Lead Poisoning At Work In Modesto Lawyer

California leads the nation in state population, and with that comes some correspondingly large numbers like worker’s compensation cases. Everyone is aware of the typical issues that employees face. There is another risk that people pay very little attention to and rarely think about. Lead poisoning is a risk. Despite the fact that it’s very common, it is unknown how many cases go unreported every year. The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health in 2024 approved increasing the lead exposure standards so that violations would drive more awareness and force better prevention methods.  The California Department of Public Health reports that it is one of the most common environmental illnesses in the state, despite the ability to prevent it.

If you are an employee and work around any source of lead, you have a chance for serious workplace injury. If you work at a place like a car battery manufacturing plant or a recycling facility, lead poisoning is a known hazard, and many regulations and procedures are in place to prevent it. The level of lead poisoning in the workplace is still increasing. Today, lead poisoning as a workplace injury isn’t limited to employees who know they are working with lead on a daily basis. The variety of manufacturing and recycling jobs alone that deal with lead constantly is quite a list. Ensuring you are as safe as possible is critical, as you will likely be questioned about the situation after filing a worker’s compensation case in the State of California.

Situational awareness is an essential skill and excellent habit to possess if you work in a high-risk environment. If you are injured or get ill, the employees of California based companies are covered by the worker’s compensation program. If you have been hurt at work, do not hesitate to contact the Normandie Law Firm day or night. We are ready to help you get any questions you have answered. It doesn’t matter whether they are about coverage, support, or benefits. Our legal team is ready to help you. If your initial call to one of our staff doesn’t completely resolve your questions and issues, we will set up a free initial consultation with one of our lead poisoning worker’s comp lawyers to get the details of the illness. This will allow our staff to give you better advice and support for any issue you have. Sharing information is the focal point during that meeting. If we find that taking legal action is recommended, we are prepared to do that for you. Please be aware that you are not required to hire the Normandie Law Firm to represent you in any way. If you are in need of assistance after being hurt at work, please call us as soon as you can.

After the lead poisoning at work in Modesto lawyers get your information about the illness, they will assist you by reviewing what they believe to be the following steps to get the case opened or progressed, and get you compensated for medical bills, any lost wages due to missed work, or other expenses that qualify. With this knowledge, you can take the steps needed to work directly with worker’s comp. One critical note you should know at this point is the limited amount of time you have to get a claim opened with worker’s compensation.

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What Is The Time Limit To File A Worker’s Compensation Case In California?
The standard time limit for opening a case with the worker’s compensation program is thirty days. In larger organizations, an injured worker’s employer may have staff that will work with worker’s comp to get the claim created one for their worker once they have the details of the injuries and circumstances. For lead poisoning, the state requires that the company notify the state. That will usually occur in a few days immediately after the incident. If your employer tries to stop you from opening a case with the worker’s compensation for your benefits, please reach out to the Normandie Law Firm staff immediately to get the help to open your claim before the 30-day deadline. If you wait longer than 30 days to open your claim, it will be denied. You are allowed to open a worker’s compensation claim after leaving the job where you were hurt, as long as it is within the 30-day time limit. The 30-day window is a strict time limit, and the exception to it pertains to cumulative trauma.

What Is Cumulative Trauma In A Workplace Injury?
Injuries that happen as a result of several incidents over a longer period of time can be judged to be the result of cumulative trauma. This kind of injury is still eligible for treatment under worker’s compensation beyond the 30 day limit. A potential cumulative trauma injury would be repeated incidents that, over time, resulted in loss of function in your hands, like carpal tunnel. The time limit for any injury diagnosed from cumulative trauma is 1 year from the date of the first day of work you missed. Normandie Law Firm is ready to help you in get your claim filed with worker’s compensation insurance to take advantage of the benefits you are entitled to.

Will The California Worker’s Compensation Program Cover Every Injury That Happens At Work?
If the injuries in question occurred while doing your job on the clock, the answer is yes. If an investigation shows that your injuries were actually caused by conduct not related to work, such as horseplay, or if you were under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the workers’ compensation program will not cover the injuries sustained.

