Your claim doesn’t disappear. If you’re like so many injured workers, this could be one of the biggest fears you might carry: that leaving the job, getting laid off, or being let go will erase everything you’re owed. The good news is that it won’t. California workers’ compensation benefits are tied to your injury, not … Read More
If you see a nurse suddenly start showing up at your medical appointments after a work injury, that’s not just a nurse. Specifically, they’re what’s called a “nurse case manager.” It’s worth understanding exactly who they are before you get too comfortable. A nurse case manager is a licensed nurse assigned to help coordinate your … Read More
Usually, no, you can’t. There’s a reason for that. California’s workers’ compensation system runs on a trade-off: you get medical care and wage benefits no matter who was at fault. In exchange, you generally give up the right to sue your employer in civil court. That’s called the “exclusive remedy,” and it covers the vast … Read More
California gives firefighters and peace officers a legal advantage most injured workers don’t have: presumption laws. For certain conditions, the law assumes the illness or injury came from the job unless the employer can prove otherwise. That single shift may sound small, but it makes a big difference. It’s a big change from typical workers’ … Read More
To put it as simply as possible, a lien is a claim that someone files to get paid out of your workers’ compensation settlement. Now, a lien doesn’t make your workers’ compensation case worth less on paper. But a lien does change how much of the money actually ends up in your pocket. Doctors, the … Read More
Sometimes, yes. If you settled your California workers’ compensation case with a Stipulated Award and your condition later gets worse, you may be able to reopen it. However, you can do so only if you act within five years of your original injury. If you settled with a Compromise and Release, reopening is usually not … Read More
“Permanent and stationary” essentially means that your doctor has decided your work injury has healed as much as it’s going to. It doesn’t mean you’re back to normal. Instead, it means your condition has leveled off and isn’t expected to improve much more with treatment. In a California workers compensation case, this milestone (often called … Read More
Yes. You can work while you have an open California workers’ compensation claim. However, whether you should, and what it does to your benefits, depends on the kind of work, how much you earn, and what your doctor has cleared you to do. No matter what, you have to report the work. Earning money you … Read More
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