After being injured on the job at Tesla’s Fremont automobile manufacturing facility, the victim is likely to be referred to the company’s in-house medical clinic that is independently operated and managed. It has been reported that Tesla routinely failed to record employee injuries at its Fremont facility and sent injured workers back to their jobs without proper care and treatment. It has also been reported that when objective and verifiable work injuries were suffered by Tesla’s Fremont employees, the nature and extent of those injuries have been minimized by the company in efforts to maintain its profitability. The primary reason for that is that the auto manufacturer is self-insured for up to the first $750,000 of employee work-related injuries.

Allegations of Circumventing the Claim Form Requirement

A California workers compensation claim known as a DWC 1 is required to be given to an injured employee by the employer within one day of the injury being reported to it. There are allegations that Tesla circumvents this requirement by merely providing first aid to injured employees and not providing them with medical treatment, light duty or job restrictions. California workers’ compensation law doesn’t require the employer to provide an injured employee with a DWC 1 if only first aid is provided for an injury. The company has also been accused of misclassifying clinic visits for work-related injuries as unrelated personal medical issues in order to avoid compliance with California workers’ compensation laws.

Employers Can Make Obtaining Workers’ Compensation Benefits Difficult

Tesla employees in Fremont deserve better recognition, treatment and security when they’re injured during the course of their employment. The benefits provided under California’s worker’s compensation laws are intended to provide injured employees with benefits like lost income and paid medical bills while recovering from a work-related injury. Whether Tesla is partially self-insured or not, tactics like the company has been accused of using make it difficult for injured employees to obtain workers’ compensation benefits without the benefit of an experienced and aggressive Sacramento workers’ compensation lawyer.

Contact a California Worker’s Compensation Attorney

If you’ve been injured in the course of your employment with Tesla, contact our offices right away by phone or email.

In almost all cases when someone is injured on the job, the worker will get the best possible outcome by hiring an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer.

Attorney Alice A. Strömbom focuses exclusively on Workers’ Compensation Law. She is very familiar with the tactics insurance companies use to avoid providing the medical treatment and disability benefits injured workers deserve, and has a recognized track record in combating such issues.

Contact us today for a free, confidential consultation and case evaluation.