Workers' Compensation Cases

A. Employment Relationship : You must be an employee. Independent contractors and volunteers may not be covered under workers’ compensation laws unless specific circumstances apply.

B.Occurring in the Course of Employment : The injury or illness must have occurred while you were performing job-related duties or activities within the scope of your employment.

C. Causal Connection : There must be a direct causal connection between the employment and the injury or illness. Pre-existing conditions aggravated or exacerbated by work-related duties may also be compensable under certain circumstances.

The law allows up to 30 days for reporting injuries after the injury occurs or after you become aware of the injury.

To protect your rights, you also need to file form WC-14 with the SBWC within 1 year from the injury.

Any business with 3 or more workers is required to have workers’ comp insurance. Or click here to check.

You may get:

Lost Wages : (2/3 of weekly wage but no more than $800/week.) May include TTD, PPD, and PTD.

Rehabilitation Services : e.g. job training and vocational counseling.

Travel Expenses : Including mileage reimbursement for medical appointments and other transportation costs such as parking fees or public transportation fares.

Disability Benefits : Workers’ compensation may provide disability benefits to compensate for the loss of earning capacity.

Generally, you are required to seek medical treatment from healthcare providers authorized by your employer or the workers’ compensation insurance carrier. But exceptions may apply.