Knee, ankle, and foot injuries may not be prevalent work injuries. However, they are among the most life-changing injuries you can suffer at your workplace. Depending on the severity of your injuries, you could cease working until you recover from injuries and deal with expensive medical bills.

In addition to the substantial medical expenses you are likely to incur during the treatment of these injuries, you could cease working forever. This will result in draining your finances and cutting off your income source. Fortunately, the workers' compensation system requires that your employer compensate you for the injuries when you file a claim.

Consulting a competent workers' compensation attorney could increase your chances of receiving compensation, especially when the insurance company is reluctant to compensate you. At The Workers Compensation Lawyer Law Firm, we are a group of competent layers who chase compensation for workers who incur foot, ankle, and knee injuries in Los Angeles, CA.

Overview of Knee, Ankle, and Foot Injury

Virtually any worker who spends most of their time on their feet or lifting and moving heavy objects may be susceptible to knee, foot, or ankle injuries. Even though such injuries do not occur regularly, they could affect your life significantly when they do happen. These injuries can occur from a one-time event that causes trauma on your foot, or they could develop over time. When the foot, knee, and ankle injuries are severe, they could render you incapable of returning to work. Also, these injuries are likely to affect your typical day-to-day life.

Some of the common actions or incidents that could lead to ankle, foot, or knee injury include:

  • Lifting or carrying heavy objects.
  • Twisting or irregular movements at the joints.
  • Repetitive movements happen when you perform a similar task over and over again.
  • Slip and fall accidents.
  • Impact with rigid surfaces.

You can suffer a foot, ankle, or knee injury while doing any job. However, some work environments increase your susceptibility for these injuries, including:

  • Construction. construction is a physically demanding and sometimes dangerous job. Most construction workers' knee, foot, and ankle injuries result from falls, repetitive movements, or having a heavy object fall on your leg.
  • Delivery and transportation. When you are a transportation or delivery worker, you are likely to haul, load, and unload heavy objects. This could strain your knees and could result in wear and tear on the muscles on your foot.
  • Medical professionals. Doctors and nurses spend most of their time standing and working long shifts. This puts constant pressure on their feet and knees.
  • Athletes and dancers. When professional athletes and dancers are not performing, they will be exercising. This often could strain their knees and feet. Fall accidents are common among these individuals and could result in the ankle, knee, and foot injuries.
  • Roofers. In addition to spending most of their time bending and kneeling, these workers are at risk of dangerous falls. Also, the heavy materials used on the job could fall on your foot and cause a severe injury.

Knee, ankle, and foot injuries can be detrimental to both your health and financial status. Fortunately, all injuries suffered at the workplace may be subject to compensation when you file a workers' compensation Claim.

The workers' compensation is a no-fault system that the government put in place to protect workers who suffer injuries while performing work-related activities. The workers' compensation system requires all employers to have health insurance covering their employees who suffer injuries while on the job. If you suffer a knee, foot, or ankle injury, you can file a claim with your employer to recover the losses you incurred from the injury.

Unfortunately, some employers or claim administrators will use the workers' complicated compensation system to deny your claim and deprive you of your benefits. Therefore, it is crucial to navigate the workers' compensation claim with the guidance of a skilled workers compensation attorney.

Types of Knee, Ankle, and Foot Injuries

Some of the most common foot, knee, and ankle injuries that you could suffer from a workplace and prompt you to file a workers compensation Claim Include:

  1. Achilles Tendonitis

The Achilles tendon is the largest in the body, and it connects the two calf muscles to the heel. The constant movement of the foot and strain on the ankle could cause inflammation of this tendon in a condition known as Achilles tendonitis. Also, sudden trauma to the foot could cause this condition. This type of injury can be excruciating and, when left untreated, could impair your movement.

  1. Amputation

Feet may be amputated as a result of being stuck in a machine. Sometimes, the foot could be medically amputated when the injury of the bones is very severe. When you suffer amputation, you may not return to your work and depend on other people for simple tasks.

  1. Ankle Sprain

Ligaments are the bands of connective tissue which provide stability and strengthen the joints. When an ankle is sprained, one or more ligaments are stretched beyond their limit resulting in a tear. Although most ankle sprains are minor and could heal without medical treatment, moderate and severe sprains could weaken the ankle over time. Ultimately, recurrent ankle sprains could cause arthritis.

  1. Stress Foot Fractures

Excessive force or repetitive motion can cause minor damages to the bones of your feet. Over time, the repetitive pressure could result in tiny cracks on the bones. This could result in severe pain and, when left untreated, could incapacitate you.

  1. Dislocated Knee Cap

A fall or impact that could cause the kneecap to move from its normal position can cause dislocation. When you are in a job with increased fall accidents or lifting heavy objects, you could suffer dislocation of the kneecap, which is a severe injury.

