As a resident of California, you understand the need for new and environmentally conscious power sources. The pollution and lack of reliability of current energy production methods often result in brownouts or unstable power and an extremely high cost of electricity. Fortunately, the state offers significant benefits to anyone who is interested in moving forward with a solar system installation. In the first three months of 2024, almost 50,000 systems harnessing solar power were installed throughout the state.
The potential for growth in the solar power industry and the desire to learn a skill that will provide job security are both reasons why workers are eager to get a job as a solar panel installation expert. However, it is vital potential solar panel installation workers also understand the safety risks involved in this job. Knowing that there are risks that cannot be eliminated and taking all safety processes and precautions seriously will help reduce the chances of an injury. But no job is completely safe all the time. So, if you or a loved one has suffered a solar panel installation injury in California, please know that the legal team at Normandie Law Firm is ready to assist you in getting the benefits and help you need to eliminate stress and allow you to make a complete recovery from the harm you suffered while on the job.
Our office staff can be reached 24/7 to provide immediate information and answers that will help you understand the resources available to an injured solar panel installation worker and how to secure them. In addition, we hope that you will take advantage of the firm’s offer for a free consultation with a solar panel installation injury attorney in California to explain the other options that could provide you with added financial assistance. But please contact our staff quickly as there are time limits for you to open a claim with worker’s comp or file a lawsuit to secure any compensation that is owed to you for the harm you suffered.
Common Injuries Suffered While Installing Solar Panels In California
Many employees like working outdoors, enjoying the fresh air, and not being tied to a desk for eight hours a day, so working as a solar panel installer is a great fit. However, they also need to understand that the work is physically demanding and that even a slight mishap can turn into a catastrophe in a fraction of a second. Slip and fall, trip and fall, harm from a falling object and burn incidents are all commonplace on these jobsites. Handling large solar panels, even though they appear lightweight, can cause a misstep or loss of balance that results in serious injuries, such as:
- Broken or shattered bones
- Partial or complete amputations
- Joint dislocations and destruction of connective tissue of the joint
- Back, neck, and spinal cord injuries
- Severe lacerations or puncture wounds that could involve damage to internal organs and internal bleeding
- Damage to the delicate skin of the face, the eyes, ears, nose, or mouth
- Head injuries that can range from a skull fracture or severe concussion to a brain bleed or other traumatic brain injury
- Contact burns or electrical burns
These injuries can be caused when you or anyone around you makes even the most minor mistake. In addition, due to the possible changes in the weather and other outdoor conditions, these mishaps can happen through no fault of any workers. After an accident that results in injuries, please seek a full medical evaluation to ensure you did not suffer serious harm masked by the shock of the incident and should receive immediate medical care to provide the best outcome for your recovery.
Using Your Worker’s Comp Benefits
All solar panel installation workers in the state are covered by the California worker’s compensation program because employers are obligated to participate in this insurance program. The company is also required to cover the entire cost of enrolling its employees. The program was created to mitigate the hardships faced by an employee who is hurt on the job but offering these vital benefits:
- Coverage of medical care expenses related to workplace injuries up to $1M in total cost per injury incident
- Payment of up to 66% of the employee’s regular weekly income if they are unable to return to their regular job immediately after the injury incident
- In cases involving long-term disabilities, the program will provide payments to offset the worker’s diminished earning potential
- If the worker will never be capable of returning to work as a solar panel installation tech, the program will provide free vocational training to prepare them for a new career
Can I Sue My Employer For Added Compensation?
In most cases, an injured worker cannot file a personal injury lawsuit against their employer. They are limited to using only the benefits provided by worker’s comp to cover their losses and expenses due to their injuries. Only in cases that involve gross negligence on the part of the employer can a hurt worker file a claim against their employer. In these cases, gross negligence is commonly defined as the employer showing complete disregard for the safety of workers.
As an example, you discover that a ladder used in your daily solar panel installations is damaged and needs to be replaced or repaired. You report the safety hazard to your boss and management of the company and ask for a new ladder. The response from management is to keep using the ladder and be more careful, but they refuse to repair it or purchase a new ladder. If you are forced to use the damaged ladder and it fails causing you to suffer an injury while working, there could be grounds to file a lawsuit against your employer for their gross negligence and failure to ensure your safety. The experts at Normandie Law Firm are ready to discuss the facts of the case and help you understand if a lawsuit is possible to secure compensation in addition to the benefits provided by worker’s compensation.
What Is A Lawsuit Against My Employer Worth?
All personal injury lawsuit compensation amounts are determined by compiling all allowable expenses and losses suffered by the injury victim. If you have opened a worker’s comp case, you will be able to seek any compensation that is not already covered by your worker’s comp payments. The items considered allowable expenses include:
- All current and future estimated medical expenses related to the injuries suffered installing solar panels
- The cost to replace any personal property that was damaged in the solar panel installation injury incident
- The cost of your legal services to prepare, file, and litigate your solar panel installation workplace injury lawsuit
- Your lost income if you are unable to work as a solar panel installer until you are fully healed from your injuries
How Long Do I Have To Decide What Action I Will Take?
As a worker who is hurt on the job, you have only 30 days from the date of the injury incident to open a claim with the worker’s comp program. If you wait longer than 30 days to open the claim with the program, it will be immediately denied and you will not receive any benefits for the harm you suffered while on the job installing solar panels.
If gross negligence was involved in your solar panel installation injury incident, you have two years from the date of the injuries to file a claim with the court. This time limit is strictly enforced, and any claim filed more than two years after the injury incident will be rejected by the court. It is also vital to know that there are minimal exceptions to receive more time to file a claim once the time limit has expired. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with Normandie Law Firm today to discuss your case and the time remaining for you to seek compensation and benefits for the injuries you suffered while working as a solar panel installer
No Added Stress Or Hardships When Working With Normandie Law Firm
When you hire Normandie Law Firm to assist you with a solar panel installation injury lawsuit, you never need to worry about how to cover the cost of legal services. Our firm is dedicated to providing exceptional legal services and only getting paid for our work after the case is resolved. This simple policy ensures that all injury victims get the help they need and never face added expenses due to upfront legal costs.
Finally, if your Normandie Law Firm solar panel injury attorney fails to win your case and deliver that essential compensation you deserve and need to pay your bills, you owe the firm nothing. This is how confident Normandie Law Firm is that our expert attorneys will win every case they take to court. Please reach out to our skilled and compassionate staff today to learn more about your rights, how our team and the legal system will protect them, and your ability to enjoy a stable financial future. Your consultation is always free, and you are never obligated to hire Normandie Law Firm or file a lawsuit against your employer. We only want to ensure that you understand your options and have the information needed to make choices that best meet your immediate and long-term needs.
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