Workers’ compensation and psychiatric injuries

Workers' compensation is often used to pay for medical treatment for injuries that occurred in the workplace. While these injuries could have occurred in an accident with workplace machinery or in a car crash, they could also have occurred in extremely stressful or traumatic environments where no physical harm was caused. When a person is affected mentally by their working environment, this is known as a psychiatric injury. In California, it is possible to file for workers' compensation as a result of psychiatric injuries. This is because mental illnesses can be equally as pervasive and limiting as any other type of injury. They also require extensive medical treatment and time off work in order to recover. What are the challenges of filing for workers' compensation as a result of a psychiatric injury? Proving that mental health problems were actually caused by the working environment can be the biggest challenge in these [...]

2020-02-12T10:37:44+00:00April 26th, 2019|

Standing up for your rights as a whistleblower

If you have recently made a complaint at work or you have reported your company for illegal or unsafe activities, you may be a whistleblower. As such, you have a higher risk of negative actions being taken against you by your employer or even your co-workers because you have likely acted against their wishes. This is why there are laws in place to legally protect whistleblowers across the United States. If you have been affected by whistleblower retaliation in California, it is important that you take action to protect yourself and hold your employer accountable for their illegal treatment of you. What are California's whistleblower laws? California laws are particularly protective of whistleblowers because they cover both public and private employees. In 2014, the California Whistleblower Protection Act was amended to include additional laws. These laws expanded the scope of protection to include protections for workers that made complaints internally in the [...]

2020-02-11T11:33:20+00:00April 19th, 2019|

Officer killed when driver runs into him at traffic stop

A California Highway Patrol motorcycle officer died recently when he was struck while on a traffic stop in Lake Elsinore. The officer, a sergeant, was a 27-year-veteran of the CHP who previously had patrolled the Santa Ana and Baldwin Park areas. The fatal incident occurred when the sergeant stopped the driver of a Chrysler on the shoulder of southbound Interstate 15. A gray Toyota Corolla ran into the sergeant, the motorcycle and the Chrysler, according to the CHP. He was transported to Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar and died from major injuries. The driver of the Toyota, a 36-year-old man, was arrested on multiple charges, including driving under the influence, the CHP said. The Riverside County District Attorney's Office could add charges. The Toyota driver suffered only minor injuries, and the four occupants sitting in the Chrysler weren't hurt. Gov. Gavin Newson released a statement of condolences to the sergeant's [...]

2020-02-11T10:55:29+00:00April 12th, 2019|

The rehabilitation rights of injured workers

Being injured at work can have long-term effects on your ability to earn an income. If your injury has caused a disability, you may no longer be able to work in the job you had prior to the incident. As a result, you will need to go through the process of building new work skills to help you change your career path. Job training can cost a great deal of money, and this is why rehabilitation is one of your rights under workers' compensation law. It is important that you make sure to assert your vocational rehabilitation rights in addition to claiming workers' compensation funds. Rehabilitation rights of workers in California Injured workers in California are eligible for a nontransferable voucher for the purpose of education-related retraining or skill-building. This voucher is only valid when being used in conjunction with a state-approved school or training program. Are all injured workers [...]

2020-02-11T12:41:22+00:00April 5th, 2019|
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