San Bernardino Crushed Hand Work Injury Lawyer
San Bernardino Crushed Hand Work Injury and Carpal Tunnel Attorney
If you have suffered a crushed hand injury on the job, developed carpal tunnel syndrome at work, or experienced any other workplace injury in California, it is important to understand your legal rights and the legal instruments at your disposal for seeking recourse. It is wise to obtain the assistance of an experienced crushed hand work injury lawyer. They can help you navigate the complex workers’ compensation system and access the benefits you deserve.
Carpal tunnel syndrome, a common type of hand/wrist injury, is caused by the compression of the median nerve that runs from the forearm into the hand. This condition can result from repetitive hand movements, most commonly typing. However, it can also be the result of a more acute direct impact to the hand or wrist. Carpal tunnel syndrome can be debilitating, causing pain, numbness, and weakness in the affected hand.
If you have injured your hand, wrist, arm, or another body part while on the job, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Workers’ compensation insurance is a special, legally mandated insurance system. It is designed to ensure there are benefits available for workers who are injured on the job. These funds cover key expenses for injured workers, including:
- Medical treatment
- Disability benefits
- Vocational rehabilitation
Nearly all workers are entitled to these benefits. However, the actual process of obtaining workers’ compensation benefits for a crushed hand injury can be a complicated and time-intensive ordeal. Workers’ compensation claims are regularly denied, delayed, or pushed back at by employers and insurers. This leaves injured workers without the support they desperately need (and rightfully deserve) to recover from their injuries and move past this traumatic experience.
This is where an experienced crushed hand work injury attorney comes in. A skilled attorney can help you navigate the workers’ compensation system. They can also advocate for your rights under state and federal labor laws. Your lawyer can be a key partner at every step of the long process to come. They can:
- Help you file your initial workers’ compensation claim.
- Gather the necessary medical evidence.
- Effectively negotiate with the insurance company and other parties on your behalf.
- Represent your interests in court if necessary.
At Kampf, Schiavone & Associates, we understand the devastating impact of a crushed hand injury or repetitive stress wrist injury. Our team of experienced work injury lawyers is dedicated to helping injured workers throughout California. We help our clients receive the maximum workers’ compensation benefits they are entitled to under the law.
There are many types of hand injuries that can occur in the workplace. Some of the most common include:
- Cuts and Lacerations: Cuts are among the most common types of hand injuries in the workplace. They regularly occur in manufacturing, trade, and food service settings when using knives, saws, or other sharp tools.
- Broken Bones, Fractures, and Dislocations: These types of injuries can occur because of a fall, being struck by a heavy object, or even from repetitive stress over time.
- Burns: Burns in the workplace can occur in many industries. Possible sources include contact with hot surfaces, chemicals, or electricity.
- Crushing Injuries: These injuries can occur when a hand or other body part is caught in machinery or trapped between heavy or immovable objects.
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: This is a repetitive strain injury that can occur from performing repetitive tasks, such as typing or assembly work.
- Tendinitis: Tendinitis can occur from overuse of the hand or wrist, such as from daily computer use or assembly line jobs.
- Amputations: These injuries are among the most severe workplace incidents. They can occur in industries such as manufacturing, construction, and transportation when a hand is completely severed from the arm. In these extreme cases, a settlement is often awarded in addition to regular workers’ compensation payments.
Building a Legal Strategy for Carpal Tunnel and Hand Injury Workers’ Compensation Cases
There are many ways your attorney might fight for maximum compensation in your carpal tunnel or crushed hand case. Here are some of the steps typically involved in building such a strategy:
- Gathering Evidence: The first step in a workers’ compensation case involving carpal tunnel syndrome or other hand injuries will be to gather all relevant evidence. This can establish that the injury was, beyond a doubt, caused by work-related activities. This may include medical records, testimony from medical professionals, photographs or videos of the work site, and statements from witnesses or other involved parties.
