While everyone has a degree of risk at their place of employment, certain jobs are considered more dangerous than others. It’s important to understand the most dangerous jobs in Orange County & what workers should know about compensation rights if they’re injured at work. Be sure to hire a workers’ compensation lawyer to help you understand your legal options under California law.
Choose an Experienced Injury Law Firm in California
Canlas Law Group is a full-service law firm based in Cerritos. Our team of lawyers has a niche focus on workers’ compensation and personal injury law. We value giving our clients the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their legal cases.
We’ve dedicated our professional lives to helping our injured clients seek the justice they deserve. Our attorneys have received awards from SuperLawyers, The National Trial Lawyers Top 100, and the Workers’ Compensation Trial Lawyers Association – Top 25, among others.
We work with clients residing in Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, and throughout Southern California.
The Top Five Most Dangerous Industries in California
Major employers in Orange County in 2024 included Disneyland Resort, with 36,000 employees; the University of California, Irvine, with 34,085 employees; and Providence South Division, with 25,155 employees. In 2023, the most dangerous work industries in California included:
- Natural resources and mining: This industry includes farmers, fishers, park rangers, miners, and others. There were 405 deaths among workers in 2023.
- Trade, transportation, and utilities: There were 97,100 cases of injuries and illnesses in 2023. This industry has a broad spectrum of jobs, including warehouse workers, sales associates, power plant operators, and much more. In 2023, there were 40,421 people employed in Orange County’s transportation industry.
- Construction: There were 78 workplace fatalities in 2023. This sector includes carpenters, electricians, plumbers, roofers, welders, and other roles. There were 60,014 people working in Orange County’s construction and extraction industry in 2023.
- Local government: There were 87,600 cases of injuries and illnesses throughout California in 2023. This industry covers a wide variety of roles, including police, firefighters, and other emergency responders, and public service jobs.
- Education and health services: There were 77,300 reported injuries and illnesses in 2023. This industry includes teachers, nurses, doctors, and those working in social assistance.
Knowing what steps to take after experiencing an injury in your workplace is key to protecting your legal rights.
California’s Workers’ Compensation Laws
After being injured at work, you’ll have 30 days to notify your employer of the incident, both verbally and in writing. From there, they’ll either approve or deny your workers’ compensation claim. If approved, you’ll receive:
- Partial wages. These wages are paid biweekly and are two-thirds of your average weekly wage. They’ll begin two weeks after you first take off work for your recovery.
- Medical treatment, including medications, medical devices and supplies, hospital and doctors’ visits, travel costs related to care, and home health care if necessary
Filing a Personal Injury Claim Against a Third Party
If a third party was the cause of your injury, you may be able to file a personal injury claim against them to recover your financial and emotional losses. For example, if a faulty product caused your workplace injury, you may be able to open a case against the product’s manufacturer. Victims in California can recover two main types of damages in a personal injury case:
- Economic damages: These damages are easy to calculate, as they’re based on your financial losses. This can include your medical bills, lost income due to missing work from your injuries, and damage to your personal belongings in the incident, such as a cell phone or clothing.
- Non-economic damages: These damages are more subjective, as they’re based on non-financial losses. They can include your pain and suffering, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life.
These cases are typically handled at the Central Justice Center, located at 700 Civic Center Drive West in Santa Ana.
FAQs About the Most Dangerous Jobs in Orange County
How Long Do I Have to File My Workplace Personal Injury Claim in California?
Victims in California typically have two years to file their personal injury claim against a third party for a workplace injury. While this timeline may seem long, it’s important to file as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to preserve evidence relevant to your case. Witness memories and surveillance footage tend to disappear quickly after an incident, as well as your own memory of the events.
What Are Workplace Permanent Disability Payments?
Workplace permanent disability payments are payments made to eligible employees who have been deemed disabled after their workplace injury. The amount of compensation given to these workers is dependent on the severity of their injury, the nature of their job, and the worker’s age. Those eligible receive a percentage of their average wages for a specific amount of time, which increases every year based on California’s wage growth.
Can I Win Punitive Damages in My Workplace Personal Injury Case?
You may be able to win punitive damages in your workplace personal injury case if the wrongdoer acted with extreme malice or negligence. Courts award these damages to further punish the guilty party and deter any similar actions from happening again in the future. These damages can be requested on top of economic and non-economic damages. Your lawyer can help explain if you can request punitive damages in your case.
What Should I Do if My Workers’ Compensation Claim Gets Denied?
If your workers’ compensation claim gets denied, you have the right to file a request to appeal the denial. Employers may deny a workers’ compensation claim if they believe your injury wasn’t caused by your job. When this happens, your case will be assigned to a hearing judge. From there, you can meet with the insurance company and your lawyer during a settlement meeting to discuss payment. If you’re unable to agree, the case will be decided by the judge.
Hire a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer to Represent Your Case
When you choose the team at Canlas Law Group, you’ll work with strong legal advocates who genuinely care about your well-being. Let us take care of your legal case during this difficult time. You deserve to focus on your recovery. Reach out to our office in Cerritos to schedule a confidential consultation with one of our attorneys.
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