El Centro Farming Injury Worker’s Compensation Lawyer
The community of El Centro is fortunate to be located in a valley known for massive farm production and agricultural industry. The farms in this area bring over $1,000,000,000 in products to market each year. Thanks to the easy access to highways and railway transportation, the region provides a significant amount of fresh produce consumed in the state and country. The farms in the community support countless businesses, and a large portion of the residents work various jobs at the farms, from tasks in the fields to trucking and meeting the administrative needs of the businesses.
While the community and employees appreciate the jobs and stability offered by the decades-old farms, it is also well-known that there are potential risks involved in working on a farm. The workers handle many physically demanding tasks and require long hours of work performed by hand when crops are ready to be harvested or in the planting and tending of them. Many of the functions that were once done by hand on these farms are simplified by the use of farm machinery and equipment, but workers still need to work side by side with these massive pieces of equipment, which can also pose safety risks. Simply put, workplace injuries on the farms in El Centro are not unexpected incidents, and they can occur with some frequency simply because of the nature of the work.
Fortunately, the expert legal team at DTLA Law Group is ready to assist any injured farm worker with their worker’s compensation claim and any other legal action that might be applicable to the incident and the harm they sustained. All the hurt worker needs to do is grab the phone and reach out to the caring and skilled office staff at DTLA Law Group to learn more about the California worker’s compensation program, their rights as an injury worker, and the circumstances that might also allow the hurt employee to file a lawsuit against their employer for added compensation. In addition, the office team will book the employees free consultation with a seasoned El Centro farming injury worker’s compensation lawyer to fully evaluate the legalities of the matter and provide expert guidance in getting the benefits and compensation owed to the worker who was hurt while performing the tasks of their job as a farm worker.
Please also know that even after a free consultation, there is never any obligation to hire DTLA Law Group, file a lawsuit, or open a claim with worker’s compensation. The only motivation for providing this help and information is to ensure that anyone who is hurt while on the job understands the programs and laws that are in place to protect them and help them overcome the hardships created by an injury and possible lost income. All we ask is that you reach out to DTLA Law Group quickly, as the time limit to use some of these programs could be shorter than you might expect.
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Many workers in the agriculture industry are unaware that they have coverage from California worker’s compensation, which is one of the most robust programs of its kind in the country. They have never paid into the program and do not understand that all employers, including farming businesses, must participate in the program and cover the cost of providing insurance for their workers. So, even though you have never paid for the program, your employers have, making you eligible for benefits.
It is also vital for farm workers hurt while at their job to know that employers are not permitted to prevent you from opening a worker’s comp claim if you suffered an injury on the job. They have no right to interfere or threaten you with punishment, job loss, or a demotion for opening a claim. In addition, they are not involved in processing the claim and do not need to provide any approval for the program to grant you the benefits you need after a workplace injury. If your employer or any supervisor or boss is trying to stop you from using the worker’s comp program after getting hurt working at your El Centro farming job, please reach out to DTLA Law Group immediately to ensure you get the help you need to open a claim before the time limit has passed.
Common El Centro Farming Injuries Suffered By WorkersWhen you work on a farm, you earn your wages through hard work and a great deal of sweat. Sometimes, that hard work can result in an injury even when you are doing your best to be safe and careful. Accidents can happen, but that does not mean that the hard-working employees of the farm should suffer from costly medical bills and other expenses because they cannot work and pay their living expenses. The worker’s comp program was created to protect workers in the farming industry and all jobs from these costs and added hardships. So, if you are the victim of any of these common farming on-the-job injuries, know that help is available to cover your medical care needs:
- Fractured, broken, or shattered bones
- Dislocated joints and the destruction of the soft connective tissue of the joints
- Severe lacerations and puncture wounds that often involve damage to internal organs and internal bleeding
- Damage to the neck, back, and spinal cord
- Partial or complete amputations
- Soft tissue damage and the destruction of nerves
- Crushing or compression injuries
- Damage to the delicate skin of the face or to the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth
- Head injuries that can range from a skull fracture or severe concussion to a brain bleed or other traumatic brain injuries
- Severe electrical shocks or electrocution
- Contact or electrical burns
Seeing the long and scary list of common workplace injuries that are sustained by farm workers, you are sure to understand why they fear the cost of medical care for these often severe injuries. That is also a significant reason that California worker’s compensation provides exceptional beneifts to assist these injured workers pay for the medical care they need and deserve. The average worker hurt in the state is eligible to receive these benefits as needed:
- Full payment of all medical care related to the treatment of workplace injuries to a total cost of $1M per workplace injury incident – it is also vital to note that most medical care providers will directly bill worker’s comp for their services when they have been informed the harm was due to a workplace injury and provided with the claim information to eliminate your stress about medical bills in your name piling up and damaging your credit
- If the injuries prevent the worker from returning to their job immediately, the program will pay the worker up to 66% of their regular weekly income while they are off work and recovering from their injuries
- If the injuries suffered result in a loss of earning potential or capability, the program can also provide long-term payments for temporary or permanent disabilities
- If the injuries suffered will prohibit the worker from ever returning to their job as a farm employee, the program offers free vocational training to assist the worker in securing a new job once they have recovered from their injuries as much as possible.
The worker’s compensation program was created primarily to assist workers who are hurt on the job with the cost of medical care and lost income. However, because the employer is paying for the participation in the program, the worker is rewarded with a crucial benefit. In most cases, a worker who suffers a workplace injury is not permitted to sue their employer. Instead, they must only use the benefits provided by worker’s compensation.
The only time a worker is permitted to file a lawsuit against their employer for an on the job injury is when there is grows negligence on the part of the employer. This basically means the employer showed no regard for worker safety and ignored safety issues or concerns. For example, if a farm worker reported a damaged piece of equipment that was unsafe to use and asked that it be repaired or replaced, but the business owner or manager refused to take any action. In addition, they told the workers they must continue to use the hazardous equipment. Then the damaged equipment caused an injury to the worker as a result of it not being fixed as requested. The manager or owner who refused to repair or replace the damaged equipment ignored worker safety and was grossly negligent in their actions. In this case, the worker could possibly file a lawsuit against the company for added compensation beyond the benefits provided by worker’s comp.
After an El Centro farming injury, the victim has 30 days from the date of the incident to open a worker’s comp claim. If they wait any longer to open the claim, it will be immediately denied. In the case of a personal injury lawsuit for gross negligence, the hurt El Centro farming worker has two years from the date of the injury incident to file a claim with the court. If the case is not filed before the time limit expires, the worker loses the right to file a lawsuit related to this matter and the harm it caused.
No Upfront Legal FeesWhen you hire DTLA Law Group to handle your El Centro farming injury case, we never get paid for our services until the matter is resolved and you have the compensation that includes funds to cover your legal services. In addition, if your DTLA Law Group El Centro farming injury worker’s compensation lawyer fails to win the claim and get you the compensation you need to cover your expenses, you owe the firm nothing. Please contact our staff today to learn more.
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