Independent Contractors and 1099 Workers

No matter what you do for work, you deserve compensation if you’re injured on the job. Generally, a worker injured on the job can receive monetary benefits through their employer’s workers’ compensation insurance. These benefits could include:

  • Medical Care – Including emergency room fees, hospitalization, doctor visits, necessary tests and medications, physical therapy, equipment (such as a wheelchair), even certain travel costs.
  • Temporary Disability Benefits – Lost wages while you are recovering from your injury.
  • Permanent Disability Benefits – Payments to assist you if you’re unable to completely recover from your injury and the injury caused permanent loss of a mental or physical function.
  • Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit – Assistance to help pay for retraining in another field if you are permanently unable to return to your former occupation.
  • Death Benefits – Payments to your family and dependents if you die from a work related injury or illness

If you or a family member suffers from a job related injury, illness, or medical condition, it’s important to immediately contact an attorney experienced in workers’ compensation law. Call the Kenton Koszdin Law Office at (800) 438-7734 for a free consultation. Mr. Koszdin has well over 10 years of experience in fighting for injured worker’s rights.

Who is Eligible for Workers’ Compensation?

Employers in California are required to have workers’ comp insurance, even if they have only one employee. Other states have different requirements. To be eligible for benefits, one must be an employee of a company. California looks at several things when deciding who is an actual “employee.” These can include whether an employer takes taxes out of your pay, where you perform your work, and what tools and equipment your employer provides. Independent contractors, or 1099 workers, are not eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.

However, many employers wrongly consider workers as independent contractors when they should be classified as employees.

If you’re denied workers’ comp benefits because your employer says you are an independent contractor, it’s important that you consult with an experienced attorney. You may be eligible for benefits, even if you’ve signed a contract stating that you are an independent contractor, you still may be eligible for benefits if you can prove you were wrongly classified.

What Options are Available to (1099) Independent Contractors?

If you are an independent contractor and suffered a work-related injury, it’s vital that you act quickly. Consult a skilled workers’ compensation attorney about your case. An attorney can file an adjudication of claim suit on your behalf. This will result in your case being reviewed and decided by a qualified judge.

Time is of the essence in a workers’ compensation case because there are certain statutes of limitation that apply.

If you feel you’ve suffered a work related injury, regardless of your employee classification, it is important that you immediately contact the seasoned Van Nuys workers’ compensation and disability attorneys of the Kenton Koszdin Law Office. We will review your case and your legal options. Call us at (800) 438-7734 for a free consultation.

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