Law Firm Represents Injured Teachers as They Face Unprecedented Challenges

Developing creative lesson plans, grading exams, mentoring students, preparing lectures—it’s all in a day’s work for California’s public school teachers. Unfortunately, oftentimes there’s a lot more involved, including being injured on the job.

Injuries to teachers include exposure to toxic materials, workplace violence, repetitive motion damage, assaults—physical and verbal— and high blood pressure caused by stress.

And to add insult to injury, Los Angeles teachers have faced extraordinary challenges in the last year—budget cuts, job losses, increased class sizes…. It’s no wonder that Untied Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) chose “Team UTLA” as the theme for their annual conference held recently. Teamwork is the key to overcoming the difficulties before them.

Larry Goldstein and David Goldstein, Workers’ Compensation partners in the law firm of Gordon, Edelstein, Krepack, Grant, Felton & Goldstein, were part of that team effort as they discussed changes in Workers’ Compensation Law with teachers at the conference.

“It has been five years since Governor Schwarzenegger’s Workers’ Compensation ‘reform’—SB 899—was signed into law, and California workers injured on the job continue to be on the losing end when it comes to benefits and treatment,” says Larry Goldstein.

“We felt it was imperative to review the changes brought about by SB 899 because teachers need to understand fully the benefits they are entitled to under California’s Workers’ Compensation Laws.

“And, because each Workers’ Compensation case is unique, with many variables to consider at any one time, injured workers should be represented by skilled and dedicated attorneys.

“A large part of our role is to educate workers on ‘traps’ they may fall into when it comes to benefits. For instance, legal representation in the selection of a physician is vital. If you are unrepresented and you’re asked to select a physician from a panel issued by the Medical Unit of the State of California, you may be bound by that physician’s findings. This could negatively affect your disability award and right to future medical treatment.

“Or, consider repetitive motion injuries. Many workers believe that because it’s difficult to pinpoint a specific date of injury, their chances of receiving benefits aren’t very good. However, in reality, there is a strong case to be made on behalf of such workers.”

If you or someone you  know is interested in a free consultation with an attorney about a Personal Injury or Workers' Compensation case, please contact us at (213) 739-7000.