California has several large recycling plants and other facilities that are a significant part of the recycling process. Some of the most well-known of these recycling plants include GreenWaste in San Jose, Cal-Waste in Galt, Zanker Resource Recovery in San Jose, and Z-Best, which specializes in composting and anaerobic digesters. When you think about these facilities, you might not know precisely what happens there, but if you are employed at one of them, you know that there are many roles and job types at each facility. Workers at a recycling plant include everyone from the staff operating heavy equipment and sorting or inspecting materials to the office staff who are keeping track of incoming and outgoing materials, shipments, and other logistical information.
With the wide range of jobs and responsibilities at these facilities, there are a massive number of potential workplace injuries that can occur. Sadly, workers never really think about or, fortunately, maybe do not dwell on the possible safety hazards of their job. They only focus on trying to work as safely as possible and avoid the injuries they subconsciously know could be lurking at any place of employment. However, all of this grey area or undesirable truth becomes very real, as do your numerous questions, when you become the most recent victim of a recycling plant injury.
If you or a loved one has recently suffered a recycling plant injury and is concerned about how to get the help you need to resolve your expenses and losses caused by the incident, please know that Normandie Law Firm is ready to help. All you need to do is grab the phone and contact our caring office staff to begin exploring your options and gathering helpful and very valuable information about how the California Worker’s Compensation Program can assist you and the services offered by Normandie Law Firm to get you back on your feet and past the stress of medical bills and lost wages because of an on the job injury incident.
On that first contact or call with Normandie Law Firm, you will be speaking to an employee of the firm who can offer you a great deal of general information as well as assist you in scheduling your free consultation with a seasoned recycling plant injury attorney at Normandie Law Firm. At that meeting, you will explain the details of the incident to your attorney, tell them more about your injuries, and answer any additional questions they have about the incident to ensure they have a complete understanding of the event. Then they will explain to you your options, including opening a Worker’s Comp claim and any other legal action that might apply to your case. After that exchange, all the choices are up to you and can be made in the timeframe that you choose. All we ask is that you reach out to our expert staff swiftly to ensure you understand all the time limits that can apply when you are seeking help and compensation for your on the job injury at a California recycling plant.
Common Workplace Injuries Occurring At Recycling Plants
When you think about the harm that can occur at a recycling plant, the list is long. There are some common workplace injury incidents that can happen anywhere and at almost any time. These very generic injury incidents include:
- Slip and fall
- Trip and fall
- Injuries from the impact of a falling object
- Burns from contact with hot items
You could suffer these incidents when you are at home, at work, or out enjoying a relaxing day at the mall. But these still pose serious danger to employees when they occur at work, and in many cases, they could have and should have been prevented. In addition to these common in all locations injuries, there are some which are more job or workplace specific and are more the result of an incident in a recycling plant, such as:
- Vehicle accidents related to operating the large trucks and heavy equipment used at a recycling plant
- Vehicle versus pedestrian accidents
- Injuries from malfunctioning large recycling specific equipment that could cause crushing injuries
- Injuries from large items or recycling material shifting or falling on the employee
- Chemical burns or inhalation issues from chemical fumes
- Contact with electricity due to equipment failures
Common Workplace Injuries Caused By A Recycling Plant Incident
You might believe that a workplace injury will be minor and not cause significant harm to the average worker. And in some cases, that is correct. You could sustain a minor cut or bruise that requires little or no medical care. However, there are many times when the victim of a recycling plant injury incident sustained one or more of these very serious injuries and faces significant medical expenses, lost wages, and other costs:
- Severe lacerations and puncture wounds that can include damage to internal organs and internal bleeding
- Partial or complete amputations
- Broken or shattered bones
- Complete joint dislocations and the destruction of the soft connective tissue of the joints
- Back, neck, and spinal cord damage
- Head injuries that can include a severe concussion, skull fracture, brain bleed, or other traumatic brain injuries
- Soft tissue damage and the destruction of nerves in the area
- Chemical burns to the surface of the skin or the respiratory system due to toxic chemical fumes
- Electrical burns, severe electrical shocks, or electrocution
- Facial injuries that can involve harm to the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth
How Do I Know If Worker’s Comp Will Help Me?
