Invest Wisely

What is the California Worker’s Compensation Law?

by Megan Roth5 min read
California Worker's Compensation
Share:

All employers operating in California are required by law to provide their employees workers’ compensation benefits. This law applies whether a company hires only one employee or more. California Worker’s Compensation is a type of insurance where the employer assumes full responsibility in case of a work-related injury.

 

What is Covered by the California Workers’ Compensation?

Legally, all workers are required to be insured by the employer. The employee must receive cash benefits or medical care, or both in case they obtain an injury or illness as a direct result of a job-related activity.

 

 

The employer is responsible to pay for this insurance and must not require the employee to pay any contribution to the cost of the compensation. The insurance carrier that the employer has chosen will pay weekly cash benefits and medical care to the employee as directed by the Division of Workers’ Compensation in California or DWC. The DWC processes the insurance claims and decides if the insurer must reimburse the employee cash benefits and medical expenses, as well as the amounts payable.

 

What Does the Division of Workers’ Compensation Do?

In California, the DWC of Division of Workers’ Compensation is responsible for monitoring how the workers’ compensation claims are administered. It provides administrative and judicial services in order to help resolve disputes that may arise in relation to claims for workers’ compensation benefits.

It is their mission to minimize the adverse impact of injuries resulting from work activities in the state of California.

 

What is the Process to Receive Workers’ Compensation?

To receive California Workers’ Compensation benefits if you are injured at work, you must report your injury or illness first to your employer.

The California Workers’ Compensation aims to provide employees with the medical treatment that they need in order to recover from their work-related injury or illness. It should also partially replace the income that you lose while you are unable to work as a result of your injury.

You must make sure that your supervisor or manager is aware of your injury as soon as possible. It will also avoid any delay for you to receive your benefits including medical care. Injuries that are not reported within 30 days may be deemed ineligible for the workers’ compensation benefits.

You should then file a claim form to begin the process. You can find and download the necessary form that you have to fill out and submit here – http://www.dir.ca.gov/dwc/DWCForm1.pdf.

Complete the employee section of the form and send it to your employer to fill out the employer section. The form should then be forwarded to the insurance company. Keep your copy of the claim form for your records.

Within 90 days, if your employer doesn’t dispute or deny your claim form, your injury is considered as legitimate and must be covered.

You may also be eligible for other types of financial assistance to help you while you are recovering from your illness or injury.