walnut creek work injury compensation | Northern California Personal Injury Blog
CA Workers’ Comp Reform Bill Goes to Governor, Met with Enthusiasm
California Senate Bill 863, introduced by state Sen. Kevin de Leon and co-authored by Assemblyman Jose Solorio, is headed to Governor Jerry Brown and if signed as expected, it is expected to cut hundreds of millions of dollars in costs out of the workers’ compensation system in CA. Bizjournals.com reports that the bill, which is the first reform package in eight years, would translate to savings that would pay for a $740 million boost in benefits for permanently disabled workers in the state. The millions of dollars that would be saved would largely be attributed to efforts to reduce fraud and streamline processes.
An improbable alliance between labor and large employers drafted the Senate Bill, and support was won from the California Department of Industrial Relations. Opponents of the bill included the California Chiropractic Association and the California Society of Industrial Medicine, which may be because under the bill, chiropractors and physicians would lose some control over patient care. Governor Jerry Brown reportedly greeted the new bill with enthusiasm, adding that he commends the Legislature for an “extraordinary workers’ compensation reform bill that helps injured workers and averts an imminent crisis of skyrocketing rates.”
The Walnut Creek work injury attorneys of Balamuth Law understand that being injured while on the job can undoubtedly have devastating results and may leave a worker unable to return to work and coping with added financial stresses as a result. If you have suffered injury at work as the result of negligence on the party of a contractor, equipment manufacturer or other third party, our experienced legal team can help. We will work tirelessly to ensure your receive the compensation you need to recuperate. For a complimentary consultation on your work injury case, please call (888) 254-1234.
California Workers’ Compensation Bureau Seeks Mid-Year Rate Increase
Citing a higher frequency of claims, a larger number of liens, and slow economic recovery, the California Workers’ Compensation Bureau recently requested that the state’s Insurance Commissioner allow the bureau to increase its rates at the end of June 2012. The requested rate increase would raise insurance rates to 4.1 percent.
Since workers’ compensation premiums are paid directly by the employer, workers’ salaries should not be affected by the increase. However, the two main reasons the Workers’ Compensation Bureau cites for the increase request – a higher number of claims and a lower rate of workplace growth – indicate that, overall, the number of California workers injured while on the job in recent months has increased.
The Workers’ Compensation Bureau did not speculate on the cause of the increase, but its request to the Insurance Commissioner also mentioned that the Bureau has had an unusually large number of serious injury cases recently, requiring more benefits to be paid to cover medical bills and lost wages. The more severe a worker’s injury is, the more medical care the worker is likely to need. Serious injuries also increase the amount of time away from work or may even disable a worker permanently, requiring workers’ compensation to pay more in order to ensure these workers get the full amount of benefits to which they are entitled.
If you’ve been injured while at work, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits, as well as benefits from any third parties whose negligence caused your injuries. At Balamuth Law, a dedicated Walnut Creek workers’ compensation lawyer can help you get the benefits and compensation you need. For a free, confidential case evaluation, call us today at (888) 254-1234.
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