? Generally, employees are barred from suing their employers for work-related injury or illness. The reason for this is more of a public policy of promoting employers to provide Workers’ Compensation Insurance for the benefit of their employees. This is why they are generally protected from defending themselves against their employees’ personal injury claims. However, there are some exceptions, and here are some:

If an employer intentionally causes the employee’s illness or injury, the employee has a right to file a Tort Lawsuit for such injuries in a civil court. Here are some samples of intentional torts:

ASSAULT & BATTERY

Assault is, generally, referred to as an attempted battery and battery is an injury to the person’s body. An unwanted kiss or slap could be construed as battery.

CONVERSION

Under tort law if the employer takes your property without your express or implied permission and makes it his or her own, you may be able to sue.

FALSE IMPRISONMENT

If your employer confines you against your will or without a legal authority, you may be able to sue your employer;

INTENTIONAL INFLICTION OF EMOTIONAL DISTRESS

If your employer does something outrageous that you are emotionally traumatized, you may be able to sue your employer;

DEFAMATION

If your employer utters false information about you that harms you, you may have file a claim for libel or slender against your employer;

FRAUD

If your employer lied to you about something that caused you damages, you may sue your employer;

CREWMEMBERS OF ANY BOAT, SHIP

If you are a crewmember of any type of boat, from giant cruise ships down to the smallest two-person commercial fishing boat, you are not entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Instead, a federal law referred to as The Jones Act allows you to file a claim for your work-related injuries, including pain and suffering, in a civil court.

INTERSTATE RAILROAD WORKERS

Interstate railroad workers, are authorized by another federal law called the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA) to sue their employers for their work-related illnesses and injuries;

请注意： This exception only allows the Interstate Railroad Employees, which means, railroads that operate in more than one state. Thus, if you are working for an intrastate commuter, which means you are a within the state rail worker, you may not be covered by FELA;

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Depending on jurisdictional law of each state, sexual harassment victims may be allowed to sue for damages in a civil court rather than be subjected to the exclusive remedy provision of workers’ compensation statutes.

WRONGFUL TERMINATION OR DISMISSAL

For Public Policy Purposes, some states require that emotional distress claims, which may result from either a Wrongful Termination or Breach of an Employment Contract are recoverable in civil actions.

EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS

Most state laws mandate that discrimination claims based upon race, religion, gender, national origin, disability, and so on are not barred by the exclusivity provision of Workers’ Compensation Statutes. Thus, the victims of such discrimination can seek judicial remedies in civil courts for their damages.

SUIT FOR INJURIES CAUSED BY THIRD PARTIES

If an employee was harmed at work-related incident by someone other than the employee or employer, the injured employee may be able to file a civil lawsuit for his or her personal injuries and damages against the third party. For example, an illness or injury caused by a defective product, the employee can sue the manufacturer and anyone else responsible in the stream of commerce.

WRONGFUL TERMINATION OR DENIAL OF WORKERS’ COMPENSATION BENEFITS

Generally, the Workers’ Compensation Claims are filed and adjudicated through the administrative process. Decisions rendered by the administrative authority are not appealable until the process is complete. And then, appeals must be brought to a special workers’ compensation board or a specially nominated court. Only after all statutory process requirements set by the state are satisfied, a worker can file a Workers’ Compensation Claim in the civil court system.

INTENTIONAL, SELF-INFLICTED INJURY

If an employee intentionally causes self-injury, his or her benefits may be reduced or completely barred from receiving any workers’ compensation benefits. However, some self-inflicted injuries may be the result of work-related stress or illness.

INTOXICATION.

If an employee’s self-induced intoxication from drugs such as alcohol or heroin and so on, when injured on a work-related injury may result in reduced benefits or complete bar on recovering workers’ compensation benefits. The employer has the burden of prove that the injured employee was intoxicated at the time of the injury, The burden shifts to the employee to prove that the intoxication did not contribute to the accident. Again, the intoxication must be volitional and not accidental or a reaction to prescription drugs;

VIOLATION OF A COMPANY SAFETY POLICY

If the injured employee violates an express company safety policy, which leads to subject work-related illness or injury, his or her Workers Compensation benefits may be reduced or barred.

