California Workers’ Comp Lawyer – Do I Still Have A Right To Workers’ Comp Benefits If I Left My Job?

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for a worker in California to be injured while on the job. Many vocations essential to the state’s economy include some inherent risk, such as construction work or working on the docks moving cargo. However, the state understands the value of its workers and is very proactive in ensuring their safety while on the job. One of the significant benefits workers have is access to California workers’ compensation. Every employer must purchase this insurance program in the state to ensure that any worker hurt while at work has access to medical care and other services during their recovery and healing process.

Unfortunately, most workers are not well educated on the services and benefits provided under workers’ comp. So the team at Kenmore Law Group offers free consultations with an expert California workers’ comp lawyer to understand the benefits offered and ensure that the injured worker’s rights are protected. In addition, our staff is available 24/7 to provide answers to important questions related to workers comp. For example, you might need to know, do I still have a right to workers’ comp benefits if I left my job? So please get in touch with our staff today to get all the answers you need to ensure you get the workers comp benefits owed to you when you need them the most.

Understanding Your Workers’ Comp Benefits
Workers in California are fortunate to have one of the best workers’ comp programs in the country to turn to when they are hurt while at work. The program is required by law, so every employer must participate, ensuring the following four benefits for every employee in California:

1. Medical benefits pay for all medical bills related to the treatment of your on-the-job injuries. Some of the most claimed services include hospital and doctor bill payment, coverage for surgery, rehabilitation, therapy, and medical devices needed due to a workplace injury, and prescription medications
2. If your injuries leave you unable to work while you heal, temporary disability payments will be provided to replace a portion of your lost wages
3. If you are unable to return to any job after your injuries, permanent partial disability payments will assist you with your loss of income
4. Finally, if you are able to work after your recovery but not in the same job or field as before, vocational training will help you establish another career

The California workers’ comp pros at Kenmore Law Group are very knowledgeable regarding all the benefits offered by workers’ comp and how to help their injured clients get the most out of their coverage. Contact the Kenmore Law Group today to discuss your case during a free consultation and learn how our workers’ comp expertise can benefit you and your loved ones and help protect your financial future.
What An Injured Worker Needs To Know
There are several rules around the workers’ comp claims process that employees need to understand and follow to ensure they receive their benefits. The first guideline that can impede your ability to get workers’ comp benefits is the 30-day window to report your injury. You must tell your employer of the incident that caused your injury within 30 days of the event. But it is wise to do this as soon as possible after you are hurt to ensure access to essential medical care. In addition, most employees have only one year to file a claim with workers’ comp from the date of the injury. If you wait more than a year to make a claim, your request will be denied in most cases. The exceptions to the one-year Statute of Limitations on the workers’ comp claim include the following:

• You are an employee of the federal government who works in California – in this instance, you are governed under federal workers’ comp guidelines and have a three-year Statute of Limitations.
• If your injuries result from cumulative trauma, such as a repetitive motion or loud noise that caused the damage, you have one year from the date you first missed work due to the injury or the date that your doctor diagnoses the injury as work-related.
• The Statute of Limitations is also extended if your injuries result in a coma or another severe damage that requires lengthy treatment or a contagious illness requires you to be in quarantine.

The California workers’ comp lawyers at Kenmore Law Group will assist you in determining whether benefits apply to you or might apply in the future. With years of experience and expertise in processing workers’ comp claims in California, you can rest assured that our team will work diligently to protect your right to workers’ comp benefits. And any other legal rights against any party liable for your injuries.
Your Workers’ Comp Rights After Leaving Your Job
In most cases, employees must understand that their right to workers’ comp benefits does not change or stop when they choose to leave a job. But it can be more challenging to fully process a claim after you have quit the job where you were injured. Unfortunately, some less-than-honest employers will not follow the workers’ comp system guidelines to avoid providing your benefits.

The issue arises because the employer is supposed to notify workers’ comp of the injury. And if you have already left the company, they often will fail to make that notification, making it more challenging for you to begin a claim. However, the expert workers’ comp lawyers at Kenmore Law Group understand this dishonest practice and how to handle it to ensure you get all the benefits you deserve after an injury while performing your job.

Does It Matter If I Was Fired From My Job?
Being fired from a job will also create some complications. If you filed the workers’ comp claim before being fired, the employer would face an intensive investigation to determine if you were fired for cause or if the termination was in retaliation for your workers’ comp claim. Of course, it is not legal to fire an employee for an injury on the job and a legitimate workers’ comp claim. If this has happened to you, a workers comp lawyer at Kenmore Law Group will work to secure the benefits you deserve with the workers’ comp staff, as well as advising you of your rights against your previous employer. There is a good possibility that you can pursue a case for wrongful or unlawful termination.

Conversely, if you did not file the workers’ comp claim until after you were terminated, the system will require an investigation into your motives. Some employees will file a dishonest workers’ comp claim after being fired as a retaliatory act against the employer and to secure benefits they are not genuinely entitled to receive. However, if you have a legitimate workers comp claim and were fired before beginning the claim, your Kenmore Law Group workers’ comp lawyer will work meticulously to protect your rights to workers’ comp coverage and compensation for your legitimate injuries.
The Value Of A Workers’ Comp Claim
Each workers’ comp claim is as unique as the person filing it. The severity of your injuries, the cost of medical care, and the length of time you need to heal and fully recover will all influence the amount of any workers’ compensation claim in California. Your Kenmore Law Group representatives will help you understand the potential value of your benefits after discussing the details of your injuries during your free consultation.
How Long Does A Claim Take?
There is no way to determine the time needed to process a workers’ comp claim until you have begun to heal and know any long-term implications of your injury. However, the staff at Kenmore Law Group has decades of combined experience litigating cases involving workers’ comp claims. This skill will help to move the process along as quickly as possible from a legal processing side. In addition, our team can help you understand an estimated time frame based on previous cases.
Your No Upfront Costs Workers’ Comp Lawyers
At Kenmore Law Group, we know that suffering an injury at work can be very frustrating and stressful. You are worried about having a job to go back to, the cost of mounting medical bills, and how to cover your living expenses while you are off work. So we never want to add to those challenges by requiring an out-of-pocket retainer or other legal payments before we complete our job and secure your workers’ comp benefits.

In addition, if another law firm has told you that you have no right to workers’ comp benefits, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our office for a free second opinion of your injuries and right to workers’ comp benefits in California. We will work diligently to get you the benefits and financial security you deserve after an injury, even if you left your job.