Injured While Doing Tile Work

Tile work has a special place in the heart of many residents of California, as their homes are floored in travertine, Saltillo, Catalina, or other decorative tile work from the days of the SoCal tile heyday. You can find vibrantly colored tiles used for fireplace and fountain surrounds, focal point artwork around doors and windows, along an arc that functions as a doorway, or as a piece of art that also functions as a backsplash in the kitchen. Many historic homes include bathrooms that feature antique handmade tile and tell the story of a time when such features in a house were a sign of wealth and prosperity. The point is that being considered a tile craftsman in California is a great accomplishment that will reward you with high pay and job security.

However, it is vital to recall that no job is perfect, even when installing tile. Not only is it hard work that takes years of practice to master, but it is also a job that takes its toll on your body. In most cases, no one working in this trade has not been injured while doing tile work. And sadly, the harm these workers suffer can be very severe and even life-threatening. Thankfully, these workers and all others in the state can rely on the help of the California worker’s compensation program to help them through the difficult times that are sure to occur when they are injured while doing tile work.

If you or a loved one were recently injured while doing tile work, please know that you do not need to navigate these challenges on your own. The skilled and helpful team at DTLA Law Group is just a call away and ready to respond 24/7 to assist you in understanding your rights, the legal system, and how our experts can provide the information and resources you need to handle this difficult experience and come out the other side with a bright future. In addition to providing encouragement and peace of mind, our office pros will help you book a free consultation to speak to an expert attorney with decades of expertise in handling cases related to being injured while doing tile work.

After you relate the facts of the injury incident, how your employer has advised you or if they have offered any help, and your level of injuries due to the incident, your tile injury lawyer will explain the legal merit of your case, if you have grounds for a lawsuit, and how the worker’s comp program can provide exceptional benefits to aid you in managing medical expenses and other challenges until you can return to work. But please also understand that you are never obligated to hire DTLA Law Group, open a worker’s comp claim, or pursue legal action against your employer, even after the consultation. Our only purpose in providing this valuable information to you is to ensure that all workplace injury victims understand their options and how to get the help that will best meet their immediate and long-term needs. We only ask that you contact the office of DTLA Law Group swiftly, as the time limit for you to take action for some assistance might be significantly shorter than you would expect.

Many people look at working with tile as a form of art rather than a very challenging and labor intensive process. And while placing the tiles and creating a beautiful pattern is very artistic, there are also a great many tasks that are nothing but hard labor that can result in severe injuries. Some of the aspects of working with tile that can be hazardous include:

• Carrying the heavy boxes of tiles and other construction materials like mortar and concrete
• Working on the floor and kneeling down all day, or working from a bent over position
• Using sharp hand tools to spread mortar
• Using saws or pneumatic tile cutters
• Encountering the dust and flying debris from tile cutting and installation
• Walking on dusty surfaces that can be slippery or tripping over the countless tools and other obstacles in the workspace
• Exposure to chemical cleaning and coloring processes or sealants to finish the tile project

Sadly, the list of potential injuries suffered by a tradesman doing tile work is almost endless. Of course, there are the very common and minor incidents like a small cut, bruise, or abrasion. But in all too many cases, the harm suffered by these dedicated workers is much more severe and can include one or more of these very serious injuries that can become life-altering:

• Partial or complete amputations
• Severe lacerations or puncture wounds that can involve damage to internal organs and internal bleeding
• Compound fractures
• Fractured, broken, or shattered bones
• Complete joint dislocations and destruction of the soft connective tissue of the joints
• Chemical burns to the skin or chemical vapor damage to the respiratory system
• Back, neck, and spinal cord injuries
• Soft tissue damage and the destruction of nerve tissue
• Facial injuries from shrapnel-like pieces of tile that can damage the delicate skin on the face or the eyes, ears, nose, or mouth
• Damage to joints from repetitive motions
• Head injuries that can include a severe concussion, skull fracture, brain bleed, or other forms of traumatic brain injury
• Damage to the lungs from dust inhalation

If you get hurt on the job in California, you are going to be relieved to learn that you are covered by one of the most robust worker’s comp programs in the United States. The program offers superior benefits to workers to ensure they get the medical care needed to make the most positive and complete recovery possible after getting hurt while working to earn a living and support their loved ones. The benefits are distributed as needed to workplace injury victims and include:

• Complete coverage of all medical expenses related to the injuries suffered while working at your regular job to a benefit limit of $1,000,000 per injury incident
• If the harm suffered by the employee is severe and results in limited capability and a decrease in earning potential for a temporary period or long-term limitations that decrease earning potential, the program can provide disability payments
• The program will also provide victims with up to 66% of their regular weekly income if they are unable to work while they heal from the workplace injuries – this money is to replace your lost paycheck and can be used as you choose to cover your typical living expenses
• If the worker suffers severe harm and will never fully recover to their preinjury health and capabilities, they can receive free vocational training from the program to prepare for a new career path once they are able to rejoin the workforce

When a worker suffers an injury while on the clock, they are typically limited to using the benefits offered by California worker’s compensation to aid them in paying medical bills and other expenses created by the injury incident and inability to work. The program was created to ensure that all workers who get hurt on the job get the medical care needed to fully recover from the harm they suffered through no genuine fault of their own. However, the program also provides protection for the employer of a hurt worker.

In the past, an injured worker would often sue their employer to cover their medical bills and other expenses. This cost the employer a great deal of time and money. In some cases, a small business closed because it could not cover the costs of the lawsuit. The resolution the state created was that the employer pays all the costs of the worker’s comp coverage for their employees. In return, the employer is protected from lawsuits because workers are not permitted to file a lawsuit for injuries caused by a workplace incident.

The only exception to this limitation is when there is gross negligence on the part of the employer, or, as it is explained in these cases, a complete lack of concern or care for the safety of an employee. For example, picture a tile worker who discovers their tile saw is damaged and no longer safe to use because the protective cover over the rotating cutting blade is broken. They fear that if the blade shatters when cutting tile, the blade pieces could severely injure the user. So, the worker reports the damage to their employer and asks for a new tile saw or the existing one to be repaired.

Instead of repairing or replacing the tile saw, the employer tells the worker not to worry about the damaged blade cover and to keep using the saw. In a few days, the tile saw blade shatters and the pieces fly into the tile worker, causing serious injuries. Because the employer knew about this potential safety hazard and failed to correct it, they could be found grossly negligent and the employee could have grounds for a workplace tile saw personal injury lawsuit.

As the victim of a workplace injury, you have only 30 days from the date of the incident to contact the worker’s comp program and open a claim. This time limit is non-negotiable, and once it has passed, you will not be permitted to open a claim and will not be granted any benefits. If you have grounds for a personal injury lawsuit due to gross negligence, you have two years from the date of the injury incident to file a claim with the court. This time limit is also very strictly monitored and enforced. If the case is not filed within the provided two years, you will lose the right ever to pursue legal action related to this matter. In addition, there are very limited exceptions to this time limit that would provide added time to file a lawsuit once the original time limit has expired.

As the victim of a workplace injury, you are likely to be facing many monetary challenges. However, you still have the right to exceptional legal services, and DTLA Law Group is dedicated to meeting your needs without adding to your financial hardships. Our firm will handle any lawsuit with legal merit and never ask for our payment until the case is resolved and you have the compensation that includes funds to cover those costs. Finally, your DTLA Law Group workplace tile injury attorney fails to win your case and get you the compensation you need, you owe the firm nothing for the time and expenses paid to prepare your lawsuit. Please get in touch with our office staff at your earliest opportunity to learn more.