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✦ Board-Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation Law — State Bar of California ✦
Hurt at work? You deserve more than just first aid. Fight for full compensation.
By Eman Yazdchi, Esq. · Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law
Getting hurt on the job in Burbank can feel isolating. If you work in entertainment, you may worry that filing a workers' comp claim will end your career — that producers will stop calling, that you will be labeled "difficult," that the next production will go on without you. If you work in manufacturing or at the airport, you may fear losing the job you depend on. These fears are understandable, but they should not stop you from protecting your rights.
California law is unambiguous: you are entitled to workers' compensation benefits if you were hurt at work, and it is illegal for your employer to retaliate against you for filing a claim (LC Section 132a). Attorney Eman Yazdchi of Yazdchi Law P.C. is a board-certified workers' compensation specialist who helps Burbank workers navigate the system while protecting their careers and their benefits.
Notify your employer — whether that is a studio, a production company payroll department, a factory supervisor, or an airport operations manager — as soon as possible. Under California law, you should report within 30 days, but sooner is always better. Your employer must provide you with a DWC-1 claim form within one working day of learning about the injury.
You have the right to medical care under LC Section 4600. For emergencies, go to the nearest hospital — Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank is a Level II Trauma Center. For non-emergency injuries, your employer may direct you to their Medical Provider Network (MPN) for the first 30 days. After that, you have the right to choose your treating physician within the MPN.
The insurance adjuster will contact you quickly, often within days. They may ask for a recorded statement, push you to see a specific doctor, or present paperwork they want signed. Before you agree to anything, speak with an attorney who can tell you what your rights are and what the adjuster's tactics are designed to accomplish.
Complete the employee portion of the form and return it to your employer. This officially opens your workers' comp claim. The insurer then has 90 days to accept or deny, but must authorize up to $10,000 in medical treatment while investigating.
The scenic artist at a Disney production facility falls from a scaffold while painting a backdrop for an animated feature's promotional set. She breaks her ankle and sprains her wrist. The production is on a tight deadline, and her supervisor tells her to "go to urgent care and come back tomorrow." She needs to file a workers' comp claim, not tough it out.
The warehouse worker at a Burbank distribution center herniates a lumbar disc while loading pallets of merchandise. His employer — a mid-sized company operating near the airport — tells him to file an injury report but then delays providing the DWC-1 form for weeks, hoping the worker will use his own health insurance instead. This is a violation of the employer's obligations under California law.
The HVAC technician servicing commercial buildings in Burbank develops chronic knee problems from years of climbing ladders, kneeling on rooftops, and working in crawl spaces. There was no single accident — just years of wear and tear on his joints. Cumulative trauma injuries are fully compensable, and the date of injury is calculated under LC Section 5412 as the date he knew or should have known the condition was work-related.
The production assistant on a late-night show taping in Burbank is struck by a set piece being moved between segments. She suffers a concussion and neck injury. The production company is unsure which insurer covers her because she was hired through a staffing agency. Sorting out coverage requires an attorney who understands entertainment industry employment structures.
Injured at work in Burbank? Call (661) 273-1780
Tap to call →If you got hurt at work in Burbank — on a studio lot, in a factory, at the airport, or anywhere else — do not wait to get help. The sooner you act, the better your chances of preserving evidence, documenting your injury, and securing the benefits you are entitled to.
Contact Yazdchi Law P.C. for a free consultation with attorney Eman Yazdchi about your Burbank work injury.
Ready to discuss your case? Schedule a free consultation.
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