Firefighters encounter dangerous and deadly conditions on the job on a regular basis, and California workers’ compensation laws grant special presumptions and benefits to firefighters in acknowledgement of the risks they take while working. Even if you are entitled to these benefits by law, actually obtaining the compensation you deserve can be tricky without professional legal guidance.
A qualified Orange County workers’ compensation lawyer could be your steadfast ally from start to finish of your workers’ compensation claim. No matter what your specific injury or illness is, your dedicated attorney could work diligently to build a comprehensive claim on your behalf and maximize the restitution you receive.
A typical workers’ compensation claim allows a person who gets injured or ill directly because of job-related conditions to seek restitution for medical expenses as well as benefits for temporary or permanent disability. In addition to these basic benefits, active-duty firefighters are granted two special privileges that often make it easier for them to recover financially and physically after a workplace injury.
First, California Labor Code §4850 allows district, city, and county firefighters to seek full-salary and non-taxable disability benefits if their job-related injury or illness prevents them from working for any length of time. Under this law, injured and ill firefighters are eligible to receive their full salary for up to one year after sustaining harm as an alternative to the two-thirds salary that traditional temporary disability benefits provide.
Second, as per Cal. LAB §§3212.1 through 3212.9, firefighters may pursue workers’ compensation benefits for specific illnesses based on a presumption that said illness is related to conditions they were exposed to while working. An Orange County attorney could clarify more specifically what conditions could justify a firefighter workers’ comp case and what benefits may be available through a successful claim.
In the event that a firefighter loses their life while performing duties related to firefighting or acting in their capacity as a firefighter, they are considered to have died due to a work-related injury for workers’ compensation purposes. This rule applies even if the injury in question occurs while the firefighter in question was not performing work for the specific entity that employed them.
In addition to standard death benefits available through a typical workers’ comp claim, the in some cases, the spouse and/or children under 21 of a deceased firefighter can continue to receive health insurance benefits through the decedent’s work plan. Spouses of firefighters killed while working in some cases are also entitled to lump-sum survivor benefits, and dependents of firefighters totally disabled or killed while working may receive scholarships. Assistance from a knowledgeable lawyer can be especially crucial when pursuing these kinds of benefits through a firefighter workers’ compensation claim in Orange County.
Any injury sustained by a firefighter on the job may entitle them to special workers’ compensation benefits that workers in other industries would not be eligible for. If you were hurt or became ill directly due to conditions you faced while working as a firefighter, obtaining these unique benefits may be crucial to preserving your future prospects and your family’s as well.
Working with an Orange County firefighter workers’ compensation lawyer is almost always the best way to effectively pursue restitution in this kind of situation. Call today to learn more.
