It is, of course, impossible to list all the ways a worker can be injured on the job. However, work injuries fall into three main categories:
Specific Injuries
These usually occur at a specific date and time. You know you got hurt, and you know the pain isn’t going away any time soon, if ever. For many people, the only question is whether they will need medical treatment, or will the pain “just go away”. Ideally, these injuries should be reported when they happen in order to make a record of the event, and get immediate medical treatment if necessary.
If an accident occurs away from the work site, but you are in the performance of your work duties, you may be entitled to workers compensation benefits.
For example, if you are on a business related trip in your car, on a train, in a taxi (or Lyft / Uber), or flying on a jet, these activities may qualify you for workers compensation benefits in California.
In fact, now that the workforce is increasingly working from home, depending on the circumstances, a worker may be entitled to workers compensation benefits.
“Wear and tear”/Cumulative Injuries
These injuries occur over time, and usually become more and more noticeable
as time goes on. These injuries can occur to almost any part of the body that has been over used by work activities – the assembly workers hands, the delivery workers back, the police officers knees.
Each person is unique – although no one else at a factory suffered a cumulative injury doesn’t mean your injury is not legitimate. It just means your body was susceptible to injury because of who you are. In fact, studies have proven that some people suffer cumulative trauma injury due with their race, or gender.
Injuries That Emerge Long After Employment
Unfortunately, not all injuries a known to the worker for years, and even decades later.
For example, certain cancers, brain injuries, lung injuries and other conditions are often not suspected as being work related until many years later when they manifest themselves.
Don’t wait! If you suspect that your condition could relate to your work, you must act immediately, or your opportunity to obtain workers compensation benefits may be lost forever.
The bottom line is this – if you have suffered a work injury or condition, delay may not only harm your health, but your rights. If you want to know more about your potential rights, call us at 714-547-5025.
The consultation is always free and confidential.