As you can see from the above general review, dealing with a Work-Related Injury, Illness or Death can be very complex and require knowledge of various federal and state laws. If you have been injured at work, please click or call Chosen Lawyers, now. Your Case Evaluation is FREE and CONFIDENTIAL.

1. Notify Your Employer:

Notify your supervisor or employer right away. Remember, if you wait for 30 days or more after your injury, without any viable excuse, your claim will be denied. If your injury or illness occurs over time, you should notify your employer as soon as you see or feel your symptoms.

2. Apply for Benefits:

Once you notify your employer, they must provide you with a Worker’s Compensation Claim Form (DWC-1) within one working day.

3. See a Doctor Right Away:

Emergencies – If it’s an emergency, go to the nearest emergency room, and tell them your injury or illness work related. Your Worker’s Compensation Insurance must pay up to $10,000 for your healthcare cost until your claims are approved or denied.

Yes! Insurance corporations make money from premiums and get windfalls from denying injured peoples’ just deserts. Generally, the law gives the Insurance Industry up to 90 days to either accept or deny a claim. If they do not accept or deny within 90 days, then it is presumed that they have accepted the claim. If you do not hear anything within 90 days the claim might be presumed to be accepted. If the Insurance Corporation denies your claims, you should immediately call Chosen lawyers if you haven’t at the time of injury.

Law mandates that almost all employers carry Workers Compensation Insurance Coverage. If your employer does not have work comp insurance, you can apply for benefits via the Uninsured Employers Benefits Trust Fund (UEBTF).

It is fine. Your claim will still remain open. However, if your condition becomes worse or you sustain a different injury, you must file a new claim under your new employer’ worker’s compensation insurance policy.

Do I have to inform my new employer about my past claim?

No. But you may need to request for accommodations in line with your doctor’s work restrictions.

There are two types of settlements in Workers Compensation:

1. Stipulation with Request for Award (Stips)

• In this type of settlement, your permanent disability payment is paid every 14 days until the total amount is paid off.
• The Insurance Corporation pays for any reasonable medical care.
• The Insurance Corporation pays for any reasonable medical care. You retain the right to reopen your case, if your injuries or illnesses get worse, within 5 years from the date of your injury. On the other hand, your Claims Administrator may also decide to reopen your case, if your injuries or illnesses improve.

2. Compromise and Release (C&R)

• Payment—Your permanent disability payment is a pain in one lump sum payment.
• You release the Insurance Company and Your Employer of any future Medical Expenses. Should you require any medical care, you will have to pay from your settlement amount.
• You give up your right to reopen your case, if your injury or illness becomes worse.

WHICH TYPE OF SETTLEMENT IS BEST?

There is no definitive answer to this question. The choice between Stips or C&R depends on the facts and circumstances of your case. Here are some general considerations:

• Is your illness or injury going to change over time?
• Will you need future medical care?
• Do you have any Medical Insurance independent of the Work Comp?
• Do you need the entire settlement now?

请注意： You do have a choice to take Stips, and later switch to C&R.

Generally, No. You do not need to hire a lawyer in almost all cases from criminal to family or civil. However, most often, Insurance Corporations and their Lawyers could unreasonably delay, frivolously defend, and greedily deny your case. Generally, a Capable, Credible and Compassionate Chosen Workers Compensation Lawyer knows the system and how the opposing attorneys and claims administrators function. They may also find many entitlements that you have but don’t know about.

HOW MUCH DO I HAVE TO PAY MY LAWYER?

Generally, Workers Compensation Lawyers work on a Contingency basis. This means that you don’t pay them anything upfront. They generally can receive anywhere from 9 to 15% of the settlement amount. However, the judge must approve the amount.