All employers in California must have an Injury and Illness Prevention Program. This should include worker training, workplace inspections and established procedures for correcting unsafe working conditions.

You may claim your workers’ compensation for Repetitive Strain or Stress Injuries or RSIs, occupational diseases and other diseases caused by a long-term on-the-job exposure to workplace hazards and physical and/or psychological stress. Individuals whose jobs involve sitting down all day and working on the computer usually develop RSIs such as back pain and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Occupational diseases may be due to repeated exposure to workplace hazards. These hazards may include inhaling coal dust and other harmful chemicals or working in a noisy environment. Workers’ compensation should cover these illnesses aling with treatment.

Worker’s comp may still cover pre-existing conditions due to aggravation. This is possible if the employee’s condition worsened due to his/her work environment.

If the injury is partly caused by the worker’s behavior but his/her working conditions significantly influenced the injury, the employee may still qualify for worker’s comp. But, the workers’ compensation cannot cover self-inflicted injuries and injuries incurred while drunk, high, committing a serious crime or violating company policy.