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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 at work in Taft usually means one thing: an oil field injury. Whether you were on a drilling rig, at a pumping station, inside a refinery, or servicing a pipeline in the Midway-Sunset Oil Field, the injury is serious and the stakes are high. In a town of roughly 9,000 people where the oil industry is virtually the only employer, an on-the-job injury does not just threaten your health — it threatens your livelihood and your family's stability.
Attorney Eman Yazdchi of Yazdchi Law P.C. is a Board-Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law. He represents Taft workers who have been hurt on the job and need someone in their corner against insurance companies that are trained to minimize claims.
If you have been hurt at work in Taft, the steps you take immediately matter for your case:
1. Report the injury to your employer. California Labor Code §5400 requires you to notify your employer of a work injury within 30 days. Report it in writing if possible. For sudden injuries like falls, explosions, or equipment failures, report the same day. For gradual conditions like breathing problems or repetitive strain, report as soon as you realize the condition is work-related.
2. Get medical treatment. Under LC §4600, your employer must provide medical treatment for your work injury. You have the right to emergency care at any facility. After initial treatment, you may be directed to treat within your employer's Medical Provider Network (MPN), but you can switch to your own doctor after 30 days or immediately if you pre-designated a physician.
3. File a workers' comp claim. Your employer is required to provide you with a DWC-1 claim form within one business day of learning about your injury. Complete it, keep a copy, and submit it. This triggers the formal claims process.
4. Talk to a lawyer before talking to the insurance adjuster. The adjuster works for the insurance company, not for you. Everything you say can be used to minimize or deny your claim. A hurt-at-work lawyer protects your interests from the first conversation.
Insurance companies handling oil field claims in Kern County have seen thousands of cases. They know the tactics that work to reduce payouts, and they deploy them aggressively:
A lawyer who handles hurt-at-work cases levels the playing field. Attorney Eman Yazdchi's board certification means he has the advanced knowledge to counter these tactics effectively.
Burned by a steam line rupture. A field operator working thermal recovery operations in the Midway-Sunset field suffers severe burns when a high-pressure steam line fails. He is airlifted to a burn center. The workers' comp insurer covers initial treatment but disputes the need for reconstructive surgery. A hurt-at-work lawyer fights for the full scope of medical care.
Back blown out lifting pipe. A roughneck on a workover rig near Taft herniates two lumbar discs while handling drill pipe. The company doctor recommends conservative treatment only. The worker needs an independent medical opinion — and a lawyer to obtain it — to get authorization for the surgical intervention his condition requires.
Heat exhaustion and cardiac event. During a summer heat wave, a Taft oil field worker collapses from heat exhaustion that triggers a cardiac event. The insurer argues the heart condition was pre-existing. Under California law, if work was a contributing cause of the injury — even if a pre-existing condition made the worker more vulnerable — the claim is compensable. This is the "eggshell plaintiff" principle.
Injured in a company vehicle accident. A field technician is rear-ended while driving between well sites on Highway 33 near Taft. The workers' comp claim covers medical treatment and lost wages, but a third-party auto negligence claim against the other driver can provide additional compensation for pain and suffering — a category of damages workers' comp does not cover.
Yazdchi Law P.C. practices at the Bakersfield WCAB, where all Taft workers' comp cases are heard. Board-certified specialist Eman Yazdchi understands Kern County oil field injuries and the specific challenges Taft workers face.
Injured at work in Taft? Call (661) 273-1780
Tap to call →Being hurt at work in Taft should not mean losing everything. California workers' compensation law exists to protect you, and a board-certified specialist ensures those protections are enforced. Contact Yazdchi Law P.C. today for a free consultation. Tell us what happened, and we will tell you what your case is worth. The call costs nothing, and it could change your recovery. Call now.
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