Governor Newsom’s Executive Order Ensures Workers Infected By COVID-19 Are Protected

Governor Newsom’s Executive Order Ensures Workers Infected By COVID-19 Are Protected

May 7, 2020

Today Governor Gavin Newsom signed a critical executive order extending workers’ compensation eligibility for California workers who contract COVID-19. The order makes it easier for workers who become infected with COVID-19 to file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits.

We at Dordulian Law Group applaud the Governor’s action, as it ensures that all workers — nurses, construction laborers, grocery store cashiers, etc. — are covered by a necessary and warranted safety net program that they can turn to in the unfortunate event of contracting coronavirus. 

All Californians who are currently working outside of the home are putting their health at risk in order to benefit the greater good, helping to make essential food, supplies, and services available to each of us. They deserve to be covered by the legal presumption that if they contracted COVID-19, it occurred while on the job. Such coverage is not only fair, it is absolutely necessary in order to maintain the availability of critical goods and services. 

The executive order will help to make workplaces safer, as the shelter-in-place order is incrementally lifted and businesses are reopened. As Governor Newsom noted, “The worst thing we can do is have a worker that has tested positive but doesn’t want to tell anybody, and can spread the disease, because he or she can’t afford not to work…That’s why we’re expanding [workers compensation to] all sectors of our economy.”

Under the new executive order, Californians diagnosed within two weeks of reporting to work between March 19 and July 5 will be presumed to have contracted the virus on the job. That means that if you work outside the home between those dates and contract coronavirus, you are guaranteed workers’ compensation benefits. 

If you have contracted coronavirus and worked outside the home at any point beginning on March 19, you should contact an experienced workers’ compensation specialist lawyer immediately. Additionally, keep in mind that the executive order extends to anyone working outside the home through July 5, so if you end up contracting coronavirus between now and that current end date, you are also eligible for workers’ compensation benefits and should contact an attorney right away. 

State officials have indicated they expect additional details related to the executive order, including possible further implications that could benefit California’s workers, to be released in the coming days. As more and more businesses are reopened, it’s entirely possible that the July 5 end date for covered infections could be extended. 

About Dordulian Law Group:

Dordulian Law Group has specialized in workers’ compensation law for over 20 years, and we have recovered over $50 million for our clients. Our trial success rate is over 95%, and we have experience trying hundreds of cases resulting from all types of claims — whatever your workplace injury or illness entails, we’ve successfully represented clients just like you. Our workers’ compensation division is headed by high-profile attorney Charles Rondeau, a certified workers’ comp specialist with over 25 years of experience fighting for injured workers. 

If you have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic please contact us today for a free consultation. We will fight to secure the greatest financial award for your workers’ compensation claim.