Guiding You Through The California Workers’ Compensation Process
The time after a workplace injury can be chaotic and overwhelming. Not only do you face physical pain and trauma, but you also must contend with the workers’ compensation process. At Carter Law Center, we are here to help guide you through every step of the process to help maximize your claim.
Before you contact a California workers’ compensation lawyer, you need to seek medical attention and report your injury. If you have completed these steps, we can move forward with preparing and filing your workers’ compensation claim.
Call us at 916-794-4006 or complete our contact form to get a free consultation. From our Elk Grove office, Carter Law Center fights for injured workers throughout the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys. Se habla español.
Steps To Take After A Work Injury
While each case is different, as a general guideline these are some initial basic steps you should take if you suffer a workplace injury. If you need emergency medical attention, that’s your primary concern.
The first thing to do if you suffer an injury at work, even before calling an attorney for advice, is to report the injury to your boss. By law, if you report an injury to your employer or manager, they must give you a Claim Form (called a DWC-1). This is a one-page document where you’ll list the date and location of your injury and the body parts injured. While you can amend this form later, it is important to list all body parts that were in any way affected by the incident.
Once you report your injury, your boss should direct you to a medical provider to seek your initial medical treatment. Most employers will ask you to see a doctor their workers’ compensation insurance carrier has contracted with to see their injured workers. That doctor will let you know if you can return to work with or without work restrictions or if you need to take an extended period of time off.
After reporting your injury, submitting the Claim Form to your employer, and seeking your initial medical treatment, you should learn as much as you can about California workers’ compensation by contacting us at Carter Law Center.
Contact Carter Law Center Today
The workers’ compensation process can quickly become complex and overwhelming while you recover from an injury. We are here to help guide you through it. For a free consultation, call us at 916-794-4006 or complete our contact form. From our Elk Grove office, we fight for injured workers throughout the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys. Se habla español.