San Bernardino
Workers’ Compensation
lawyers

The workers’ compensation system in California exists to provide financial support to California employees who suffer injuries on the job. If you recently suffered a serious injury in a workplace accident in San Bernardino or manifested symptoms of a degenerative condition caused by your work responsibilities, call our firm. You likely have grounds to file a workers’ compensation claim for benefits through your employer.

Unfortunately, navigating the workers’ compensation system can be very difficult, especially when you are already contending with the pain and recovery from your injury. A San Bernardino workers’ compensation lawyer can potentially streamline the claims process, assist with denials and appeals, and help you determine when to seek legal remedy for adverse actions your employer has taken against your workers’ compensation claim. The attorneys at Kampf, Schiavone & Associates are ready to assist you with your workers’ compensation claim in San Bernardino.

Why Choose Our Firm?

Any workers’ compensation claim has the potential to become a complex entanglement of legal red tape, conflicting reports, and many other possible issues. As your San Bernardino workers’ compensation attorneys, the team at Kampf, Schiavone & Associates will guide you through the workers’ compensation proceedings you’re sure to expect with your claim. Since 1985, our firm has provided reliable and responsive legal representation for all types of workers’ compensation cases in San Bernardino and surrounding areas.

When we accept your case, you can expect our team to thoroughly examine all aspects of your case. We will:

• Review your workers’ compensation claim to determine what type of benefits you should expect.
• Determine whether your employer handled your claim appropriately, carelessly, or even with willful misinformation.
• Consider whether the workers’ compensation doctor who examined you conducted an appropriately thorough medical evaluation of your injuries.

Our firm has a successful track record of workers’ compensation cases throughout the San Bernardino area and will leverage this experience to help you navigate your claim confidently.

Why Do I Need an Attorney?

If you suffered an injury through no fault of your own at work, you have the right to expect fair compensation through California’s workers’ compensation system. Unfortunately, navigating this system can be very difficult, and even slight errors with any paperwork submitted to the Department of Workers’ Compensation can lead to significant delays in the handling of your claim. Hiring an attorney is one of the best ways to prevent errors like these from interrupting your claim. Your legal representative will help you complete your claim paperwork and gather the supplemental documentation you will need to submit along with it.

Having a San Bernardino workers’ compensation attorney assist with your claim also reduces the risk of encountering unwelcome and unlawful retaliation against your claim. California employers must provide employees with workers’ compensation claim forms and other necessary materials as soon as a workplace injury is reported. It is illegal for any employer to interfere with an employee’s legitimate workers’ compensation claim. If your employer has formally disciplined you or negatively altered your work arrangement in response to your workers’ compensation claim, talk with us. Your San Bernardino workers’ compensation lawyer can help you determine the best available options for legal recourse and recovery.

If there is a Medical Provider Network in place, you will need to be under the care of a physician within that Medical Provider Network in order to receive benefits. This is very important as the key to a successful workers’ compensation case is to gain control over the medical treatment. Once the treatment has been completed and the physician has released you from his or her care, they will issue a final report.  This report is considered when determining your level of permanent disability. You may see a Qualified Medical Examiner if an issue arises prior to being released by your treating doctor, or after you have been released.  The Panel QME will also issue a report laying out any disability and future medical care recommendations.  This QME report will also be used in calculating your permanent disability.

If all of your paperwork is in order and no one unjustly interferes with your claim, you should expect to receive your first benefits check within a few weeks. Unfortunately, many variables might potentially complicate your workers’ compensation claim. Additionally, you could potentially receive a lower benefits rate than you expected, or another error may have interfered with your claim.

What Is Retaliation?

It’s also possible for a workers’ compensation claim to lead to another type of legal dispute: illegal retaliation. It is against the law for any California employer to interfere with an injured employee’s workers’ compensation claim or punish an employee in response to a legitimate claim for workers’ compensation benefits after an injury at work. Unfortunately, some employers engage in retaliatory behaviors because workers’ compensation claims from their injured employees can easily raise their workers’ compensation insurance premium rate.

Examples of retaliation can include terminating an employee, demoting an employee, making the employee’s work schedule or working space untenable, or creating a hostile work environment. If you have encountered any type of retaliation from your employer after requesting materials to file a workers’ compensation claim, meet with an experienced San Bernardino workers’ compensation attorney as soon as possible to discuss your legal options.

Find Your Attorney Today

The sooner you take legal action after experiencing retaliation or an unjust denial of your workers’ compensation claim, the sooner you can obtain the benefits you need to manage your everyday expenses while you recover. The right San Bernardino workers’ compensation lawyer can streamline your claims process and safeguard the integrity of your claim, ensuring you receive the benefits you are rightfully due under California state law. If you encounter any problems with your workers’ compensation claim, or even if you don’t but want to be sure you are being guided down the proper path, your San Bernardino workers’ compensation attorney will provide you with the guidance you need to handle the situation confidently. Contact Kampf, Schiavone & Associates today to schedule your case evaluation with one of the most experienced teams of San Bernardino workers’ compensation lawyers in the area. Contact Kampf, Schiavone & Associates today to schedule your case evaluation with one of the most experienced teams of San Bernardino workers’ compensation lawyers in the area.