Your Career Took a Toll On Your Body. You May Be Owed For It.

Possibly. Playing for a California-based team is not necessarily the only way an athlete may qualify to pursue a claim in California.

Depending on the facts surrounding your career and contracts, California jurisdiction may potentially exist if, for example:

• You signed an employment contract while physically present in California.
• You reached an employment agreement while physically present in California.
• You played for a California team or qualifying affiliate during a relevant portion of your career.
• Other facts concerning your employment create California jurisdiction.

Professional athlete claims can involve complicated jurisdictional rules, particularly for athletes who played for multiple teams in different states.

If you are unsure whether your career qualifies, Workers Compensation Attorney Group can review your playing history, contracts, teams, and other relevant information to determine whether California may have jurisdiction.

Call Workers Compensation Attorney Group at 866.720.8333 or click here for a FREE case evaluation.

Yes, potentially.

You do not necessarily have to have filed an injury report, missed games, or been removed from the active roster to have a compensable workers’ compensation injury.

Professional athletes subject their bodies to repetitive physical stress that most people never experience. Running, jumping, throwing, tackling, checking, cutting, lifting, collisions, and repetitive movements can gradually damage joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other parts of the body.

Instead of resulting from one identifiable incident, these conditions may develop over months or years. California workers’ compensation law refers to this type of injury as cumulative trauma.

An athlete may complete an entire career without realizing the extent of the physical damage until years later.

Not necessarily.

Being placed on an injured list is not required for every workers’ compensation claim.

Professional athletes frequently continue playing despite pain, soreness, stiffness, reduced mobility, and other physical problems. A cumulative trauma claim examines the combined effects of your professional athletic career on your body rather than focusing exclusively on whether one particular injury caused you to stop playing.

Medical evaluations can help determine whether you have objective evidence of injury or impairment and whether those conditions may be connected to your professional athletic employment.

If you played through injuries or pain and are unsure whether you have a claim, Workers Compensation Attorney Group can evaluate your circumstances.

Call Workers Compensation Attorney Group at 866.720.8333 or click here for a FREE case evaluation.

Possibly.

Do not automatically assume that you waited too long simply because many years have passed since your final professional game.

California's rules concerning the statute of limitations for cumulative trauma injuries can be complicated. Determining whether a claim is timely can depend on when an athlete experienced disability and when the athlete knew, or reasonably should have known, that the disability was caused by employment.

Because the answer depends on the individual circumstances, retirement date alone does not necessarily determine whether you can pursue a claim.

Workers Compensation Attorney Group can examine your career and injury history and determine whether a claim may still be available.

Call Workers Compensation Attorney Group at 866.720.8333 or click here for a FREE case evaluation.

Professional athlete workers’ compensation claims generally involve two broad categories of injuries:

Specific injuries result from an identifiable incident, such as a collision, tackle, fall, hit, awkward landing, or other event occurring during a game, practice, training session, or another employment-related activity.

Cumulative trauma injuries develop gradually because of repetitive physical stress over an extended period.

Cumulative trauma can potentially affect the:

• Knees
• Hips
• Shoulders
• Neck
• Back
• Hands and wrists
• Elbows
• Ankles and feet
• Other joints and body systems

Some athletes experience symptoms during their careers. Others do not recognize the extent of their physical conditions until years after retirement.

A cumulative trauma injury develops gradually from repetitive physical activity associated with employment rather than from one particular accident.

For professional athletes, years of running, jumping, throwing, tackling, checking, lifting, cutting, repetitive motion, and physical collisions can place enormous stress on the body.

Potential cumulative conditions can include:

• Arthritis
• Joint degeneration
• Cartilage damage
• Chronic neck or back problems
• Shoulder and knee conditions
• Hip and ankle problems
• Reduced range of motion
• Muscle, ligament, or tendon damage
• Certain neurological conditions

The existence and cause of an injury ultimately require medical evaluation.

At Workers Compensation Attorney Group, we can help coordinate the workers’ compensation process so the appropriate medical evidence can be developed.

Call Workers Compensation Attorney Group at 866.720.8333 or click here for a FREE case evaluation.

You do not need to gather your entire career history before contacting us.

To begin evaluating a potential claim, Workers Compensation Attorney Group will generally need basic information such as:

• Your approximate professional career start and end dates
• Teams and organizations you played for
• Your current mailing address
• Your date of birth
• Basic information concerning your physical conditions
• Additional identifying information that may be required later in the process

Do not worry if you cannot remember exact dates from a career that ended many years ago. Information can often be verified or corrected as the case develops.

To get started, call Workers Compensation Attorney Group at 866.720.8333 or click here for a FREE case evaluation.

Once the necessary documents are completed, the claim can be submitted and the workers’ compensation process begins.

The insurance carrier will investigate the claim and decide whether to accept or dispute liability.

If an insurance company denies a claim, that does not necessarily mean the case is over.

Professional athlete claims can involve disputes concerning medical causation, employment history, jurisdiction, insurance coverage, and other legal issues.

If your claim is disputed, Workers Compensation Attorney Group can continue developing the medical and legal evidence and pursue your rights through California's workers’ compensation system.

That is not unusual.

Think about how many games, practices, training sessions, hits, falls, collisions, and repetitive movements can occur during a professional sports career. Former athletes are not expected to remember every painful episode.

