In the state of California, all employers with one or more employees are required to carry workers compensation insurance. If you’ve suffered an injury or illness while on the job, you’re entitled to be reimbursed for income lost during the time that the you were unable to work. After getting a medical release from your doctor and submitting notice to your employer regarding the injury or illness, you can discuss collecting wages from missed work.
At this stage in the process, your employer or another party may encourage you to calculate this amount using pre-written lost wages letter templates. We recommend that you do not use one of these forms when submitting a workers comp claim because there is often more to the story than lost wages alone. For example, the fact that you’re unable to work might cause you to lose out on a bonus or a promotion to a higher paying position or commission on a sale. Since these are factors that often are overlooked by the employer’s workman’s compensation insurance carrier, you’re best off enlisting the help of an experienced workers comp lawyer.
The folks at Gold Country Worker’s Comp Center have spent years building expertise in this area of the law, and can help you calculate all of the potential income you’ve lost as a result of your injury or illness.
The letter to your employer should say…
When you’re the victim of an injury or illness while on the job, you need to take immediate action. See a doctor as soon as possible, and have him or her clearly define, in writing, exactly the extent of your injuries, along with how long you will most likely be off of work as a result. Submit notification, along with your doctor’s note, to your employer right away because the process of recovering compensation takes time. Again, avoid using a lost wages letter template at this stage of the process.
What is Workers’ Comp?
Get an overview of this special type of insurance protecting employees.
All a template is designed to do is simply take your hourly rate and multiply it times the number of hours you will be out of work. However, an experienced attorney’s next steps would include careful consideration of every bit of potential income, like the items listed above and others such as pension benefits and fringe benefits, that you may lose out on because you’re unable to perform your job.
Consult with a legal expert
Dealing with workers compensation insurers is not an easy business. Their goal is to pay out the minimum required by law. The attorneys at Gold Country Workers Comp Center understand this, and they work hard to make sure you receive fair and equitable compensation for all forms of income, not just lost wages, that you’re entitled to during your disability leave.
It’s tough enough to suffer an illness or injury at work, but trying to go to battle with an insurance company on top of that is simply too much. Call for an appointment with one of the compassionate, experienced attorneys at Gold Country Workers Comp Center, and let them go to bat for you.
About Kim LaValley
See the background that made Kim especially equipped for a career in law.
