Fresno Workers' Compensation Lawyer

Location Address:

744 P St, Suite 304
Fresno, CA 93721

At Attorney Jeff, our experienced workers’ compensation lawyers provide the expert representation that injured workers throughout Fresno County and the greater San Joaquin Valley deserve, challenging large corporations and insurance companies who routinely undervalue or deny claims.

Workplace injuries span a wide range of industries—from agricultural fields and food processing plants to construction sites, healthcare facilities, and distribution warehouses. Regardless of your profession, if you were injured on the job, you are entitled to benefits. Our top-rated Fresno workers’ comp attorneys are available to help you get the financial compensation you deserve.

To schedule a free consultation, please contact our Fresno law offices at (559) 900-3076 today.

Who Can File a Fresno Work Comp Claim?
Common Workplace Injuries That Can Be Compensated
California Workers’ Compensation Benefits Injured Employees Can Collect
Do I Need to Hire a Fresno Workers’ Compensation Lawyer?
The Workers’ Compensation Claims Process in Fresno, CA

Award-Winning Services from Fresno Workers’ Compensation Attorneys

At Attorney Jeff, our experienced workers’ comp lawyers understand that dealing with a workplace injury is stressful enough without having to fight an insurance company for benefits to cover medical treatment, lost wages, disability benefits, and vocational rehabilitation you rightfully deserve.

With decades of combined experience handling complex personal injury and workers’ compensation cases across California’s Central Valley, our local law firm possesses a deep understanding of local medical providers, how the Fresno Appeals Board operates, and has represented injured workers who were initially under the impression that they did not have a legitimate case.

Don’t make assumptions about your case and readily accept an early benefits offer.

If you were injured at work, schedule a free case evaluation so we can discuss your situation and begin building a strong workers’ comp claim on your behalf

Get Your Free Case Consultation

No upfront costs to you or your family. We strive to recover fair and equitable compensation for our clients.

Who Qualifies for California Workers’ Compensation Benefits?

California employers must provide workers’ compensation insurance for all employees if harm arises out of or during the course of employment. Work injuries also fall under a “no-fault” system, meaning employees are entitled to benefits for a work-related injury or illness (e.g. repetitive strain, exposure) regardless of how it happened and without having to prove negligence.

The following individuals are generally eligible for workers’ compensation coverage in Fresno, CA:

Full-time and part-time employees across all sectors, including healthcare and agriculture
Temporary and seasonal workers, a vital protection given the significance of seasonal farm labor in the region’s economy
Undocumented workers who hold the same rights under California workers’ compensation law as all other employees
Misclassified independent contractors, who may be entitled to coverage if their employer improperly classified their employment status

What if My Employer Says I’m Not Covered?

California has strong worker protection laws, ensuring nearly every employee is covered by workers’ compensation insurance. Employers must comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and its California counterpart, CAL/OSHA regulations.

Failing to provide workers’ compensation is illegal and can result in criminal charges, fines, and civil liability. If your employer denies you benefits, consult a Fresno workers’ compensation attorney before agreeing to anything. We can discuss all case details during a free, initial consultation.

Fresno’s Economy and the Workplace Injury Landscape

Located in the economic center of the San Joaquin Valley, over 60% of Fresno’s jobs are in government, public education, healthcare, real estate, wholesale, manufacturing, professional services, and retail—all of which are prone to workplace accidents.

Fresno’s top employment sectors are transportation (9.4%) and healthcare support (8.5%), which are known for above-average cases of workplace injuries/illnesses. Additionally, Fresno’s economy presents unique occupational hazards distinct from those in metropolitan markets like Los Angeles or San Francisco.

The agricultural backbone exposes farmworkers to common injuries, such as heat illness, pesticide exposure, machinery accidents, and musculoskeletal injuries. Simultaneously, surges in healthcare and construction, which account for 71% of the county’s nonfarm employment growth since 2014, have increased injury risk across the growing workforce.

