Category Archives: Blog

Workers’ compensation benefits can replace part of your income and cover expenses after a job-related injury, so it is reasonable to wonder whether some of that money will eventually have to go toward taxes. In most cases, California work comp benefits paid because of an occupational injury or illness are not subject to federal, state, […]

Being on workers’ compensation does not necessarily mean you are prohibited from earning money elsewhere. Some injured employees already have two jobs when they get hurt, while others consider a second job because work comp benefits don’t replace their full paycheck. The key question is whether the second job aligns with your medical restrictions and […]

Work does not always happen inside an office, warehouse, store, or other fixed workplace. You might spend part of the week working from home, drive to meet clients, attend an out-of-town conference, or travel somewhere specifically because your employer asked you to go. If you are injured along the way, it can be difficult to […]

An old injury does not always stay in the past. You may have returned to work after a previous back injury, learned to manage an arthritic knee, or gone years without needing treatment for an earlier condition. Then a new workplace accident or repeated job duties make the problem noticeably worse. Having a pre-existing condition […]

A mistake at work can happen in seconds. You might misjudge a step, use a piece of equipment incorrectly, cause a collision while driving for work, or simply make the wrong call in the moment. If you caused or contributed to the accident, you may assume workers’ compensation will blame you and deny the claim. […]

A first responder can get hurt in the line of duty because of someone who has nothing to do with the department. A distracted driver may hit a patrol vehicle. Unsafe property may cause a fall during a call. Defective equipment may fail when a firefighter or officer depends on it most. When someone outside […]

A late workers’ comp payment can create problems, especially when you are already relying on those benefits while recovering from an injury. Rent, medical expenses, and everyday bills do not stop just because the claims administrator misses a payment date. California law sets deadlines for temporary and permanent disability payments and, in some cases, requires […]

A first responder can return to work, finish treatment, and believe a workers’ comp case is behind them—only for the old injury to resurface months or years later. California workers’ compensation law allows certain claims to be reopened when an accepted injury leads to new or increased disability. But you do not have unlimited time […]

Being able to do some work is very different from being ready to patrol the streets, fight urban fires, act in emergencies, or do any of the physically demanding tasks first responders routinely take on. A doctor’s decision that you can return to work usually comes with limits on lifting, driving, standing, climbing, equipment use, […]

Cumulative trauma claims usually come together piece by piece. In the case of first responders, that includes years of carrying gear, climbing in and out of vehicles, restraining people, lifting equipment, and working in positions that repeatedly strain the body. California workers’ compensation law allows these gradual injuries to be treated as work-related even when […]