Police officer injuries

Los Angeles Police Officer Injury Attorneys

Workers’ Compensation Claims for Police Officers

At the Barkhordarian Law Firm, we are proud to say that we offer our reputable and experienced legal counsel and representation to the men and women of law enforcement. If you are a police officer in Los Angeles or the greater surrounding metropolitan area and you were hurt in the line of duty, then we can help you manage a workers’ compensation claim in pursuit of the benefits owed to you. Despite your constant service to your communities, the insurance company that receives your workers’ compensation claim might not care to honor their end of the deal and could look for a way to deny your claim. It would be our honor to deal with them on your behalf.

Reasons for Police Officer Workers’ Comp Cases

Working as a police officer is inherently more dangerous than most other professions. But choosing a “riskier” career path doesn’t mean you don’t get workers’ compensation if you get hurt while on the job or while performing a job-related duty. If anything, then it should mean that the responding insurance company should anticipate receiving claims from covered employees and make it simpler for you to get your benefits. Of course, this is not always the case, which is why our attorneys are here to help.

You can file a workers’ comp claim if you were injured by a:

• Suspect while attempting to apprehend them.
• Car accident while you were on patrol.
• Repetitive motion injury like back injuries from long hours on your feet.
• And most any other injury suffered while working.

You might also be able to receive workers’ compensation benefits if you are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or acute stress disorder (ASD) due to witnessing or being a part of a traumatizing event while working. For example, if your patrol partner had to fatally shoot a suspect in self-defense and you were traumatized by seeing the incident, then you might be able to file for workers’ compensation, even though you were not the officer who shot.

Workers’ Comp Benefits Available to Police Officers

Workers’ compensation benefits will normally provide for:

• Medical treatments: All necessary medical treatments and expenses like prescriptions and surgeries should be covered 100% through workers’ compensation. Although, the insurer might try to argue that some medical care was “elective” and not “necessary,” which would give them the grounds to deny that coverage.
• Disability pay: If you cannot return to work, either office work or active duty on the streets, due to your injury, then you could be provided disability pay to supplement some of your missing wages. The amount and duration of your disability payments will depend on the severity and permanence of your disability.
• Vocational retraining: When you cannot work again in your pre-injury role, you can be retrained to start a job or career that does not exacerbate your injuries or disabilities. For example, a beat cop who suffers a leg injury on patrol could be retrained to work a desk position at the police department. Vocational retraining can also pay for the start of an entirely new career field.

Why Would an Insurance Company Deny Your Claim?

Workers’ compensation insurance companies are contractually bound to provide necessary benefits to policyholders, yet they don’t always do everything they should to take care of them. One of their favorite tactics to deny a claim is to say that the claimant’s injury was preexisting and not related nor covered. This strategy is common among claims filed by injured police officers. For example, if a police officer files a claim due to a back injury, then the insurer might try to say that the injury happened due to off-the-clock activities, like recreational sports or around-the-house labor.

Our Los Angeles police officer injury attorneys are well aware of the tactics used by insurers and what to do to counter them. If you’re worried that your claim could be denied or if it already has encountered problems, then there is no time to lose. Call us at 888-514-5112 now.

Free Initial Consultations are Available

We offer no-cost, no-obligation case consultations to officers of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and officers and sheriffs in all neighboring agencies and departments. Please reach out to the Barkhordarian Law Firm in Los Angeles right away if you need any help with a workers’ compensation or work injury claim.