California Police Injury Lawyers Fight for Workers’ Compensation Benefits
Skilled attorneys back law enforcement for claims and appeals
For decades, the California injury attorneys at Mastagni Holstedt, APC have represented law enforcement officers in claims made under the state’s workers’ compensation program. We understand that you have a difficult and stressful job, so if you suffer an injury, we are determined to take the stress out of the workers’ comp claim process. If for some reason your claim is denied, we are prepared to appeal the decision and assert your legal rights through every level of the claim process if necessary. A serious injury could end a promising career, so we’re dedicated to obtaining the full measure of benefits you are entitled to under the law.
Leading causes of police injuries and death in California
Workers’ compensation is a no-fault insurance system that covers workers from their first day on the job, ensuring they receive medical treatment, temporary disability, permanent disability and death benefits for work-related injuries and illnesses. But qualifying law enforcement officers receive special benefits under California law, including full wage replacement rather than the two-thirds benefits paid to other workers.
Law enforcement is an inherently dangerous profession in which officers put their lives on the line every day. According to the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund, the leading causes of job-related police fatalities from 2010 to 2019 were:
- Gunshots — 528
- Job-related illness — 459
- Automobile crash — 335
- Being struck by a vehicle — 130
- Motorcycle crash — 58
- Drowning — 25
- Assault — 20
- Falls — 19
- Aircraft accident — 13
These incidents can also produce significant injuries that can result in prolonged absence from work and even permanent disability.
Presumptive on-duty injuries for law enforcement officers under the CA Labor Code
In most cases, a worker must demonstrate that an injury is job-related before an insurer will pay a workers’ comp claim. However, the California Labor Code recognizes that police officers have an inherently dangerous job with a high risk of specific occupational injuries and illnesses. The law creates legal presumptions that if a law enforcement officer sustains a particular injury or develops a specific illness, a valid workers’ comp claim exists. Presumptive conditions for law enforcement officers can include:
- Blood-borne infectious diseases
- Cancer
- Condition stemming from a biological or chemical agent contained in a weapon of mass destruction
- Heart disease
- Hernia
- Lyme disease
- Meningitis
- Pneumonia
- Tuberculosis
The law also covers lower back injuries for a police officer with at least five years of duty who were required to wear duty belts.
If you have any of these conditions, your claim might still be denied if you do not have medical evidence supporting the claim, or if your claim does not contain language that claims reviewers are trained to recognize as related to presumptive conditions. Our decades of experience in this area of the law enables us to review claims and appeal denials with great success.
Contact a California attorney regarding police injury benefits
Mastagni Holstedt, APC helps injured law enforcement officers assert their rights to reimbursement for medical bills, lost income and other costs linked to a work-related medical condition. To schedule a free consultation, call or contact us online. We are located in Sacramento, Rancho Cucamonga, Pleasanton and Redwood City.