As an employee in California, you are almost assured of being covered by Worker’s Comp or a self-funded program operated by your employer that provides similar benefits. The reason this is so simple to assume is that all employers in the state are required to participate in the program or offer a similar program to employees. The focus of the program is to offer assistance to a worker who gets hurt on the job. It is also vital to understand that you never need to sign up for WC, nor does the participation cost you anything. Employers are obligated to enroll employees and cover all the costs.
In addition, any time you suffer a workplace injury, you have the right to open a worker’s comp claim to see benefits to help you cover costs like medical expenses and your lost income. The only requirements to open a claim related to a workplace injury are:
- You were working at your regular job at the time of the injury
- You were acting responsibly and not taking part in dangerous activities or horseplay at the time of the incident
- You were not under the influence of any mind-altering drug or substance at the time of the workplace injury incident
If you are facing an issue opening a Worker’s Comp claim or your employer is threatening to punish or fire you for opening a claim to seek help after a legitimate workplace injury, please contact Normandie Law Firm immediately to discuss the case and your options with an experienced recycling plant injury attorney.
What Benefits Does Worker’s Comp Provide To A Hurt Recycling Plant Employee?
If you get hurt on the job at a recycling plant, you have the right to open a California Worker’s Compensation claim to receive benefits as needed to help you cover losses and expenses resulting from the incident. The staff at the WC program will provide the benefits as needed from the following forms of assistance and services included in the program:
- Coverage of medical care related to the workplace injuries with a total payment of up to $1M per on the job injury – in addition, in most cases, the medical care provider will bill the WC program directly, and you are not responsible for any co-pay or portion of the cost of your medical treatment
- If your injuries are severe and cause you to take time off work to heal, the program can provide you with up to 66% of your regular weekly income to help cover your routine living costs that you can use as needed for your household bills
- In cases where the victim sustains harm that results in a loss of capability or function that will cause a decrease in earning potential the program can pay partial or temporary disability to replace the decrease in your income
- If you have suffered serious injuries that will prevent you from ever returning to your current role at the recycling plant, the Worker’s Comp Program provides employees with free vocational training that will allow them to prepare for a new career path once they are ready to return to the workforce
When Can I Sue My Employer For My Workplace Injuries?
In most cases, a worker who suffers harm in the course of their job at the recycling plant is limited to using the benefits provided by the Worker’s Comp program. The employer is paying for the cost of all employees to be covered by the WC program, and their reward for that payment is protection from personal injury lawsuits from workers who are hurt on the job. The only exception that allows a worker hurt on the job at a recycling plant to file a lawsuit against the recycling plant owner is where there is gross negligence on the part of any employer or a staff member in the worker’s chain of management.
Gross negligence in these cases is defined as the employer, a manager, or a person in the leadership showing a lack of concern for the safety of employees. For example, if you use a specific tool in your job at the recycling plant and it wears out or has a damaged safety feature that creates a hazard for the user, you would ask your employer to have the item repaired or replaced to ensure your safety. If the employer repairs or replaces the item, you have no issues and will be safe in performing your job. However, if the employer refuses to replace or repair the item and you suffer an injury because of the damaged safety feature, that is an example of gross negligence, and you should reach out to Normandie Law Firm to discuss your options for a lawsuit.
How Long Do I Have To Take Action To Get Help?
If you are opening a worker’s comp claim, please know that you have only 30 days from the date of the injury incident to open your claim to receive help. If you fail to open the claim until the time limit has passed, you are typically going to have the request immediately denied, and you will not receive any benefits. In the event that your case involves gross negligence, you will have two years from the date of the injury incident to file your personal injury lawsuit with the court. That time limit is also strictly enforced, and once it expires, you will lose the right to pursue any legal action. Finally, once the time limit to pursue a lawsuit has expired, there are minimal exceptions that would allow you to receive additional time to take action.
No Added Stress Or Upfront Legal Fees At Normandie Law Firm
When you work with the team at Normandie Law Firm, we never ask for any upfront fees or expenses to handle your case. Instead, we take on any case with legal merit and only get paid after the matter is resolved. Please also understand that if your Normandie Law Firm recycling plant injury attorney fails to win your lawsuit and get you the compensation and justice you deserve, you owe the firm nothing. Please reach out to our dedicated and caring office staff today to learn more about this very helpful opportunity to secure assistance in covering the losses and costs created by a recycling plant injury.
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