If you were injured at work anywhere in the San Fernando Valley, you do not need to figure out the California workers’ compensation system by yourself.
Lee Partners Law represents injured workers throughout the Valley, including Van Nuys, Pacoima, Panorama City, San Fernando, Sylmar, North Hollywood, Arleta, Sun Valley, North Hills, Mission Hills, Reseda, Northridge, Lake Balboa, Granada Hills, Chatsworth, Winnetka, Canoga Park, Woodland Hills, Tarzana, Encino, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, and Valley Glen.
Our practice is focused on California workers’ compensation. David A. Lee and Michael E. Lee are California Certified Specialists in Workers’ Compensation Law and both spent years representing employers and insurance companies before switching sides and representing injured workers.
If your claim has been denied, your treatment has stalled, your disability checks are wrong, you received a QME report you do not understand, or the insurance company is pushing you toward a settlement, call or text us at (310) 295-0822 for a free case review.
Call (310) 295-0822Text (310) 295-0822Workers’ Compensation Help Throughout the San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley covers a huge area, and the types of jobs people perform vary considerably from one neighborhood to another.
We represent construction workers, warehouse and logistics employees, delivery and commercial drivers, public employees, retail workers, manufacturing workers, office employees, film and production workers, restaurant employees, maintenance workers, and people working throughout the trades.
Some injuries happen in a single accident. A worker falls from a ladder, gets hit by equipment, tears a knee lifting something heavy, injures a shoulder, or hurts their back in a vehicle accident.
Other injuries develop slowly.
Years of lifting, bending, gripping, typing, driving, reaching, pushing, pulling, or performing repetitive work can cause a cumulative trauma injury even when there was never one specific accident.
Workers’ compensation claims can involve back injuries, neck injuries, shoulder injuries, knee injuries, hand and wrist conditions, neurological problems, psychological injuries, traumatic brain injuries, amputations, and other serious conditions.
If you are dealing with a significant injury, our broader Los Angeles workers’ compensation attorneys page explains more about how we handle claims throughout Los Angeles County.
What If the Insurance Company Denied Your Claim?
A denial is not necessarily the end of a workers’ compensation case.
Insurance companies deny claims for many reasons. They may dispute whether the injury occurred at work, argue that a condition was preexisting, challenge a cumulative trauma claim, question whether you reported the injury in time, or rely on a medical opinion that does not support industrial causation.
The next step often depends on why the claim was denied.
A denied case may require medical-legal evidence from a Qualified Medical Examiner, additional medical records, witness testimony, deposition testimony, or litigation before the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board.
We explain the process in more detail in our guide on what to do after a California workers’ compensation claim is denied.
Do not assume a denial letter means the insurance company gets the final word.
The QME Can Change the Direction of Your Case
One of the most important points in many California workers’ compensation cases is the Qualified Medical Examiner process.
A QME may be asked whether your injury was caused by work, whether you need additional medical treatment, whether you have reached maximum medical improvement, what permanent impairment you have, whether any disability should be apportioned to other causes, and whether you have work restrictions.
That makes the QME report important for both the medical and financial parts of the case.
Workers frequently receive a QME report without really knowing what it means. A report may appear favorable while containing language that creates a major problem later. Another report may look discouraging but contain issues that can be challenged or developed through a supplemental report or deposition.
If you already attended a QME evaluation, read our guide explaining what happens after a QME report.
If you have just received a QME panel or have an evaluation coming up, it is often worth understanding the process before important decisions are made.
Your Permanent Disability Rating Matters
Once your condition becomes permanent and stationary, the medical reporting may assign Whole Person Impairment that becomes part of the calculation of permanent disability.
That number can have a major effect on the value of a case.
A rating can become complicated when there are several injured body parts, multiple impairment methods, apportionment, work restrictions, or disagreements about whether the medical evaluator used the correct impairment analysis.
A low rating should not automatically be accepted simply because it appears in a medical report.
We regularly review QME and treating physician reports to determine whether the impairment analysis is supported and whether important findings have been overlooked.
If you have already received a rating that seems surprisingly low, see our guide on why a workers’ compensation permanent disability rating may be too low.
Medical Treatment Problems Are Often Where Claims Go Wrong
An accepted workers’ compensation claim does not mean everything is going correctly.
You can have an accepted claim and still have problems getting an MRI, specialist evaluation, physical therapy, injections, surgery, medication, or other recommended care.
There can also be disputes involving the Medical Provider Network, the primary treating physician, Utilization Review, Independent Medical Review, or whether the insurance company is properly following a doctor’s restrictions.
When treatment stops moving, the rest of the claim often stops moving with it.
That can affect your recovery, your ability to return to work, temporary disability payments, permanent disability, and ultimately settlement.
What If Your Disability Checks Stop or Are Wrong?
If your work injury prevents you from performing your regular job and your employer cannot accommodate your restrictions, you may be entitled to temporary disability benefits.
Problems arise when checks are delayed, calculated using the wrong wage information, stopped prematurely, or terminated after a medical report changes your work status.
Do not assume the insurance company calculated the payment correctly simply because a check arrived.
