When general information isn't enough
Some questions can only be answered by someone who has looked at your case. Here are your options — starting with the free ones.
Free help from the state
The Division of Workers' Compensation has Information & Assistance (I&A) officers whose whole job is helping injured workers who don't have a lawyer — explaining notices, helping with forms, and answering questions about your specific claim. It's free and available at every DWC district office: dir.ca.gov/dwc.
What a workers' comp lawyer actually costs
This surprises people: consultations are free, and there is no hourly bill — ever. In California workers' compensation, the attorney's fee is a percentage of what you recover (commonly around 15%), it is paid out of the award or settlement at the end, and a judge must approve it (Labor Code §§ 4903, 4906). If you recover nothing, you owe nothing. Insurance companies have professional adjusters and defense attorneys on every claim; there is no version of this system where knowing less than they do helps you.
When you should stop reading and talk to someone
- Your claim was denied, or benefits stopped without explanation
- Treatment your doctor requested was denied by utilization review
- You got a letter about a QME panel, a settlement offer, or anything with a deadline you don't understand
- You were fired or punished after reporting your injury
- Your injury involves multiple body parts, a prior injury, or is permanent
- Anyone — adjuster, employer, even a doctor — tells you "you don't need a lawyer"
Talk to us
This site is maintained by The Clayton Perry Law Office for Injured Workers, APC — a California practice that represents injured workers only, never insurance companies or employers, in English and Spanish, anywhere in California.
Free case evaluation at our firm site
Contacting a law firm for an evaluation does not by itself make you a client, but what you share is treated as confidential. If your case isn't one we can take, we'll say so plainly and point you somewhere real.