California workers' compensation benefits guides

What workers' comp actually pays for

Get hurt on the job in California and you're covered by workers' comp. You don't have to prove your boss did anything wrong. It pays four things:

• Your medical treatment, billed to your employer's insurance company
• About two-thirds of your lost wages while your doctor keeps you off work, capped at $1,764.11 a week in 2026
• Permanent disability if the injury leaves you with residual injuries
• A retraining voucher worth up to $6,000 may be available if you can't go back to your old job, a doctor determines you have residual injuries, you have permanent partial disability, and your employer does not offer qualifying work (injuries in 2013 or later)

It doesn't pay for pain and suffering. And none of it is automatic. Checks show up late, treatment gets denied, and a doctor you've met once can end up deciding what your injury is worth. Pick the guide that matches where you're stuck.

Sources: California Division of Workers' Compensation, Information for injured workers; DIR, 2026 temporary disability rates; DWC Injured Worker Guidebook, Chapter 9.

Start with your situation

• How to file a workers' comp claimFilling out and returning the DWC-1, your employer's deadlines, and what to do if they refuse.
• What to do after a work injuryThe first steps after a job injury, in order: report it, get care, file the DWC-1, and keep records.
• Temporary disabilityWhat you get paid while you recover: two-thirds of your wages, the 2026 limits and the 104-week cap.
• Permanent disabilityHow lasting injuries are rated, what PD pays each week, and the life pension for the most serious injuries.
• Medical treatmentChoosing a doctor, Medical Provider Networks, and what to do when treatment is denied.
• Denied claimsWhat a denial letter means, the deadlines, and how a denied claim is challenged before a judge.
• QME medical evaluationsHow the panel of three doctors works, the 10-day deadlines, and how a QME differs from an AME.
• Returning to workLight duty, modified work, the $6,000 retraining voucher and the $5,000 Return-to-Work Supplement.
• Retaliation for filing a claimYour protection under Labor Code 132a, what you can recover, and the one-year deadline.
• Workers' comp glossaryQME, P&S, C&R, TD, PD and 35 more terms explained in plain English, with Spanish translations.

To discuss your claim, call (323) 656-9040. The consultation is free.