Common Workplace Injuries That Can Be Compensated

Our Fresno workers’ compensation attorneys represent injured employees across all industries in the Central Valley, including the following sectors.

Agricultural and Farmworker Injuries

Agriculture is among the most hazardous occupations in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data show that fatal and non-fatal injury and illness rates in farm work, particularly for Fresno-area farmworkers, significantly exceed most other industries due to hazards such as:

Heat illness: Triple-digit summer temperatures cause heat-related deaths at roughly 20 times the rate of other occupations.
Pesticide exposure: Risk of acute and long-term illness from direct spray, drift, or contact, with illness rates up to 37 times higher than non-agricultural workers.
Machinery accidents: Tractors and heavy equipment pose serious risks of crush injuries, amputations, and fatalities.
Musculoskeletal injuries: Repetitive motions, heavy lifting, and awkward postures lead to chronic back, shoulder, and wrist conditions.
Wildfire smoke exposure: An increasing danger for outdoor workers due to longer, more severe fire seasons.

Language barriers among the agricultural workforce may conflict with the workers’ compensation claims process. Timely filing is crucial to securing the proper medical care and wage replacement needed after sustaining injuries or illness. Our legal team provides experienced, multilingual support to diverse communities throughout the claims process.

Construction Workers and Industrial Injuries

Fresno County’s construction boom is driven by residential growth, infrastructure projects, and expansions of healthcare campuses, inherently increasing the risk of serious injuries and even fatal injuries. Common construction accidents caused by hazards at construction sites include:

Falls and Head Injuries: From roofs, ladders, and scaffolding
Struck-by-Object Incidents: Often involving heavy machinery or equipment
Electrocution and Electrical Burns: Contact with overhead power lines and lack of ground-fault protection
Crush Injuries and Traumatic Amputations: Use of faulty/damaged equipment and lack of training
Exposure to Toxic Substances: Such as asbestos found in older buildings

92% of the fatal California work injuries were male, and 48% were Hispanic or Latino workers—a significant demographic in Fresno’s construction workforce. These accidents require immediate medical and legal support to ensure proper workers’ compensation benefits.

Healthcare and Hospital Worker Injuries

Healthcare is a dominant industry in Fresno, with 16 hospitals and over 3,930 licensed beds. Three of these hospitals are among the region’s top private employers, collectively hiring more than 14,000 people.

Fresno healthcare workers commonly face occupational hazards like patient handling injuries, needlestick injuries, exposure to infectious diseases, slips, falls, and workplace violence. In fact, Fresno employs home health and personal care aides at 2.36 times the national rate, highlighting the potential for injury exposure.

Repetitive Motion and Office Injuries

Offices, call centers, and administrative employees frequently experience other forms of workplace injuries that still qualify for benefits, such as:

Repetitive Motion Injuries (RMI)
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Tendonitis
Back injuries (from poor workstation setup or extended sitting)
Neck and shoulder strain (from prolonged computer use)

Because these injuries often develop gradually, the claims process can be complicated, making early legal guidance crucial. For back injuries specifically, it is vital to prioritize medical recovery and not rush back to work; this ensures you receive all the benefits you are entitled to.

Transportation, Warehouse, and Distribution Injuries

Fresno is a crucial logistics and distribution center due to its central location. Major carriers like FedEx and UPS utilize Fresno’s geographic positioning to provide standard ground service to all major California markets.

Employees in warehouse, delivery, and logistics roles face considerable work-related accident risks, including:

Forklift accidents
Head injuries
Loading dock injuries
Overexertion from heavy lifting
Commercial vehicle accidents

When a workplace injury is caused by a third party—such as a negligent truck driver or a defective equipment manufacturer—the injured worker may qualify for both a workers’ comp claim and a separate personal injury lawsuit. Under California law, this allows the worker to seek compensation from third parties in addition to receiving workers’ comp benefits.

