Workers’ Compensation Attorney’ Blog

Workers Compensation News for 2021

At Cantrell Green, our Long Beach workers’ compensation attorney have been protecting the rights of injured employees for more than forty years. We stay abreast of the latest changes in workers compensation laws, regulations and trends at all times to ensure our clients have access to the most recent information that may affect their benefits.

In this article we recap some important developments in California workers compensation law that have already occurred in 2021.

Workers Compensation for Skin Cancer

A California bill was introduced this month (January 2021) that would expand presumptive (“automatic’) workers compensation coverage for fish and wildlife and parks and recreation workers who contract skin cancer.

Currently, California law states that if a lifeguard or police officer develops skin cancer, it is “presumed” to be work related. So they may obtain workers compensation benefits for their skin cancer, without having the burden of proving that their skin cancer was caused by sun exposure at work.

Proposed bill A.B. 334, filed in January, would amend this workers compensation law to presume that Department of Fish and Wildlife and Department of Parks and Recreation workers who develop skin cancer did so “in the course and scope of their employment”.

Mandatory Workers Compensation for Contractors

Another new bill proposed in January 2021 would require licensed contractors to carry workers compensation coverage — even if they don’t have any employees. Under current California law, only licensed roofing contractors are required to carry workers compensation even if they have no employees.

Proposed Bill S.B. 216, would require that any concrete, heating and air conditioning and tree service contractors must have workers compensation insurance, and that by 2025 all licensed contractors in California carry workers compensation insurance – regardless of whether they have employees,

The rationale behind the bill, proposed by Senator Bill Dodd, is that more than half of the 230,000 contractors in California claim they have no employees – which often results a widespread problem of leaving workers unprotected.

New Non Profit Formed to Fight Workers Compensation Fraud

the California Staffing Agency Reform Association has formed a new non-profit organization to fight fraudulent and black market workers compensation insurance claims.

The organization, called Cal-SARA, aims to protect legitimate staffing firms who are forced to compete with companies that do not carry legitimate work comp coverage, as part of a scheme to illegally reduce the cost of doing business.

Cal-SARA will provide education, training and legal support for its the staffing industry, while also assisting regulators and insurers.

Long Beach Workers Compensation Lawyers

If you were injured or made ill in the workplace, we recommend that you speak with an experienced workers comp lawyer immediately. Even if you are currently receiving workers comp benefits, it is a good idea to get some legal advice to protect your rights going into the future.

An experienced workers compensation lawyer can help you identify minor issues before they become major problems – and make sure that you not only receive your benefits now, but for years to come.

Your consultation with our workers’ comp lawyers is 100% confidential, and neither your employer nor your insurance company will be notified that you requested a consultation with us. Our lawyers will help you understand your rights and work tirelessly to ensure that you receive the maximum workers’ comp benefits for which you qualify.

Workers Compensation lawyers FREE CONSULTATION: 800-964-8047