- Filing a Claim: As sufficient evidence is being gathered, the injured worker should be preparing to file their workers’ compensation claim. It can be filed with their employer or their employer’s workers’ compensation insurance carrier, depending on company policy. The claim will include a comprehensive description of the injury and the circumstances under which it occurred. Your lawyer will ensure that this statement is put together with the most legally effective wording possible.
- Negotiating With Employers and Insurance Companies: After a claim has been filed, the insurance company may dispute the claim. They might also attempt to settle it for less than the injured worker truly deserves. Do not be intimidated or pressured into accepting an inadequate offer. Even if you have navigated the process thus far without an attorney, a bad-faith offer is a sign that it is time to walk away from the bargaining table for now and enlist professional help. A skilled workers’ compensation attorney will negotiate with the insurance company on their client’s behalf to ensure that they receive fair compensation for their injury.
- Preparing for Hearings: If the insurance company denies the initial claim, the injured worker may need to prepare for a hearing before a workers’ compensation judge. At the hearing, they can argue that the case should be reevaluated by the courts. This step often includes gathering additional evidence, preparing witnesses, and developing effective legal arguments.
- Presenting Evidence: At the hearing, the injured worker’s attorney will present evidence to support their claim. This evidence should prove that the injury was indeed caused by work-related activities. The insurance company’s representatives may also present evidence to refute the claim.
- Negotiating a Fair Settlement: In many cases, the injured worker and the insurance company can reach a productive settlement agreement without the need for a hearing before a judge. This has the added benefit of keeping the process more private. A skilled workers’ compensation attorney can negotiate a fair settlement on the injured worker’s behalf. They can do this by relying on their previous experience and knowledge of what workplace injury cases are truly worth.
- Requesting a Reconsideration: If an injured worker is dissatisfied with the outcome of their workers’ compensation hearing, they still have legal options at their disposal. At this point, they can request a reconsideration by a workers’ compensation appeals board.
- Pursuing an Appeal: Even when an out-of-court settlement cannot be reached, the hearing does not yield adequate results, and the reconsideration is not successful, the process is not necessarily over. The injured worker may choose to pursue an appeal to a higher court authority, as with other types of legal matters.
- Obtaining Medical Treatment: Throughout the workers’ compensation process, the injured worker will likely need to continue to receive medical treatment for their crushed hand or carpal tunnel syndrome. A skilled attorney can make sure that the costs of that treatment are adequately covered by the workers’ compensation insurance carrier.
- Getting Your Benefits: Once the workers’ compensation claim is successful, the injured worker may receive a variety of benefits, depending on the particular situation. Generally, this includes being awarded a payment for medical treatment, disability benefits, and vocational rehabilitation.
Kampf, Schiavone & Associates: Your Trusted CA Workers’ Compensation Team for Hand Injuries
If your hand has been injured or dismembered on the job, or you are suffering from work-related carpal tunnel syndrome, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. However, navigating the complex legal system involved in workers’ compensation cases can be daunting. It can be especially difficult when you are already dealing with the physical and emotional stress of a serious injury.
That is where Kampf, Schiavone & Associates can help. Our experienced team of workers’ compensation attorneys has been serving clients throughout California for years. We can help injured workers get the full compensation they deserve.
When you work with us, you can expect personalized attention and a dedicated legal strategy tailored to your unique case. There are no cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all solutions for a case involving a serious personal injury. We understand the unique mental, physical, and financial challenges that come with overcoming workplace injuries. These lost wages, mounting medical bills, and the trauma involved can be overwhelming. Therefore, we can fight tirelessly to ensure that you receive the full benefits to which you are entitled under California law.
Whether you are dealing with carpal tunnel syndrome, crushed hand injuries, workplace dismemberment, or any other form of work-related injury, we can help. We handle all aspects of your workers’ compensation case in a highly professional and efficient fashion, including:
- Filing your initial claim
- Negotiating with insurance companies
- Advocating for your rights in court when necessary
Do not wait until your claim is denied to seek the help you need. We can listen to your story, answer your initial questions about the process, and help you understand your legal options. Contact Kampf, Schiavone & Associates today to schedule a consultation with one of our experienced workers’ compensation attorneys.