  1. Broken Bones

Broken bones are a common foot, ankle, or knee injury. When a heavy object falls on you, you could break some bones, including the femur, the strongest bone in the body. Depending on the severity of the injury, broken bones take a while to recover. This could cause you to spend a long time in hospital. Additionally, broken bones can result in permanent disability.

Symptoms of Ankle, Foot, and Knee Injuries

Your feet are a necessity for everyday life. Some foot, ankle, or knee injuries occur with a moment of suffering trauma, while others develop over time. When you suffer such injuries from your work, you are entitled to compensation from your employer. However, the workers' compensation law requires that you report your injuries as soon as they happen or when you discover their existence. Some of the symptoms you should look out for include:

  • Pain at the point of injury. Sometimes, even the slightest pain may be an indication of a much more severe condition. Therefore, experiencing pain on your foot, knees, or ankles after a workplace accident should not be ignored.
  • Swelling could indicate inflammation of the joints within the soft tissues surrounding the area.
  • Bruising
  • Instability noted on the ankles or knee.
  • Loss of the ability to use your joint or move.
  • Popping or snapping sound when you bend your knees.
  • Inability to straighten or bend your knees.

What Should I Do After a Work-Related Ankle Knee or Foot Injury?

Once you sustain a workplace injury, you may be unsure of the steps to take. To understand the process you need to follow to recover your workers' compensation benefits is crucial to recover what you derive. Typically, your employer is required to provide the information and forms you need to bring on the claim. After a work-related injury, you should:

Seek Immediate Medical Care for Emergencies

At any workplace, your health and wellbeing should be the priority. If you have suffered a severe ankle, knee, or foot injury, you should seek immediate medical treatment. While seeking treatment, you must notify your doctor that the injuries resulted from work-related duties. If your injuries are minor and do not need emergency medical care, you can begin the claim process.

Report the Injuries to your Employer

Once you are medically fit to do so, you should notify your employer of the injuries you suffered while at work. Under the workers' compensation system, you must inform your employer of the injuries within thirty days of their occurrence. If the injury occurs gradually, you must notify them when you learn of the injuries. Failure to report your injuries may invalidate your claim.

Fill Out a DWC-1 Form

When you notify your employer about the injuries, they must provide a DWC-1 form that you will fill to begin the compensation claim process. Within the DWC-1 form, you will indicate the nature of your injuries and describe the incident that caused the damage. After filling the form, you must return it to your employer, who will fill the employer section of the forms. Once the form is filled, you must keep a copy of the claim form.

Review of your Claim

When you fill out your workers' compensation claim form for a work-related injury, your employer is responsible for presenting the claim form to the insurance company. If you still require medical care, you can continue to receive treatment while the insurance company reviews your claim. During this time, your employer can help you cover the medical expenses up to a certain amount.

Before you can recover compensation for your work injuries, the claim administrators will go through the details of your case to determine your eligibility for compensation. If your case looks suspicious, the insurance company will conduct further investigations to ensure you are not attempting to commit fraud.

The Outcome of the Claim

Within ninety days of filing the claim, your employer should inform you regarding acceptance or denial of your claim. If the insurance company accepts your claim, they will provide more information on the benefits you will likely recover from your claim. Some of the benefits available for workers who suffer on-job injuries include compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, disability benefits, and supplemental job benefits.

A denial of your claim means that you will not be eligible for the compensation benefits. If you believe that your claim was denied wrongfully, your attorney can help you appeal the decision.

Denial of Workers Compensation Claims

Even when it is evident that you suffered a knee, ankle, or foot injury from your work, your employer's insurance provider can still deny your compensation claim. Some of the common excuses that the insurance provider may give as a basis to deny your claim include:

  • Failure to Report the Injury to Your Employer

The first step you must take after a work-related injury is to notify your employer. In California, a work injury must be reported within thirty days of its occurrence. If the injury was gradual, you must inform your employer within 30 days of noticing the injury. Failure to notify your employer may act as a basis for the denial.

  • Late Filing of the Claim

California law requires a worker to file a workers' compensation claim within one year. Failure to file the claim within the specified time could result in the workers' compensation benefits. However, the one-year period does not include the court schedules or other factors extending beyond one year. These factors could include a lack of knowledge on filing the claim or your employer misleading you on the workers' compensation laws.

  • Failure to Seek Proper Medical Care

After reporting a workplace injury to your employer, you must seek proper treatment concerning the injuries you registered. Failure to do so could falsify your claim. Also, if the injury you reported is not consistent with your medical reports, the insurance company may become suspicious and deny your claim. You can protect yourself from such an instance by consulting a workers' compensation physician even when you are unsure whether you require treatment.

