“Eman at Yazdchi Law was extremely professional, responsive, and supportive at all times. He and his staff exceeded all of my expectations.”
Andrea Dalessandro
✦ Board-Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation Law — State Bar of California ✦
Don’t settle for less. We negotiate every dollar your case is worth.
By Eman Yazdchi, Esq. · Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law
The difference between a good workers' comp settlement and a bad one can be staggering. For Chatsworth's manufacturing and warehouse workers, whose injuries tend to be severe and whose livelihoods depend on physical ability, the financial gap between a properly valued settlement and an insurance company's opening offer often spans tens of thousands of dollars. Accepting a lowball settlement because you are financially desperate or do not understand the value of your claim is a mistake that cannot be undone. Once a Compromise and Release is approved by the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board, the case is closed permanently. Our firm exists to make sure Chatsworth workers do not make that mistake.
Workers' compensation settlement values in California are driven by the permanent disability rating, which is calculated using the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, Fifth Edition, adjusted by the worker's age, occupation, and diminished future earning capacity. In Chatsworth, where the dominant industries involve physical labor, the occupational adjustment factor often increases the base rating significantly. A warehouse worker with a whole-person impairment rating of 15 percent will receive a higher permanent disability percentage than an office worker with the same impairment rating because the warehouse worker's injury has a greater impact on their ability to earn a living in their occupation. We ensure these adjustments are applied correctly, because insurers frequently under-calculate them.
The choice between a Stipulated Award and a Compromise and Release is the most consequential decision in the settlement process. A Stipulated Award establishes your permanent disability level and pays it out over time while keeping your right to future medical treatment open. A Compromise and Release pays a lump sum that closes the entire case, including future medical care. For Chatsworth industrial workers with severe injuries — a machinist who lost fingers, a warehouse worker with a multi-level spinal fusion, a chemical handler with occupational lung disease — the future medical treatment component can be the most valuable part of the claim. Closing that out prematurely through a C&R without accurate cost projections is financially dangerous, and we advise against it unless the lump sum adequately accounts for lifetime treatment needs.
We also account for Medicare considerations that many attorneys overlook. If you are a Chatsworth worker approaching age 65 or already on Social Security Disability, your settlement may require a Medicare Set-Aside arrangement to avoid federal penalties. Failing to address Medicare's interests can result in the government refusing to pay for future medical treatment related to your industrial injury — effectively leaving you responsible for costs that should have been covered by the settlement. Our firm coordinates with Medicare Set-Aside allocation companies to ensure compliance and protect your settlement proceeds.
We bring a data-driven approach to settlement valuation. Before we ever sit down at a Mandatory Settlement Conference at the Van Nuys WCAB, we have calculated the permanent disability value of your claim to the dollar, assessed the present value of your future medical treatment, evaluated any supplemental job displacement benefit, and identified any additional penalties or benefits — such as Labor Code section 5814 penalties for unreasonable delay in benefit payments — that enhance the total settlement. We do not guess at case values. We calculate them, document them, and demand them.
Our familiarity with Chatsworth's industrial employment base is a significant asset in settlement negotiations. We understand the vocational implications of specific injuries in specific occupations — what it means for a CNC machine operator to lose fine motor function in their dominant hand, what it means for a forklift driver to have permanent spinal restrictions that prevent sustained sitting, what it means for a production line worker to develop bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome that eliminates assembly work from their vocational options. These details drive settlement value, and we present them persuasively to insurance adjusters and defense attorneys.
Injured at work in Chatsworth? Call (661) 273-1780
Tap to call →Settlement discussions begin after your condition has stabilized and a medical evaluator has assessed your permanent impairment. We do not rush to settle before the full extent of your disability is known — that is a trap that benefits only the insurance company. Once we have a comprehensive medical-legal report, we calculate the full value of your claim and present a settlement demand to the carrier. If the carrier's response is inadequate, we file a Declaration of Readiness to Proceed and request a Mandatory Settlement Conference at the Van Nuys WCAB. If settlement is not achieved at the MSC, we proceed to trial. At every stage, we keep you fully informed about the offers being made, the value we believe your case warrants, and the strategic options available to you. The final decision to accept or reject any settlement is always yours.
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Schedule Free ConsultationRead more testimonials →“Eman at Yazdchi Law was extremely professional, responsive, and supportive at all times. He and his staff exceeded all of my expectations.”