Law Offices of David Lowe | California Workers Compensation Lawyer

Workers’ compensation provides you with protection if you suffer an injury on the job, but it does not cover every type of injury you might sustain. The injury must occur while you are on the clock and doing your regular duties, according to the State of California Department of Industrial Relations.

In addition, your injury cannot be intentional or something you did just to receive benefits or get time off of work. You also cannot make a claim if you no longer work for the employer even if the injury happened while you were on the job for that employer.

In general, workers’ compensation will cover only injuries that fall into two categories with potential coverage for a third category.

Repetitive stress injuries

Repetitive stress injuries occur when your body suffers strain due to doing the same movement over and over. Most often, these injuries occur due to bad ergonomics in your workspace, such as not having a high enough chair so that you can type in the proper position which leads to carpal tunnel syndrome.

They may also happen from doing a certain movement repeatedly, such as twisting to stack boxes. Another possible type of injury that would fall into this category is hearing loss from repeat exposure to loud sound.

Accident injuries

Perhaps the most common type of claim is from an accident. These injuries may include falls and burns. They may also include a car accident if you were driving as part of your work duties while on the clock.

Psychological injuries

Workers’ compensation does not cover all psychological injuries or injuries that result from stress. Every case may undergo scrutiny to determine eligibility, but in some cases, you can receive benefits for these injuries.