# Tell us what happened **You do not need every document, or the right words. Start with what is happening right now.** 1. **You tell us.** Two minutes, no documents. 2. **We call back.** One business day, your language. 3. **You decide.** About fifteen minutes. Nothing to sign to talk. --- ## The four things people are afraid to ask **Your immigration status does not affect your right to benefits.** The law defines "employee" without reference to immigration status, and the law says the state's labor protections apply **regardless of immigration status.** Threatening to report you for filing a claim is illegal retaliation. [I'm undocumented.](/answers/im-undocumented/) **The consultation costs nothing.** In workers' compensation the attorney's fee is set by a judge and comes out of what is recovered — **if there is no recovery, there is no fee**, and you are not responsible for costs we advance. [What does a workers' comp lawyer cost?](/answers/what-does-a-workers-comp-lawyer-cost/) **You sign nothing until we recommend it.** The first call is a review, not a retainer. If there is nothing worth doing, we will tell you that — a case with nothing in it is not worth anyone's time, including ours. **You are entitled to an interpreter at no cost.** At treatment, at medical-legal exams, at depositions, and at hearings. [I need an interpreter.](/answers/i-need-an-interpreter/) --- ## What to do today, whether or not you call **Two things that genuinely improve a case, and take twenty minutes. Then one form that starts every clock in your favor.** **1. Report it in writing.** A text or an email, dated, to your supervisor. Keep a copy. Knowledge by anyone with authority, from any source, counts as notice — but a written record beats a memory. **2. Write down what happened while you remember it.** The date, the time, what you were doing, how much it weighed, who was there, what you said and to whom. **Dated.** **And file the DWC-1.** That starts the **90-day** presumption and the **$10,000** treatment obligation. Your employer must hand it to you within one working day. [The forms.](/resources/forms/) --- ## The office **Law Offices of Solov & Teitell, APC** **1625 W. Olympic Blvd, Suite 802, Los Angeles, CA 90015** Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. **[(213) 380-9310](tel:+12133809310)** **We make home and hospital visits across all four counties** when someone cannot come to us. Say so when you call. **Three languages.** The consultation is in the language you prefer. **Consultas gratis en español. 한국어 무료 상담.** Spanish- and Korean-language services here are provided by attorneys and staff of this firm who are fluent in those languages. **Who calls you back: a person from this office.** The same people who would handle your case — not a call center or a referral service. --- ## What the first call is actually like **How long until someone calls me?** Within one business day. If you cannot wait, call **[(213) 380-9310](tel:+12133809310)**. **Is there a charge for the consultation?** No. And we do not charge to explain. **Do you take calls in Spanish and Korean?** Yes. The consultation is in the language you prefer — by attorneys and staff of this firm who are fluent in those languages. **What happens on the first call?** It takes about fifteen minutes. We ask what happened, what has been paid, and what has stopped. You sign nothing until we recommend it. **I do not have my paperwork.** You do not need it to start. Tell us what you remember; the documents can come later, and many of them can be rebuilt from the providers and the claims administrator. **What does it cost if you take my case?** The fee is contingent and set by a workers' compensation judge rather than by us — generally 9% to 15% of what is recovered — and you are not responsible for costs we advance if there is no recovery. **Do I even need a lawyer?** Not always. If the claim was accepted, treatment is being authorized, payments are arriving, and you are back at work with the injury resolved, you probably do not — and we will tell you that on the phone. **Can my employer fire me for filing?** Firing someone for filing violates Labor Code § 132a: compensation increased by half, up to $10,000, plus reinstatement and lost wages. If it has already happened, write down the dates and call. **I already have a lawyer. Can I change?** Yes. A Substitution of Attorney is filed with the Appeals Board, and the judge divides one fee between the lawyers. It is not doubled, and your case does not restart. --- ## Related [What to do after a work injury](/what-to-do-after-a-work-injury/) · [Do I need a lawyer?](/answers/do-i-need-a-lawyer/) · [Should you call a lawyer? The 2-minute triage](/resources/triage/) · [About the firm](/firm/) ### Sources Labor Code **§ 5401** (DWC-1 within one working day) · **§ 5402(a), (b), (c)** (notice; the 90-day presumption; $10,000) · **§ 3351** and **§ 1171.5** (coverage and rights regardless of immigration status) · **§ 4906** (fees approved by the Appeals Board) · **§ 4600(f), (g)**, **§ 5710(b)(5)** and **§ 5811(b)(2)** (interpreters: certified at exams, qualified at treatment; depositions; hearings) · **§ 132a** (retaliation) · 8 CCR § 10775 and WCAB Policy and Procedural Manual § 1.140 (attorney fee criteria).