Los Angeles Work Injury Lawyer

Los Angeles Work Accident Attorneys

Work accidents maim, sicken and kill thousands of workers every year, many in Los Angeles County. In 2005 alone, more than 5,700 people died in the United States following work accidents. Work injuries and illnesses in the same year topped 4 million.

Employees with work injuries from work accidents may face serious physical and financial challenges. Even if they remain able to work, work accident victims may suffer ongoing pain and weakness. Severe work injuries may leave victims unable to work or to do their former jobs. Even after a work-related injury, the worker needs to provide for his or her family.

After a work accident, someone who suffers a work injury is entitled to compensation. In most cases, the injured worker will be paid benefits through the workers' compensation system. In some cases, the worker with the help of a Los Angeles work injury lawyer will able to file a lawsuit against the employer or an outside party.

Los Angeles Employers and Workers' Compensation

California law requires employers to provide workers' compensation benefits. This is a form of insurance that pays benefits for a work-related injury. This system helps workers by ensuring compensation for a work injury. The trade-off is that it precludes workers from bringing lawsuits against employers except in limited circumstances.

To qualify for workers' compensation, the victim of a work injury should notify the employer of the work accident promptly. The employer will help to prepare a claim describing the worker's injury. The sooner this is done, the better. Tardiness could reduce or eliminate rights to work injury benefits.

An employer must provide workers' compensation benefits without regard to whether the employer was at fault for the work accident. The work injury victim is not required to file a lawsuit or appear in a Los Angeles court.

Provided the worker can show that the work injury was caused by a work accident, the worker will be eligible to receive a fixed amount of benefits.

Lawsuits against Employers in Los Angeles

Workers' compensation payments are limited to medical expenses, disability compensation, vocational rehabilitation and death benefits. Often, these payments do not provide full compensation for the costs of a work injury. For some with a work injury, there is a second option, that of filing a lawsuit.

If the work injury came about because of something the employer did on purpose, the worker may be entitled to take the employer to court. This does not mean that the employer actually wanted to cause the work injury. It is enough to prove that the employer ignored safety laws or removed safety equipment and thereby caused the work accident.

An attorney who has experience handling work accident lawsuits will be able to advise the worker about whether the work injury would qualify for a lawsuit in Los Angeles. If so, the worker might be able to recover work accident damages greater than those that are available under the workers' compensation system alone.

Suing a Third Party for Work Injuries in Los Angeles

Sometimes a work accident is the fault of someone other than the employer or employee. When this happens, the victim of the work injury may have grounds to bring a lawsuit against this third party.

• A deliveryman who suffers a work injury when a careless motorist strikes his truck on a Los Angeles freeway may be able to sue the motorist.
• A salesperson who slips and falls on a client's slippery floor while making a sales call may be able to sue the client.
• A sheet-metal worker who suffers a work injury when a defective part comes loose from a cutting machine may be able to sue the machine manufacturer.

A worker's lawsuit against a third party may enable the worker to recover payments for the work injury greater than provided through workers' compensation. If the lawsuit awards damages that duplicate benefits already received, the workers' compensation system may be entitled to some repayment. A lawyer knowledgeable about Los Angeles-area work accident cases will be able to explain the worker's legal options.

Finding the Right Lawyer for a Los Angeles Work Accident Case

If you are injured due to a work accident in Los Angeles County, you should promptly seek the advice of a lawyer with experience in handling work injury cases. The Reeves Law Group has handled thousands of personal injury cases, including work injury claims. Our experienced Los Angeles work accident attorneys will work zealously to help you recover the damages you are entitled to receive.

For work injuries, our firm concentrates in lawsuits against employers and third parties. We do not directly handle workers' compensation benefit claims but work closely with other law firms that do. We will put them in touch with you so that you have full representation of all your work accident claims.

For a free consultation concerning a work injury, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.