San Diego COVID-19 Lawyer
Going back to work while the COVID-19 pandemic is still in full effect in Southern California is scary. Your health and safety could be at risk. However, many employers in San Diego have started asking their employees to come back to work. These employers must obey federal and state regulations in keeping you reasonably safe from infectious diseases. Unfortunately, not all employers obey these measures.
If you contracted COVID-19 after returning to work, you may have grounds for a personal injury case against your employer for negligently failing to protect you from the virus. Contact a San Diego COVID-19 lawyer from Rose, Klein & Marias LLP for a free legal consultation about your case right away. Call (619) 278-0958 for more information.
Why Choose Us for Your Coronavirus Work Claim?
- We have obtained more than $5 billion in settlements and verdicts for our personal injury and wrongful death clients. Our team knows how to secure maximum compensation.
- We have a reputation in California for pioneering new areas of law. Our lawyers have stayed on top of all the latest advancements regarding COVID-19 and returns to work.
- We accept all COVID-19 work claims in San Diego on a contingency fee basis. This means you will not have to pay us anything to represent you unless we win your case.
Do You Need to Hire a COVID-19 Attorney?
The COVID-19 pandemic is a new and constantly changing situation. For workers, especially those in high-risk environments such as hospitals, COVID-19 is a constant threat to health and safety. In this turbulent time, trust a San Diego COVID-19 attorney at our law firm to assist you with the claims process after contracting coronavirus at work. Your lawyer can investigate the situation, identify the defendant, explain your legal options and help you recover fair compensation while you focus on restoring your health. A lawyer will also make sure an insurance company does not lowball you for your illness-related expenses. Your attorney can handle your case using proven negotiation tactics.
What Protections Against COVID-19 at Work Are Required by Law?
The State of California has spearheaded legislation protecting workers and civilians from COVID-19. It was the first state to initiate stay-at-home orders, as well as one of the last states to begin reopening nonessential businesses. Cal/OSHA has implemented statewide industry guidance on COVID-19 to protect workers who are going back to work. While specific guidelines vary according to industry, many share the same staple worker protections.
- Making masks worn by workers and customers mandatory.
- Using partitions or barriers to separate workers from customers.
- Implementing increased sanitation procedures and hand-washing stations.
- Limiting the number of people allowed in the building at a time.
- Requiring COVID-19 positive employees to take paid quarantine periods.
Unfortunately, not all employers in San Diego are taking their responsibilities to worker safety seriously. Many are cutting corners and ignoring guidance from Cal/OSHA to save money or increase profits. This has led to dangerous work environments that expose workers to an unreasonable risk of contracting COVID-19. If you believe your employer is guilty of this, you could have grounds to bring an injury case against the company for damages related to contracting COVID-19. You may also be able to seek workers’ compensation benefits.
COVID-19 Workers’ Compensation vs. Personal Injury Case in San Diego
A personal injury case might be the right option for you if you or your San Diego COVID-19 lawyer can prove that an employer or company was negligent in protecting its employees from COVID-19. In general, a personal injury work case will result in greater compensation than a workers’ compensation claim. You could recover compensation for your full lost wages, for example, rather than two-thirds of them. If your lawyer thinks a workers’ compensation claim is better for your situation, however, you may not have to prove negligence.
Obtaining financial recovery through workers’ comp in San Diego typically takes establishing that you were at work or performing job-related tasks when you suffered the injury or contracted the illness. After Governor Newsom’s Executive Order expired on July 6, workers in California had to prove causation to obtain workers’ compensation for contracting COVID-19 in the workplace. Proving causation means showing evidence that you contracted COVID-19 from a condition at work.
Whether you should file a workers’ compensation claim or a personal injury lawsuit depends on your goals for the case as well as the circumstances surrounding your coronavirus illness. A COVID-19 lawyer in San Diego can explore your options and help you gather evidence against your employer, if necessary. At the law firm of Rose, Klein & Marias LLP, we know how to handle these cases based on the latest COVID-19 rules and regulations in the State of California. We can help you prove your injury case or workers’ comp claim for maximum financial compensation.
Compensation Available for a Coronavirus Work Claim
COVID-19 is a serious illness with over 6 million recorded cases in the US as of September 2020. Also as of September, COVID-19 has taken 183,050 lives in the country. Survivors of COVID-19 often have life-altering symptoms and expensive hospital bills. The symptoms can include fever, cough, trouble breathing and fatigue. If you contracted COVID-19 while at work, you could be eligible for financial compensation to cover several economic and noneconomic damages.
- Past and future medical expenses
- Emergency care and ICU bills
- Medical devices and medications
- Lost wages
- Disability-related costs
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Legal costs
- Travel fees
- Wrongful death damages
The value of your COVID-19 work claim in San Diego will depend on the severity of your illness, how long it took you out of work and your related costs. In general, more severe cases of COVID-19, such as wrongful death claims, will be worth more than minor cases. Consult with our San Diego COVID-19 attorneys for an overview of your case and how much it may be worth. Hire a lawyer if you wish to maximize your financial compensation for a COVID-19 work claim in Southern California.
Contact a COVID-19 Lawyer in San Diego, CA Today
If you or someone you love went back to work in San Diego and contracted COVID-19, you may have a case against an employer or another party. This is a serious type of injury claim with ever-evolving laws. It is important to work with an attorney during your case for the best chances of succeeding. Schedule a free consultation with Rose, Klein & Marias LLP today to learn how we can help you during this tough time. Call (619) 278-0958 at any time to speak to our COVID-19 work attorneys.