  • Filing a Claim after Job Termination

It is not uncommon for workers who have been terminated to file a workers' compensation claim in retaliation for the termination. Therefore, if you only filed your compensation claim after being fired, your claim could be considered irrelevant. However, you may still receive compensation for a claim you filed after termination if you can prove that your employer fired you to prevent you from seeking compensation.

  • Refusal to Record a Statement

Your employer's insurance provider may attempt to deny your workers' compensation claim if you fail to make a recorded statement. However, it is crucial to understand that making a recorded statement with the insurance company could be detrimental to your claim. If you are involved in an insurance investigation, you should never agree to write a statement unless guided by a skilled workers' compensation attorney.

  • Failure to Submit to or Fail a Drug Test

The workers' compensation in California is a no-fault system. However, this will not apply if you suffer injuries while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. If you refuse to take a drug test or fail it, your claim may be invalidated, and you will not recover compensation from your employer's insurance provider.

It is bad enough that you suffered an injury from your workplace. But now you have a denied workers’ compensation claim to deal with. Despite the denial of your claim by your employer's insurance provider, you have a right to appeal their decision. However, it would be best not to accept the denial notice since you can lose your right to appeal. If your workers' compensation claim for knee, ankle, or foot injuries is denied, you will require the guidance of a competent workers' compensation lawyer to guide you through the appeal.

Workers Compensation Benefits After Knee, Ankle, and Foot Injuries

Knee, foot, and ankle injuries may seem like minor injuries when they occur at the workplace. However, the injuries can seriously affect your life and your ability to keep performing your work duties. Whether you suffer severe or minor injuries from your work, you may be eligible for compensation. Some of the workers' compensation benefits you can recover after an ankle, foot, or knee injury include:

  • Medical Benefits

Foot, knee, and ankle injuries take a while to recover. Also, the extensive treatment required to treat these conditions may strain your financial life. Fortunately, if your workers' compensation claim is accepted, you will recover compensation for the medical expenses you incur to treat the injuries. Injured workers often receive standardized medical care. Some of the medical costs that the workers' compensation claim could cover include the cost of medical procedures, medication, and therapy. Additionally, you will be reimbursed for the amount you used to travel to and from medical appointments.

  • Temporary Disability Benefits

 The temporary disability benefit is a workers' compensation benefit that substitutes lost wages. The compensation for temporary benefits compensates you for the amount you would have earned if the injury did not occur. In severe cases, ankle, foot, and knee injuries could cause you to spend some time in hospital. This could jeopardize your ability to return to work causing you to lose your wages.

Before you can recover compensation for temporary disability, your doctor must indicate your inability to work for a limited period. After forty-five days, your physician will provide their recommendation regarding your condition. In this case, your employer can decide to offer you modified work that complies with the doctor's recommendations.

The insurance company will make payments for your temporary disability benefits every two weeks. Some of the events that could prompt the temporary disability benefits to stop include:

  • Your return to work.
  • Your physician advised that you are fit to go back to work.
  • Your condition worsens, and you qualify for permanent disability benefits.

  • Permanent Disability Benefits

If you suffer a lifetime or long-term knee, foot, or ankle injury from your work, you may be able to recover permanent disability benefits. This type of workers' compensation benefit acts as compensation for a lost future earning capacity. Permanent disability benefits are based on the medical evaluation of your injury. Also, the benefits may be modified based on your age, your job position, and your health status before the injury. You are eligible for permanent disability benefits if the injury resulted in permanent disability or incapacitation.

  • Supplemental Job Displacement Benefits

Supplemental job displacement benefit is a $6,000 voucher that you can use for retraining or education when your injuries do not allow you to return to work. You will qualify for supplemental job displacement benefits if:

  • You receive a finding of permanent disability from the doctor after a work injury.
  • You suffer permanent disability, and your employer does not have a position to work long-term.

A supplemental job displacement voucher expires two years from when it was issued and five years after the injury. If your injuries are permanent, you will receive the voucher unless your employer can provide alternative work.

Find a Los Angeles Work Injury Attorney

Regardless of how careful you are or the safety measures observed at your workplace, accidents are inevitable. Knee, foot, and ankle injuries are not common in the workplace; however, they are among the most severe injuries that you might experience. A foot ankle or knee injury may not only render you incapable of going back to work but can also leave you disabled. Sometimes, these injuries occur from a one-time incident, while in other cases, they develop gradually.

Knee, foot, and ankle injuries take a while to recover. Therefore, you could incur substantial medical bills while attempting to seek treatment. Since all workers are entitled to compensation for injuries suffered at work in Los Angeles, you can file a compensation claim with your employer.

This will help you recover compensation for the losses resulting from these injuries. Seeking workers' compensation benefits can be complicated since not all employers want to offer compensation. At The Workers Compensation Lawyer Law Firm, we will offer you the guidance and representation you require to ensure you receive your rightful compensation. Call us today at 424-501-9228 to speak to an attorney.