Workers’ Compensation Benefits Available to Injured Workers in Fresno

California’s workers’ compensation system offers eligible injured workers benefits, including medical care, disability payments, retraining vouchers, and death benefits. A workers’ compensation lawyer in Fresno can help you secure the maximum benefits.

Medical Care

The workers’ compensation insurance program should cover all reasonable and necessary medical treatment for work injuries, including doctor visits, surgery, medications, physical therapy, other current medical expenses, and future medical care with zero cost to the injured worker. Legal assistance can find independent physicians and challenge Utilization Review denials to ensure clients get the necessary care without delay, as prompt medical attention is vital to health.

Temporary Disability Benefits

If a work injury prevents returning to work while recovering, injured workers may be entitled to temporary disability (TD) payments equal to two-thirds of their pre-injury average weekly wages, subject to state-set minimums and maximums. Wage replacement is a key benefit of workers’ compensation, providing temporary financial support.

Permanent Disability Benefits

When a workplace injury results in a lasting impairment that affects the ability to earn a living, permanent disability (PD) benefits may be available. The amount depends on the employee’s disability rating, age, occupation, and adjusted earnings. Ratings range from 1% to 100%, with higher percentages resulting in greater lifetime compensation.

Supplemental Job Displacement Benefits

If an injury or illness prevents the return to a prior job and if an employer does not offer suitable modified or alternative work, California workers’ compensation law entitles many workers to a voucher worth up to $6,000 for retraining or skill enhancement at state-approved schools. Vocational training is a key benefit to help injured workers transition to new employment.

Wrongful Death Benefits

If a worker dies from a work-related injury or illness, surviving family members and dependents may receive ongoing financial support and reimbursement for burial expenses. Death benefit amounts are based on the worker’s average weekly earnings and the number of qualifying dependents. If the employer’s negligence led to the employee’s passing, the surviving family may also file a wrongful death lawsuit.

Why You Need an Experienced Workers’ Compensation Lawyer in Fresno, CA

If a claim is wrongfully denied, a workers’ compensation attorney can help appeal the decision and fight for the benefits clients deserve. Legal help is crucial to ensuring injured workers are treated fairly throughout the claims process and to significantly improving the financial outcome.

Maximizing Workers’ Compensation Benefits

Research shows that workers’ compensation claims result in about $30,500 more in payments with legal representation. Our legal team ensures injured employees successfully navigate the workers’ compensation system and receive full benefits, covering everything from initial medical bills to wage replacement to permanent disability ratings and settlement negotiations.

Countering Insurance Company Tactics

Insurance adjusters often prioritize profit over injured employees’ rights. They often pressure injured workers into premature negotiations, question the work-related nature of the injury, offer low settlements, delay medical care, and prematurely end benefits. Our experienced workers’ comp lawyers in Fresno know how to effectively counter these tactics, helping injured workers receive benefits they are entitled to.

Handling Denied or Delayed Claims

Workers’ comp claims are often denied due to missed deadlines, insufficient medical records, disputes over whether the injury was work-related, or pre-existing conditions. Our workers’ comp attorneys can handle the legal process of filing an appeal through the California Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB), including a Petition for Reconsideration in the Fresno district.

Pursuing Third-Party Claims

Workplace injuries sometimes involve a negligent third party (e.g. pesticide manufacturer, a defective equipment maker, a property owner, or a negligent driver). If this occurs, an injured worker may be able to file both a workers’ comp claim and a separate personal injury lawsuit. A personal injury action can recover damages not provided by workers’ comp benefits, such as compensation for pain and suffering, full lost wages, and all future medical costs.

The Workers’ Compensation Claims Process in Fresno

Step 1: Report Your Injury Immediately

Immediately report the work accident to the employer or a supervisor within 30 days of the injury date to prevent claim denial. The employer must then provide a DWC-1 claim form within one business day.

