Ten
facts about workers’ compensation
you should know!
(Rose,
Klein & Marias
909 944-1711)
www.rkmlaw.net
Questions |
Answers |
What are the differences
between disability and Worker's Compensation? |
State Disability insurances cover any personal illness or injury, either physical or mental that prevents you from doing your regular or customary work. Disability also includes elective surgery and disabilities related to pregnancy or childbirth.
Worker’s Compensation covers all work-related injuries and illnesses caused or aggravated by work. |
Is there supplemental
disability or worker's compensation? |
No, Supplemental pay is no longer available as of April 1, 2004. |
How do I file for State Disability or Worker’s Compensation? |
For State Disability: you must seek services with your Doctor who will determine if you need to be off work more than 8 days. The doctor will give you an off work note to give to your Store Manager. After giving the note to your Store Manager, contact the Insurance Dept. for Disability forms or file via www.EDD.ca.gov. If needed to register online, Your Local Union has a Kiosk computer for your utilization.
For Worker’s Compensation, you must report the injury to your manager or supervisor immediately and he/she will complete a claim form and arrange medical treatment with your Employers Insurance Carrier.
Contact Insurance Dept. Immediately if taken off work |
Can I go to my own
doctor when it is worker's comp? |
You’re entitled to be treated by your own personal physician if you’ve notified your employer of the doctor’s name and address in writing before the injury occurs. SEE DESIGNATION PERSONAL TREATING PHYSICIAN FORM or contact the Union Local Office |
How long do I have
to go to the company doctor? |
Thirty (30) days after reporting the injury and being treated by the company doctor, then you can switch to your own doctor. |
What happens if I go
to my doctor and find out it is worker's comp? |
Get a note from that doctor stating your condition is work related and give the doctor’s note to the store manager or supervisor to file a claim with your Employers Insurance Carrier.
|
What happens if I am
permanently disabled? |
If the injury keeps you from returning to your regular work, you may qualify for vocational rehabilitation benefits to training into a new job, which may or may not be with another employer. |
What are Top 5 Things You Need To Know About Reporting A Work Injury |
|
Top 5 Things You Need To Know About
The Workers* Compensation Utilization Review Process |
click here |
Does the union have
worker's compensation attorneys? |
Yes. Rose,
Klein, and Marias (909) 944-1711. |
Workers’ Compensation is a scary topic for
most people.
It’s scary because most people have not had
to go through it and only know about it through second,
third and fourth hand stories, most of which are
incorrect and without a factual basis — “My
friend’s sister’s cousin cut her finger
and got $4 million.”
Employers too, are woefully uninformed about the
system and make workers feel as though they are criminals
for filing a claim.
Hopefully, this article will
give you some information and knowledge about the
workers’ compensation
system.
It will not tell you everything, but you will know
at least a few new things and the more you know,
the less scary the system will be if you have to
go into it.
Workers’ Compensation is a “no-fault” system.
There is no “fault” to be proven in
most workers’ compensation cases.
The program was established to give employees injured
at work a system that would somewhat take care of
them, their medical expenses and prevent lawsuits
against employers.
You do not need to prove that
your boss or a co-worker did something wrong to
claim and get workers’ compensation
benefits. In most cases the fact that you are injured
while or as a result of working, is all that is needed.
Workers’ compensation
is a right,
not a benefit.
The state of California requires
that employers maintain workers’ compensation
coverage for all of their employees. Not having
coverage is a misdemeanor!
The rationale was to make certain that every employed
person in California, if injured while at work or
as a result of work, would be able to have treatment
and care.
Pain and suffering
are not part of workers’ compensation.
Despite what you may have
thought, there is no money paid in workers’ compensation
to the injured worker for pain and suffering.
The only payment that is made in any award is for
the amount of permanent disability the employee has
suffered as a result of the work injury.
The system does not care about your home life and
how your life has been affected.
The workers’ compensation system — perhaps
unfortunately — does not care about how your
family suffered as a result of your injury. It only
cares about how much your ability to work in the
open labor market has been reduced.
Don’t expect
lots of money!
The WC system is designed to give injured workers
money during the time that they cannot work.
The amount is two-thirds of the average weekly wage,
up to a maximum of $720 per week.
While this is tax free, it is still not a lot of
money and often less than the injured worker was
getting when working.
Report every injury!
Employees tend to ignore minor injuries, either
due to embarrassment or fear that their jobs will
be jeopardized.
Don’t be! Your employer
is required to respond with a claim form for all
injuries. If it is minor, nothing happens. If it
is major, you have protected yourself and started
the clock running for the insurance company to
admit or deny your injury.
An injury that is not denied within 90 days is deemed
admitted!
You can choose your own doctor!
Insurance companies and employers like to intimidate
workers and force them to use their doctors.
When an injury is admitted,
the employer can control the doctor only for the
first 30 days — after
that, the employee can pick any doctor he or she
wants. So long as the doctor is in the area, you
are entitled to pick your own! Download form here.
The insurance people are not always your best friends.
There are a lot of very good, competent and honest
insurance and employer adjusters in the workers compensation
field.
But, as nice as some are, there are a great many
who will not tell you all the facts you need to know
or what your rights are. They work for the insurance
company and insurance companies do not make money
by giving it away.
The court approves
attorney’s fees.
In workers’ compensation,
the fees are between twelve and fifteen percent
(12-15%) and are approved by the court.
The court is there to protect
the worker and so you are protected with both an
attorney, if you have one, and a judge, even if
you don’t have an
attorney.