Worker’s Compensation Finger Amputation Lawyer

The State of California boasts more than 38 million residents, with almost half of them working to earn a living. Each year, the state sees an increase in both numbers, meaning the percentage of workers who are injured grows as well. Starting with farming and agriculture and going all the way to the different kinds of manufacturing jobs, one of the worst workplace injuries is amputation. The Kenmore Law Group is highly experienced when it comes to worker’s compensation here in the State of California. If you need a worker’s compensation finger amputation lawyer, please call us. We are ready to go to work for you and help secure you the benefits and money you are owed. There are quite a few things we want to share with you about the state’s worker’s compensation program.

Partial hand amputations, which finger amputations are counted as part of, lead the state each year in the amputation type injuries. There are approximately 1000 of them being reported each year out of a total of roughly 1400 amputation work-related accidents. Thumbs are not included in the count. When you think of specific injuries and events, most people believe there are certain jobs where a serious accident like an amputation happens the most. Still, the fact is that losing a finger occurs across a few different jobs and roles in manufacturing, construction, and retail businesses.

Regardless of the job you do every day, it is going to have something in common with all the other jobs in the state. When you are injured at work, you will be covered by the worker’s compensation insurance coverage in California. When you need any questions answered or legal advice and representation, we want you to know that you can call the Kenmore Law Group when you are ready. We can take your call around the clock, and are able to provide you with a staff member who can answer your concerns. When you need a worker’s compensation finger amputation lawyer, we are ready to set up a free initial consultation with the Kenmore Law Group legal team to review your case and get you the help you need. The in-person meeting lets us make sure we all have the same data, allowing us to understand your needs. We will work with you to understand how the worker’s compensation system can be used when filing a claim here in California.

In our first meeting, we will focus on the critical parts of the accident. We want to understand the details about your accident and how it happened. This will include all the steps that led up to the hazard that led to the incident, the specific details of your injury, including the severity, prognosis, and potential for disability as it relates to your job. We also want to learn about any other pieces of information that you believe are a part of the story. Once we have all of that information and it has been documented, we will cover how the worker’s compensation program can be used to your benefit. Our team at Kenmore Law Group is going to share with you the information for the benefits you need to know about, and that we believe apply to you and the claim. Speaking of, if you don’t already have a claim filed with worker’s compensation, we need to let you know that there is a time limit to get the claim filed in the State of California.

The Time Limit To File A Worker’s Compensation Claim
The time limit to file a claim with worker’s compensation is 30 calendar days, and the clock starts to count down beginning on the date of your injury accident. If your company doesn’t open your worker’s compensation claims or if they are working to discourage you from filing a claim, contact the Kenmore Law Group as soon as you can. We can help head off any issues you are having with your employer. You also have the right to open a worker’s compensation claim even if you don’t work there after your accident. If you were on payroll with the employer when the accident happened, the claim can still be filed as long as the 30-day time limit has not been exceeded.  Opening a claim is not dependent on continued employment where you were injured. We are ready to provide whatever assistance you need to get the ball rolling.

What Are The Jobs And Hazards That Lead To a Finger Amputation?
A finger amputation often happens when someone is working with equipment that is crucial to the job role. The equipment could be a device that is used to manufacture a product, or it could be a saw used to trim meat from a carcass. The finger amputation injuries occur most frequently in the following types of industries:

• Manufacturing, usually in areas using metal, wood, or in food sectors that will all tools to cut and create, including large saws and bandsaws in a wood milling plant, small blades and appliances used in vegetable processing, or any saw used in a meat processing facility
• Construction for both small residential and large commercial projects, industrial construction  like road or bridge building, as well as the installation of power lines on towers and generating plants
• Retail organizations like restaurants, any commercial kitchens producing packaged foods, or a deli in a store, where you are constantly serving a customer or meeting a deadline

The frequent causes of an amputation event are also shared between many types of jobs and types of businesses. Some are common enough that they will sound familiar. They are:

• The removal or deactivation of a safety measure, which usually increases the production by affecting the speed or capacity of a device, like a machine press used for forming products, a saw, shear, or grinder that will cut through many things more resistant than human hands
• Improper procedures or safety measures when devices are being repaired or worked on for maintenance purposes. They are not fully powered off and can come back on when you have your hands in places that are dangerous
• Incomplete safety and operations training on equipment like saws, which are the most common tool that is involved in a finger amputation work injury
• Mechanical failures caused by wear or improper maintenance schedules that cause parts to fail when projected but have not been replaced in time

Please note that an amputation can also cause death due to rapid loss of blood and shock. Stopping the flow of blood is the most critical step to survive an amputation accident. If the finger can be located and placed on ice, it should allow the opportunity to re-attach it at the hospital if there was not massive damage done in the severing or cutting of the digit.

Will Any Injury Be Covered By Worker’s Compensation In The State Of California?
There is not a list of injuries or types that will be covered by worker’s compensation insurance. The rule is that if you are hurt while doing your job, it is safe to expect you will be covered by worker’s comp insurance, regardless of injury. Of course, there are exceptions to coverage, but not in terms of the kind of injury. Examples include a situation where an employee is under the influence of a drug or alcohol, or is found to have contributed or even caused the incident through horseplay or reckless behavior. If the investigation into the cause shows the employee is the cause of the accident and through behavior inappropriate to work, the accident and injury might not be covered by worker’s compensation.

The Key Benefits Offered By The Worker’s Compensation Program
Every employee who is covered by worker’s compensation insurance is eligible for the benefits that are listed below. They include, but are not limited to, the following:

• A sum of 1 million dollars per single incident for medical care, which includes your hospital and doctor’s services, any prescriptions or other medications available over the counter, your physical therapy for rehabilitation, and the rental or purchase of required medical devices like crutches, a cane, or a wheelchair
• If you are seriously injured as a result of the accident, the program will provide temporary long-term disability payments to you for up to 104 weeks in most cases, equal to 66% of your weekly income or the current maximum payout, whichever is less
• If you cannot return to work because of a permanent disability, you will receive a rating and payment to offset potential reduced earnings based on the extent and duration of the disability, potentially for the rest of your life
• If the results of your injury will not allow you to return to work doing the job you were hired for, you will qualify for vocational training to assist in teaching new skills, after you are cleared by doctors to return to work

As noted above, this is not a complete list of benefits. Please speak with our staff at the Kenmore Law Group to learn more about the benefits that are offered by worker’s compensation.

I Want To File A Personal Injury Lawsuit Against My Employer For Causing My Accident
Under some circumstances, you are permitted to sue your employer after filing for worker’s compensation insurance coverage. Typically, once you file and collect from a worker’s compensation claim, you are not allowed to sue your employer for additional damages. Worker’s compensation is considered an exclusive remedy for covering any workplace injuries, and that means it’s a no-fault coverage. Liability is assumed, and as part of that, you waive your right to sue for additional damages as part of the process.

The circumstances focus on the behavior and actions of your company. If they have committed gross negligence, this allows you to bring a personal injury lawsuit to the discussion. The legal definition of gross negligence is willful misconduct or reckless disregard for others’ safety. An example of this might be that the company continued using a piece of equipment in the kitchen that was unsafe. The decision was made to keep using it because the repair or replacement was not affordable. This caused an increased risk to the well-being of any employee using the appliance. The court may find them guilty of gross negligence, at which point you will be awarded damages you have not collected from worker’s compensation.

Upfront Costs When Hiring The Kenmore Law Group
When you hire one of our worker’s compensation finger amputation lawyers for advice or representation, the Kenmore Law Group will not charge any upfront costs. If we are unable to win your lawsuit, you will not be billed at all. Please get in touch with the Kenmore Law Group today. We are ready to help you deal with your worker’s comp finger amputation case and help you get back to work.