Workers who get injured at work are interested in getting the medical treatment they need and getting it paid for. One very important piece of information to ask about is when you get treatment, that you verify that the medical facility will bill the worker’s compensation program directly for services rendered. If the answer is yes, then this process helps you when handling the medical bills. Direct billing lessens the effort you have to make when trying to get paid back for out of pocket expenses. Please do not wait to call Normandie Law Firm to find out about the list of benefits and how easy it is to get access to everything the worker’s compensation program for the State of California offers you as a covered employee.

What Are The Benefits Provided By The Worker’s Compensation?
Below is a short list of the essential benefits offered by worker’s comp when you are employed by a California based company. It is not a complete list, but it does show the key benefits and coverages. It is designed to handle many of the challenges that someone might find when handling a workplace injury. The coverage offers:

• 100% payment or reimbursement of all your medical expenses related to the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of your injuries, with a maximum of 1 million dollars per incident
• 66% of your regular weekly earnings will be paid to you if your injuries do not permit you to work during treatment or if you find yourself hospitalized
• Disability payments should be provided if your injuries result in any restrictions that will reduce or even eliminate your earnings in the future
• As a result of the injuries suffered, you are unable to do your original job, the program can provide free vocational training and will help you find employment in a new career once you have been cleared by doctors to return to work

What Are The Ways An Employee Gets Lead Poisoning?
As noted above, there are numerous industries that continue to work with lead regularly. What may surprise you is some of the jobs listed that don’t directly deal with lead but still run the risk of severe exposure.

• Lead-acid battery manufacturing and recycling
• Ammunition manufacturing and handling
• Firing ranges for the public, as well as training ranges for law enforcement and the military
• Welding shops and job roles
• Mining/Smelting operations
• Demolition of pre-1978 homes and apartments with lead paint on the walls

If you work in any of these job roles, it is likely you are aware of the chances of lead poisoning and are taking precautions. You also need to be aware of the symptoms and warning signs of lead poisoning.

The Common Warning Signs Of Lead Poisoning
One thing everyone should understand is that there is no age limit for getting dangerously ill with lead poisoning from exposure to any type of product containing lead or in an environment that generates lead in gas, dust, or any form. No known tolerances exist to avoid getting lead poisoning. The only thing that is effective is prevention. The most common symptoms of lead poisoning include:

• Fatigue
• Bluish gums
• Abdominal pain
• Loss of appetite and decreased weight
• Constipation
• Vision or hearing loss

If you have any of these symptoms above, please get medical attention immediately. Our staff at Normandie Law Firm will be ready to assist you with your needs when you call.

Can I Sue My Employer If I Get Lead Poisoning?
Any employee who is hurt at work and doing their job is generally restricted to only seeking financial help from the California worker’s comp program. The program is considered a single source and exclusive remedy for all workplace injuries. Even if the company were found liable for cause in a personal injury suit filed by a guest, employees are not allowed to file an injury lawsuit against their employer. The exception to this is if gross negligence by the employer resulted in harm to the employee. The lead poisoning at work in Modesto, a lawyer at Normandie Law Firm, will assess the case details and advise if they believe you have a case where gross negligence applies to the situation that led to your injury.

If gross negligence is suspected and can be proven, you can file a personal injury lawsuit against the entity that is responsible, and the court will award damages. You are still not permitted to sue for damages received, like your medical bills or lost wages that you have already received from worker’s compensation, only for things you have not been compensated for.

What Is The Normandie Law Firm’s Policy On Upfront Expenses?
When you hire a Normandie Law Firm lawyer for representation after a workplace injury, we will not charge you for any upfront legal fees before we work on your claim or case. If we fail to win your case, you will not be billed by Normandie Law Firm either. Please do not hesitate to contact Normandie Law Firm with any questions or concerns you may have. We are ready to represent you if you need a lead poisoning at work in Modesto lawyer.

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