Your earnings history, concurrent employment, overtime and other wage information can sometimes affect the correct rate.
If your checks suddenly stop or the amount appears wrong, that is something worth reviewing before months of incorrect payments accumulate.
Settling a San Fernando Valley Workers’ Compensation Case
There is no single value for a California workers’ compensation case.
Two workers with similar diagnoses can have very different cases depending on their medical evidence, permanent disability, apportionment, future medical needs, earnings, job restrictions, and whether there are disputed body parts or other benefits still at issue.
Most cases eventually resolve through either a Compromise and Release or a Stipulated Award.
A Compromise and Release generally involves a lump-sum payment that closes some or all remaining issues, usually including future medical care.
A Stipulated Award generally provides permanent disability payments while leaving future medical treatment open for the accepted injury.
Neither option is automatically better.
The right settlement structure depends on the individual case.
It is particularly important to understand what is being given up before signing a Compromise and Release involving a serious injury or significant future medical treatment.
Timing also varies considerably. Our guide on how long a California workers’ compensation case can take to settle explains some of the factors that determine how quickly a claim can resolve.
Workers’ Compensation Cases at the Van Nuys WCAB
Many workers’ compensation cases involving employees who live or work in the San Fernando Valley are litigated through the Van Nuys district office of the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board.
A workers’ compensation case does not operate like a traditional civil lawsuit. Disputes may involve status conferences, mandatory settlement conferences, expedited hearings, trials, depositions, medical-legal evaluations, and petitions presented to a workers’ compensation judge.
Most injured workers will never need to personally navigate every part of that process.
Our job is to determine what actually needs to happen to move the case forward.
Sometimes that means litigation.
Sometimes it means fixing the medical record.
Sometimes the case is already going in the right direction and the worker simply needs an explanation of what happens next.
Why Our Background Matters
Before representing injured workers, David and Michael Lee spent years on the other side of California workers’ compensation cases representing employers and insurance companies.
That experience matters because we know how claims are evaluated from the defense side.
We know what insurance companies and defense attorneys look for in medical reports, depositions, QME evaluations, permanent disability ratings, and settlement negotiations.
Today, we use that experience exclusively for injured workers.
David and Michael are both Certified Specialists in Workers’ Compensation Law through the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.
Workers’ compensation is not one part of a broad personal injury practice for us. It is what we do.
Do I Need a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer?
Not every injured worker needs an attorney.
A straightforward claim with appropriate medical treatment, correct disability payments, and no significant disputes may move forward without one.
But you should consider having the file reviewed when:
- Your claim has been denied.
- The insurance company is refusing or delaying medical treatment.
- Your temporary disability checks are late, stopped, or appear too low.
- You received a QME panel and do not understand what to do.
- You received a QME report that hurts your case.
- Surgery or significant treatment has been denied.
- You have been released back to work even though you are still having substantial problems.
- Your permanent disability rating appears too low.
- The insurance company wants you to sign a settlement.
- You have a serious injury with significant future medical needs.
- You simply cannot get a clear answer about what is happening with your case.
Getting advice does not mean you have to hire a lawyer.
Sometimes the most useful thing we can tell someone is that their claim appears to be on track.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I file a workers’ compensation claim if I work in the San Fernando Valley but live somewhere else?
Yes. Workers’ compensation rights are not limited to people who live in the same city where they work. California jurisdiction depends on the circumstances of the employment and injury, not whether your home address is in the San Fernando Valley.
What if my employer says the injury was my fault?
California workers’ compensation is generally a no-fault system. In most cases, an employee does not need to prove that the employer caused the accident through negligence.
Can I have a claim if my injury developed gradually?
Yes. California recognizes cumulative trauma claims involving injuries that develop from repetitive work activities or exposure over time.
Can I still have a case if I had problems with the same body part before?
Potentially. A preexisting condition does not automatically prevent a workers’ compensation claim. The medical evidence must address whether work caused, aggravated, or contributed to the current condition and whether apportionment applies to permanent disability.
What if my workers’ compensation claim has already been accepted?
You may still need help. An accepted claim can develop disputes involving treatment, temporary disability, QME reporting, permanent disability, apportionment, work restrictions, or settlement.
How much does it cost to talk to a workers’ compensation attorney?
The consultation is free.
California workers’ compensation attorneys generally do not charge injured workers an hourly fee or require an upfront retainer. Attorney fees are subject to approval by a workers’ compensation judge and are generally paid from the recovery in the case.
Talk to a San Fernando Valley Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
If something about your workers’ compensation case does not make sense, you do not have to wait for the problem to become worse before getting another opinion.
Tell us what happened.
We can look at whether your claim is accepted or denied, what medical treatment you are receiving, whether disability is being paid, whether there is a QME report, what your permanent disability rating looks like, and whether a settlement offer makes sense.
If the case appears to be moving correctly, we will tell you.
If we see a problem, we will explain what it is and what can be done about it.
Lee Partners Law represents injured workers throughout the San Fernando Valley and Southern California.
Call or text (310) 295-0822 for a free consultation.
Call (310) 295-0822Text (310) 295-0822