Step 2: Seek Medical Attention

For the first 30 days post-injury, the employer directs the employee to an approved healthcare provider within their Medical Provider Network (MPN). Workers’ compensation insurance should cover all treatment for a work-related injury.

Step 3: File a Workers’ Compensation Claim

After the employer returns the completed DWC-1 form, the insurance company has 14 days to accept or deny the claim, or up to 90 days if further investigation is required. Employees are entitled to up to $10,000 in medical treatment during this period.

Step 4: Receive Workers’ Comp Benefits

Once the claim is accepted, the employee can receive benefits, such as medical care and temporary disability payments. Employees should maintain detailed records of all medical appointments, treatments, work absences, and related costs throughout their recovery.

Step 5: Maximum Medical Improvement

Once the treating physician determines the employee has reached Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI)—meaning further treatment is unnecessary—any permanent impairment will be assessed, and a permanent disability rating will be assigned if applicable.

Step 6: Settlement or Hearing

If the employee disagrees with the treating physician’s assessment, is instructed to return to work sooner than able to, or if work comp benefits are insufficient, the employee can challenge the decision. This can be settled through a Compromise and Release (C&R) or Stipulated Award. Unsettled cases can proceed to a hearing before a Workers’ Compensation Administrative Law Judge at the Fresno WCAB district office.

How Attorney Jeff Maximizes Fresno Work Comp Claims

Thorough Case Evaluation During Free Initial Consultation

Our Fresno personal injury attorneys offer a free consultation and conduct a detailed review of a client’s case, analyzing medical records, employment history, injury circumstances, and available evidence to build the strongest possible claim to they are granted full compensation for their injuries.

Strategic Claims Management

From completing and filing initial paperwork to negotiating directly with insurance adjusters, our legal team manages every aspect of the workers’ compensation claim, allowing clients to solely focus on their health and recovery.

Access to Medical Experts

We work with trusted physicians, occupational health specialists, and independent medical evaluators who can provide thorough assessments of injured clients’ injuries and, when necessary, expert testimony regarding the long-term impact of their condition.

Aggressive Settlement Negotiation

Our workers’ compensation attorneys accurately value workers’ compensation claims. We ensure to account for future medical needs, loss of earning capacity, and permanent disability, and negotiate assertively to secure fair settlements that reflect the true cost of the sustained injuries or illnesses.

Trial Representation Before the WCAB

If an insurance company refuses to offer a reasonable settlement, we are fully prepared to present clients’ cases before a Workers’ Compensation Judge at the Fresno district office of the California Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board.

No Fee Unless We Win

Our law offices handle all workers’ compensation cases on a contingency-fee basis, so clients pay no attorney’s fees unless we win their cases. This ensures that every injured worker has access to quality legal representation regardless of their financial situation.

Contact the Top Workers’ Compensation Lawyer in Fresno for a Free Consultation

If you suffered a work injury in Fresno County or anywhere throughout the San Joaquin Valley, contact Attorney Jeff for a free, no-obligation case evaluation. Our compassionate legal team is ready to explain your legal rights, answer any questions, and guide you in taking the essential first step toward achieving medical recovery and financial security.

Address: 744 P St., Suite 304, Fresno, CA 93721
Phone: (559) 900-3076

Serving Fresno and the surrounding Central Valley, including Clovis, Madera, Sanger, Selma, Reedley, Tulare, Visalia, Hanford, and all of Fresno County.

Other Practice Areas Our California Law Firm Specializes In

Jeff Fayngor, Esq., has been recognized by the legal community and industry leaders with accolades that include USA Today’s Top 15 Attorneys, an Avvo 10.0 Superb Top Personal Injury Attorney ranking, and an A+ Rating from the BBB. Our law firm has extensive experience in the following practice areas:

Attorney Jeff’s Other California Locations

If you were involved in a work accident and need experienced legal counsel, Jeff’s got you. Schedule a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer from one of our offices in Northern or Southern California and speak with a workers’ compensation attorney today.

Fresno Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

Table of Contents