The RegistryPractice Area · Statewide
Find Workers Compensation Lawyers in California
Counsel for injuries on the job: claims, denials, and permanent disability ratings. This is the statewide record for workers' compensation in California: every attorney on the State Bar of California's official roll whose published practice reaches this area, shown in neutral directory order.
Californians search this field under many names · workers compensation attorney, workers comp lawyer, work injury lawyer, work injury attorney, workers comp attorney · and the registry answers all of them from the same source. Below: the governing deadline with its citation, what to weigh as you read the record, the questions Californians ask with the code sections that answer them, and workers' compensation coverage county by county, from Del Norte to San Diego.
The clock & the craft
One year from injury to file a workers' compensation claim.
Cal. Lab. Code § 5405
Report the injury to your employer within 30 days (Cal. Lab. Code § 5400); the employer must provide a claim form within one working day of notice (§ 5401). Cumulative-trauma injuries date from when disability and work-connection were known (§ 5412).
Reading the roster
Workers' comp runs through an administrative system, not civil court, so look for attorneys who appear regularly at the WCAB district office serving your area and know its judges and QME logistics. Fees are contingent and must be approved by the appeals board, typically 9–15% of the recovery, so representation costs nothing up front. Ask whether your facts also support a third-party civil claim, which comp attorneys often co-counsel with injury attorneys.
Workers' Compensation · statewide roster
6,473 attorneys on the official State Bar of California roll list workers' compensation among their practice areas, with an address of record in 44 of California's 58 counties.
6,115 of them hold an active licence; the remainder are recorded as inactive and are not currently eligible to practise.
The largest county rosters are Los Angeles (2,349), Orange (1,070), Sacramento (429), San Diego (410) and Alameda (278).
870 hold a State Bar Certified Legal Specialist designation, a certification issued by the State Bar's Board of Legal Specialization, and not a rating or a ranking.
520 are recorded as taking client work in a language other than English.
Workers' Compensation matters in California
The matters this field covers, as Californians search for them. Each attorney's own profile states which of these they take.
- workplace injury claims
- denied workers' comp claims
- temporary and permanent disability benefits
- medical treatment disputes and utilization review
- cumulative trauma and repetitive stress injuries
- occupational illness
- death benefits
- return-to-work and Labor Code 132a retaliation
- compromise and release settlements
- QME and AME evaluations
Have a workers' compensation matter? Submit your case for review.
Open a free case file, choose how attorneys may contact you, and review any terms they send. You decide whom to contact and whether to proceed.
In the last 30 days attorneys have read 1 filed matter on the registry.
Submit your case for reviewLegal information, not legal advice · The AI reception identifies itself
Workers' Compensation questions, cited
How long do I have to report a work injury in California?
Give your employer written notice within 30 days of the injury (Cal. Lab. Code § 5400), late notice can jeopardize benefits unless the employer knew or was not prejudiced. The formal application must generally be filed within one year (Lab. Code § 5405). For gradual injuries like repetitive strain, the clock runs from when you knew the condition was work-related (§ 5412).
Do I have to prove my employer was at fault to get workers' comp?
No. California workers' compensation is a no-fault system: benefits are owed for injuries arising out of and in the course of employment regardless of negligence (Cal. Lab. Code § 3600). The trade-off is exclusivity; comp is generally the sole remedy against the employer (Lab. Code § 3602), though claims against negligent third parties (a defective machine maker, an at-fault driver) remain available.
What benefits does California workers' compensation pay?
Medical treatment for the injury (Cal. Lab. Code § 4600), temporary disability payments at two-thirds of average weekly wages within statutory limits (§ 4653), permanent disability compensation rated under § 4660.1, supplemental job displacement vouchers (§ 4658.7), and death benefits for dependents (§ 4700 et seq.). It does not pay pain-and-suffering damages, those exist only in third-party civil claims.
Can I be fired for filing a workers' comp claim in California?
Retaliation for filing or stating an intent to file is unlawful under Cal. Lab. Code § 132a, exposing the employer to increased compensation, reinstatement, and reimbursement of lost wages. Separate wrongful termination and FEHA disability-discrimination claims (Cal. Gov. Code § 12940) can also arise when an injured worker is terminated instead of accommodated.
What if my workers' comp claim is denied?
Denials are challenged before the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board by filing an Application for Adjudication and requesting a hearing (Cal. Lab. Code §§ 5500 et seq.). Medical disputes run through Qualified Medical Evaluator procedures (§ 4062.2) and utilization review with Independent Medical Review (§ 4610). Strict deadlines apply at each step, which is where most unrepresented claims founder.
Legal information, not legal advice.
From the answer files
Workers' Compensation in all 58 counties
Workers' Compensation by city
Adjacent shelves of the law
Full Workers' Compensation rosters, by surname
If cost is the concern
Court self-help, legal-aid organizations and attorney-stated fee options, with source links. No account or case submission is needed to use them.
Read the record. Then decide.
Describe your matter once, review the verified records, and place the call; the choice is always yours.
Find Your Counsel278,688 attorneys · 58 counties · Official State Bar records