Cumulative trauma claims are particularly important in this respect because they focus on the combined physical effects of repetitive occupational activity rather than requiring every condition to be traced to one particular play.

Our team can obtain additional information about your medical and injury history as your case progresses.

A workers’ compensation claim is not the same as a traditional personal injury lawsuit.

Workers’ compensation claims are handled through a specialized system created to address employment-related injuries. The claim generally involves workers’ compensation insurance coverage maintained by the employer.

This means you are not simply taking your former team to civil court and suing it for traditional personal injury damages.

Professional sports organizations maintain workers’ compensation insurance because injuries are an inherent risk associated with professional athletics.

If concerns about your former team have prevented you from exploring a claim, Workers Compensation Attorney Group can explain how the process works.

Call Workers Compensation Attorney Group at 866.720.8333 or click here for a FREE case evaluation.

Every athlete's case is different, but a typical claim can involve several stages.

Workers Compensation Attorney Group handles the legal and administrative aspects of the claim while keeping you informed about important developments.

Depending on your case, the process may include:

• Preparing and filing workers’ compensation documents
• Identifying the appropriate employer and insurance carrier
• Reviewing your professional playing history
• Arranging appropriate medical evaluations
• Obtaining diagnostic testing when necessary
• Evaluating permanent impairment or disability
• Determining whether future medical treatment may be required
• Obtaining testimony through a deposition when necessary
• Responding to insurance company defenses
• Negotiating a potential settlement
• Litigating disputed issues when necessary

Our objective is to make the process as manageable as possible for you while protecting your rights throughout the case.

A physician evaluates your current medical condition and looks for objective evidence of injury or impairment.

Depending on the injuries involved, an evaluation may include examination of:

• Range of motion
• Strength and grip strength
• Joint stability
• Gait and balance
• Pain associated with movement
• Neurological findings
• Structural abnormalities
• Arthritis or degenerative changes
• Ligament, tendon, cartilage, or muscle damage

Diagnostic testing, including X-rays and MRIs when appropriate, may reveal arthritis, degeneration, tears, structural damage, or other abnormalities.

These medical findings can help determine whether you have permanent impairment, whether your condition is related to your athletic employment, and what workers’ compensation benefits may be available.

Depending on your case and the medical-legal evaluations required, you may need to travel to California for an examination.

When travel is authorized as part of the workers’ compensation process, certain reasonable travel expenses may be paid or reimbursed in accordance with California workers’ compensation law.

Workers Compensation Attorney Group will explain the examination requirements and travel arrangements before your appointment so you know what to expect.

There is no upfront attorney fee.

Workers Compensation Attorney Group represents injured workers on a contingency basis. Attorney fees are generally paid from benefits obtained in the workers’ compensation case and must be approved by a workers’ compensation judge.

If there is no recovery from which an attorney fee can be awarded, you generally do not pay an attorney fee for our representation.

Authorized medical-legal examinations and other case-related expenses are handled according to California workers’ compensation law.

Call Workers Compensation Attorney Group at 866.720.8333 or click here for a FREE case evaluation.

Attorney fees in California workers’ compensation cases are subject to approval by a workers’ compensation judge.

The amount can depend on factors including the complexity of the case, the work performed, disputed legal or medical issues, litigation required, and benefits obtained.

Workers Compensation Attorney Group will explain the fee arrangement before representation begins so you understand how attorney fees will be handled.

There is no single timeline that applies to every athlete.

Some claims may take a year or longer to resolve, particularly when the insurance carrier disputes jurisdiction, medical causation, permanent disability, insurance coverage, or other issues.

The good news is that you generally will not have to work on your case every day.

Your involvement may include:

• Attending medical examinations
• Participating in a deposition, which may sometimes occur remotely
• Providing information or documents when needed
• Keeping Workers Compensation Attorney Group informed of important changes

Cases involving several medical specialties or complex legal disputes may require additional time.

There is no predetermined settlement amount for a professional athlete workers’ compensation claim.

The benefits available depend on the facts, applicable law, and medical evidence in each case.

Potential benefits can include compensation for permanent disability and medical treatment associated with qualifying industrial injuries.

Some cases ultimately resolve through a negotiated lump-sum settlement.

Factors that may influence the value of a claim include:

• The nature and extent of your injuries
• Permanent impairment or disability
• Medical evidence regarding causation
• Your future medical needs
• Your professional employment history
• Applicable jurisdictional issues
• Responsible employers and insurance carriers
• Available legal defenses
• Other facts unique to your case

Workers Compensation Attorney Group evaluates the medical and legal evidence and advocates for the workers’ compensation benefits available to each client under California law.

Professional athletes make extraordinary physical sacrifices throughout their careers.

Workers’ compensation insurance exists to provide benefits for qualifying employment-related injuries. That can include certain conditions that develop gradually from years of repetitive physical stress.

You should not automatically assume you have no claim simply because:

• You played through your pain.
• You never missed a game.
• You were never placed on an injured list.
• You never filed an injury report.
• You did not undergo surgery while playing.
• Your symptoms became worse after retirement.
• Many years have passed since you played professionally.

If your professional sports career contributed to lasting physical problems, it may be worthwhile to find out whether California workers’ compensation benefits are available.

Call Workers Compensation Attorney Group at 866.720.8333 or click here for a FREE case evaluation.