What We Do
If you or a family member were injured at work, whether by a specific accident, a cumulative trauma injury, or a disease caused by toxic exposure, Valley Law Group has the experience and expertise to guide you through the process, enabling you to obtain the treatment you need and the benefits you deserve. We think outside the box to provide you with the highest quality legal representation for workers in the Central Valley.
Workers’ Compensation
If you were injured at work Valley Law Group is here to help. We represent workers in all types of injuries, from back strains and carpal tunnel syndrome to traumatic brain injuries, toxic exposure cases, and catastrophic accidents. Valley Law Group will fight to obtain the quality medical treatment you need and the disability benefits you deserve.
We take a personalized approach where you always meet with an experienced attorney at the start of your case. While meeting with you, your attorney will devise a detailed strategy for your case and the team begin implementing the strategy immediately. Goals can include getting you to a better treating physician, forcing an insurance carrier to accept your case and pay benefits, getting treatment authorized, or obtaining the best settlement possible for your case.
Along the way, Mr. Campbell and the team at Valley Law Group will advise you if you need to take legal action for wage or hour discrimination, disability discrimination, a third party personal injury claim, social security appeal, or unemployment claim. If you come across an area of law where we lack the expertise to assist, we can refer you to the best lawyers for that area who can assist further.
Injury Caused by the Negligence of Third Parties
Sometimes your work injury is caused the the negligence of someone other than your employer or your co-workers. This could include another driver if you were in a motor vehicle accident, the attacker if you were the victim of a violent crime, the property owner where you slipped and fell, the owner of the job site where you were injured, or another contractor on your work site who caused the injury. The injury could also have been caused by the manufacturer or maintainer of equipment that malfunctioned.
If your injury was caused by a negligent third party, you may be able to recover civil damages in addition to your basic workers’ compensation benefits. Mr. Campbell and the team at Valley Law Group are experts at spotting potential third party claims, and we partner with some of the best law firms in California to represent you on civil actions. These established partnerships allow teamwork and collaboration on your case, and result in high value settlements and favorable verdicts for our clients, without jeopardizing their workers’ compensation benefits.
Trucker Drivers and Independent Contractors
Due to the costs associated with doing business in California, some employers try to avoid paying for workers’ compensation insurance by classifying employees as “independent contractors.” This is especially common in some service industries such as construction, tree trimming and lawn care, as well as in trucking. Trucking companies sometimes attempt to avoid workers’ compensation benefits by calling you an “owner operator.” However, with certain exceptions, many “independent contractors” are actually employees for purposes of obtaining workers’ compensation benefits.
Valley Law Group is at the forefront of this rapidly changing area of law, and we have been very successful obtaining benefits for our clients whose claims were initially denied on the basis that they were “independent contractors” and not “employees.”
Cumulative Trauma Claims
Many employess believe that if they can’t point to a specific injury at work (such a fall from a ladder) that they can’t claim a work injury. Employers and insurance companies want you to think this, often telling you that you will need to take sick leave, vacation, or FMLA, and pay for medical treatment your self, for something that is actually a work injury.
Cumulative trauma injuries occur when the repetitive stress and strain of employment gradually causes injury over time. Examples include arthritis in the knees from standing, squatting and walking; pain in the low back from lifting, pushing and pulling; carpal tunnel syndrome in the wrists from repetitive work such as typing, carrying heavy items, or using vibratory tools including jackhammers. Other cumulative trauma injuries include heart problems or increased blood pressure from the physical and emotional stress of your workplace.
Valley Law Group can help identify current and even past cumulative trauma claims and obtain recovery.
Construction Accidents
If you’re injured at work, California law doesn’t allow you to sue your employer, even if they were negligent. Your only option is to pursue benefits through the workers’ compensation system. However, constructions accidents often involve the negligence of other contractors and companies, enabling construction workers to bring workers’ compensation claims against the employer and separate negligence claims against the other parties. This area of law is fraught with difficulties and roadblocks for the unwary, but Valley Law Group partners with the very best construction accident lawyers, usually setting up a consultation for the workers’ compensation and civil claims at the same time, to make sure you have the opportunity to seek both workers’ compensation benefits, as well as third party recovery when it is available.
Death Claims
Sometimes our loved ones are killed in workplace accidents or do not recover from major injuries, and their families are left with aching hearts and financial pressures. Valley Law Group is here for you in these difficult times. We’ll offer the comfort of a listening ear and the peace of knowing that someone is watching out for your interests. If your loved ones death resulted from a work injury we can assist you in obtaining workers’ compensation death benefits for spouses, minor and disabled children, and other dependents. If the death was the result of negligence by a third party, we can also connect you with a civil litigation attorney who can represent you in a civil wrongful death claim.
Discrimination for Filing Claim
Employers are not allowed to discriminate against you in retaliation for filing a workers’ compensation claim. They cannot demote you or fire you because you were injured on the job and pursued workers’ compensation benefits. If they do discriminate against you, Valley Law Group can help you obtain additional benefits, penalties, and back pay from your employer, and even obtain an order for reinstatement by filing a special penalty claim under Labor Code section 132a. Sometimes it’s better for you to file a civil wrongful termination claim than a workers’ compensation discrimination claim. In those instances, we can refer you to a an excellent local employment law attorney who can handle your case on contingency (meaning the attorney doesn’t get paid unless you get paid).
Serious & Willful Violations
While you cannot sue your employer for negligence, some employer conduct is so outrageous that it will subject them to additional “serious and willful misconduct” penalties under the workers’ compensation system. Those penalties are calculated by taking all benefits paid through your workers’ compensation case (medical treatment, mileage, temporary disability, permanent disability, etc.) and increasing them by 50%. That increased penalty is paid directly by the employer, not the workers’ compensation insurance carrier.
Valley Law Group is experienced in identifying and pursuing these claims, and if your injury resulted from an employers’ serious and willful misconduct, we’ll help you obtain the additional compensation you deserve.
Law Enforcement and First Responders
Subsequent Injury Fund
If you’ve been injured in multiple workplace injuries, or if you have pre-existing labor-disabling disabilities, you may be eligible for increased benefits from the Subsequent Injuries Fund. Valley Law Group will review your case for potential eligibility and will advise you if we can obtain additional SIBTF benefits.