Los Angeles Workers’ Compensation Attorney

Legal Help for Work Injury Victims in Los Angeles

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 guarantees workers in the United States the right to a safe workplace. Most employers play by the rules and take care of their employees. Still, accidents sometimes happen in the workplace. When they do, it is often the responsibility of the employer to compensate the worker for the injuries they’ve suffered, especially if that injury was caused by unsafe work conditions.

Workplace injuries can take the form of an isolated incident, like a slip and fall, or an injury that results from sustained exposure to a harmful task or hazardous environment, like repetitive stress injuries or asbestos exposure.

California Workplace Injuries By Industry

• In 2013, there were 396 occupational fatalities – 139 were transportation incidents; 64 from falls, slips and trips; 65 from contact with objects and equipment; 39 from exposure to harmful substances and environments.
• There were 61 construction fatalities, 35 manufacturing fatalities, and 66 transportation and warehousing fatalities.
• In 2014, there were over 460,000 nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses in California, 265,100 of which required either days off of work, job transfers or restrictions.
• Of these injuries and illnesses, 28,100 were in construction, 39,400 in manufacturing, and 61,000 in health care and social assistance.

California Worker Rights and Employer Responsibilities

All workers in California have certain rights in the workplace. Here are a few that pertain to workplace safety, from the State Bar of California.

Workers have the right to:

• A safe and healthy workplace
• Refuse work that you believe puts you or co-workers in danger, in certain circumstances
• Anonymously request inspectors to check your workplace for safety violations.

Employers must:

• Inform employees about potential exposure to hazardous materials and their possible health effects
• Warn employees before exposing them to any chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive harm
• Provide employees access to health and safety records
• Maintain a safe and healthy work environment for all employees.

Workers’ compensation insurance in California provides these basic benefits to employees:

• Medical Care
• Temporary Disability Benefits
• Permanent Disability Benefits
• Supplemental Job Displacement Benefits
• Death Benefits

Contact Our Los Angeles Worker’s Compensation Attorneys

If you or a loved one has been injured in a workplace accident, The Shamsi Law Firm, APC can help. A lawsuit against an employer is never an easy undertaking for an employee, so the assistance of workers’ compensation attorneys can be invaluable in the process. Contact us today for a free consultation, 818-764-7640.