A worker sustained critical job injuries the morning of June 19, 2010 after he fell into a multi-blade grinder and lost both his legs. According to an ABC News report, the major injury accident occurred at the Jobbers Meat Packing Company at Fruitland Avenue and Downey Road in Vernon. The worker's leg was amputated above the knee by the machine, which is described as a type of meat grinder. The worker was transported to an area hospital in serious condition. Officials are looking into how this horrific accident occurred.

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I sympathize deeply with this injured worker and his family. I wish him the very best for a speedy recovery. He probably won't be able to return to work because of the leg amputations. He and his family will be in my prayers.

Worker Injury Statistics

According to Cal-OSHA's 2005 statistics, 76 workers died in construction and industrial accidents in California as a result of contact with equipment. Totally, 453 California workers were killed in 2005 in industrial accidents. On-the-job accidents also lead to a number of catastrophic injuries each year.

Cause of the Accident

Based on this news report, it is not clear how or why the worker fell into the meat grinder. There are several questions to be answered here. Was the worker trained for the job? Was he advised by his employer of all safety procedures to be followed while operating the machinery? And did he follow those procedures? Was there a dangerous or unsafe condition that led to the accident? Was this accident the result of malfunctioning equipment, which had not been properly maintained? Was the equipment defective? These are all important questions that must be answered in order determine the cause and liability.

Claim for Compensation

In cases where workers have sustained catastrophic injuries, they will no doubt receive California workers compensation from their employers. However, in California, workers compensation benefits prove inadequate and may not fully cover medical expenses and lost wages faced by seriously hurt workers and their families.

Injured workers should consider filing a "third-party claim," which seeks compensation from a negligent party other than an employer. For example, if a defective product caused the accident, then the manufacturer of the defective product could also be held liable. A Los Angeles personal injury lawyer experienced in handling third-party claims will be able to advise injured workers and their families about their legal rights and options.

What are the biggest challenges faced by injured workers and their families in the aftermath of a workplace accident?

The BISNAR|CHASE personal injury law firm is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.

Worker Suffers Major Injures On-the-Job is a post from: BestAttorney.com - BISNAR | CHASE California Personal Injury Lawyers

If you work more than the standard eight hours a day or 40 hours a week, you are entitled to overtime pay. According to California employment lawyers, most employees, even independent contractors are supposed to receive overtime pay. If you have not been getting paid for your extra hours of work, you may be entitled to additional wages.

Know Your Employment Rights: How to Calculate Overtime

Overtime laws states that if you put in extra work over the standard eight hours a day or 40 hours a week. You may also receive overtime pay if you work for seven consecutive days. If you work overtime, then your employer is supposed to pay you at a higher hourly rate.

There are two ways to calculate overtime pay. The first is called the "time and a-half" rate. This means that for each additional hour you work, you are entitled to one and one half-times your regular hourly rate. In addition, if you work for seven days straight, the first eight hours of the seventh day must be paid at this "time and a-half" rate.

On the other hand, if you work more than 12 hours a day, you should receive double your regular rate of pay. This is known as "double time." Meantime, if you work more than eight hours on your seventh consecutive day, you should also be paid at this double time rate.

Find Out How California Employment Lawyers Can Win Your Case

If you think your employer owes you overtime pay, please download our Overtime Calculation Worksheet. There are two ways to figure out how much your employer might owe you in unpaid overtime wages. The first method is through documents. You should be able to establish exactly how many hours of overtime you worked through time sheets, payroll records, and calendar entries.

However, if you don't have enough documents to establish how many hours of overtime you have worked, don't worry. You can still make a claim. Under California employment law, you can submit an estimate of unpaid overtime hours. The ball is then in your employer's court to disprove your estimate. If they can't, then your estimate is presumed to stand.

You can collect overtime wages from as far back as four years from the date you file your lawsuit. However, you must fall under the category of non-exempt employees to be entitled for overtime. Please consult a California employment lawyer to find out if you have a valid claim for unpaid overtime wages.

The BISNAR|CHASE personal injury law firm is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our source for the facts is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, please contact us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. Most of the best law firms will provide accident victims a free consultation.

We cannot fully inform any party or family member about their rights, options or the economic viability of any claim for compensation without a full investigation and consultation. We will not be conducting an investigation into this matter unless we are retained by a party. We will provide a free, confidential consultation to any, not at fault, person named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.

California Employment Law Requires Employees to be Paid For Overtime is a post from: BestAttorney.com - BISNAR | CHASE California Personal Injury Lawyers

Have you been forced to work through your lunch and rest periods in your place of employment without compensation? Or has your employer failed to provide you with meal and rest periods? If so, you may be entitled to additional wages. According to California employment lawyers, non-exempt employees, including independent contractors, are entitled to receive meal and rest periods.

Know Your Employment Rights

According to meal and rest period rules, a meal period is defined as an uninterrupted period of at least 30 minutes during the workday. If an employee is forced to work during this meal period, then they must be paid because they are considered to be "on the clock." If the employer fails to provide a meal period, then the employee is entitled to an additional hour of pay for each workday that the meal period was not provided. However, the employee must be scheduled to work at least six hours during the workday in order for the employer to be required to provide a meal period.

A rest period, on the other hand, is defined as an uninterrupted period of at least ten minutes during the workday. Here, the employee is still considered to be "on the clock." You are entitled to a ten-minute rest period for every four hours that you work. However, if you work less than three and a half hours a day, your employer is not required to provide you with a rest period. If you have not been provided with a rest period or work during part of your rest period, then you are entitled to an additional hour of pay for each workday that the rest period was not provided.

California Employment Lawyers Will Help You Win Back Wages

If you think you are entitled to additional wages for missed or worked meal and rest periods, it is helpful to use our Meal and Rest Period Calculation Worksheet. In order to help your case, it is also best to provide your employment attorney with time sheets, payroll records or other documents which can help determine the number of days you were not provided with a meal or rest period. Your meal and rest period worksheet should also detail hourly rates, lengths of meal periods, missed and worked meal and rest periods to determine how much you are owed.

While you can collect wages from as far back as four years from the date you file your lawsuit, you must fall under the category of a non-exempt employee. In addition, you can only receive one extra hour of pay per day, regardless of how many meal and/or rest periods you miss.

The BISNAR|CHASE personal injury law firm is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our source for the facts is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, please contact us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. Most of the best law firms will provide accident victims a free consultation.

We cannot fully inform any party or family member about their rights, options or the economic viability of any claim for compensation without a full investigation and consultation. We will not be conducting an investigation into this matter unless we are retained by a party. We will provide a free, confidential consultation to any, not at fault, person named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.

California Employment Law Requires Employers to Provide Their Employees With Rest and Meal Periods is a post from: BestAttorney.com - BISNAR | CHASE California Personal Injury Lawyers