We ranked 10 California workers' comp lawyers who represent injured workers. The top pick is Silberman & Lam, which lists 5 attorneys as certified specialists in workers' compensation. A judge sets the attorney fee, usually 9 to 15 percent of the final award, you tell your employer within 30 days, and you generally have 1 year to file. Every firm below has its phone number, its street address, and a named attorney you can check on the State Bar site.
Quick answer: the first 3 firms in our review
Silberman & Lam: (619) 684-5060 (San Diego). Seven offices, including San Diego, Fresno and LA County, and 5 attorneys it lists as certified specialists.1
Cole, Fisher, Cole, O'Keefe & Mahoney: (559) 485-0700 (Fresno). Publishes its settlement results, including one of $1,013,052.31.2
Koszdin, Fields & Sherry: (818) 781-1503 (Van Nuys). Says it has been in practice since 1955, and all its partners are certified specialists.3
Email ct@rolesource.co with your state and what happened, and we will point you to a firm on this list that takes cases there. We are not a law firm, we do not sell your details, and we keep your email only until we have answered it.
Firms we reviewed: 10 California workers' comp law firms, ranked
Ratings: we could not fetch a Google, Avvo or FindLaw star rating with a review count for any of these firms, so no rating lines are shown. Certified-specialist status was checked on each named attorney's State Bar of California profile in November 2026.
1
Silberman & Lam, LLP
Best fit for: workers outside the big cities, such as the Central Valley or High Desert, who want a certified specialist office nearby.
7850 Mission Center Ct #209, San Diego, CA 92108. Also 1941 N. Gateway Blvd Suite 102, Fresno, CA 93727; 2790 Skypark Drive Suite 100, Torrance, CA 90505; 7120 Hayvenhurst Ave #321, Van Nuys, CA 91406; 16471 Victor Street, Victorville, CA 92395; 4150 S Demaree St, Suite A, Visalia, CA 93277; 1119 N Bush St, Santa Ana, CA 927011
Lead attorney:
Sheryl Lam, State Bar #200751, certified specialist in Workers' Compensation Law (State Bar profile). Scott Silberman (#219649) and Heather Lam (#236216) are also certified on the State Bar site; the firm lists 5 certified specialists in all.1, 4, 5, 6
Fee:
the firm says no attorney fee is owed unless it recovers compensation; percentage not published.1
Rachel Gonzalez Mahoney, State Bar #283129, certified specialist in Workers' Compensation Law (State Bar profile)7
Fee:
the firm says "we win or you don't pay"; percentage not published.2
Results (firm-reported):
over $300 million won in total; a $1,013,052.31 settlement plus future medical care; a $325,000 settlement plus future medical care; a $304,611 settlement plus future medical care.2
6151 Van Nuys Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91401 (across the street from the Van Nuys WCAB office, per the firm)3
Lead attorney:
Mark J. Sherry, State Bar #152901, certified specialist in Workers' Compensation Law (State Bar profile). Susan E. Fields (#97239, admitted April 1981) is also certified.8, 9
Fee:
the firm says you pay no attorney fee unless it wins; percentage not published.3
300 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Suite 500, Oakland, CA 94612. Also 2300 Clayton Road, Suite 1340, Concord, CA 9452010
Lead attorney:
Dennis A. Popalardo Jr., State Bar #162342, certified specialist in Workers' Compensation Law (State Bar profile). Maria Antonieta Grasso (#201083) and Tiffany A. Speers (#221016) are also certified on the State Bar site.11, 12, 13
Fee:
the firm says there are no fees unless and until it wins; percentage not published.10
1101 California Ave, STE 120, Corona, CA 92881 (by appointment). The firm also lists offices in Anaheim, Los Angeles (6701 Center Dr W), Sacramento (725 University Ave) and Oakland (180 Grand Ave).24
Lead attorney:
Joseph E. Richards, State Bar #279922, certified specialist in Workers' Compensation Law (State Bar profile)25
The same facts as the profiles above, in one table: each entry links to the full profile and keeps its source mark. Where a firm does not publish a figure, the cell says so.
If the claims administrator says your injury is not work-related at all, you get no benefits until that changes, and the fix runs through the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board.26 Pick a firm with a certified specialist who appears at the board office nearest you: Koszdin, Fields & Sherry for Van Nuys, Boxer & Gerson for Oakland, Navarro or Silberman & Lam for San Diego, Cole Fisher or Ghitterman for Fresno.
Partial denial: one body part was accepted, another was not
This is common with a back claim that is accepted while the shoulder or neck is denied, or when treatment is refused. The fight is medical: objecting to a report, getting a QME, or asking for independent medical review within 30 days of a treatment denial.27 Silberman & Lam and Boxer & Gerson each have 3 or more attorneys confirmed as certified specialists on the State Bar site.4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13
By location, size and timing
Los Angeles: Koszdin, Fields & Sherry, or Silberman & Lam (Torrance, Van Nuys).1, 3
Serious injury, high value: Cole Fisher publishes settlements of $1,013,052.31, $325,000 and $304,611.2
Close to a deadline: call the same day; a judge's decision can be appealed only within 20 days (25 if mailed).28
Container ships at work at the Port of Los Angeles. Photo: Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
How we rank
We scored each firm on four things: 35% the number of attorneys we could confirm as State Bar certified workers' comp specialists; 25% published case results in workers' comp; 20% years in workers' comp practice; 20% access (offices across the six regions below, languages, free consultation, after-hours line). Public star ratings were going to count, but we could not fetch a rating with a review count for any firm, so that part was dropped rather than guessed. Ratings, where they exist, are third-party. Firms do not pay to be listed or ranked.
Top rated workers' comp lawyers in California
We do not call any firm the best. The list above puts first the firms where we could confirm the most on primary sources: certified-specialist status on the State Bar site, a street address and phone on the firm's own site, and any results the firm publishes. Silberman & Lam lists 5 certified specialists across 7 offices.1 Cole Fisher publishes dollar settlements.2 Koszdin, Fields & Sherry says it dates to 1955.3 If you see a "top rated" badge on a firm's site, ask who gave it and whether the firm paid for it. A State Bar certified specialty is listed on the State Bar site itself, where you can check it for free.29
Workers' comp lawyer near me: how to narrow this list
Start with the board office that will hear your case, which is usually near where you live or work. Then check three things. First, is the lawyer a certified specialist? Look the name up on the State Bar Attorney Search.29 Second, does the firm speak your language? Several listed firms say they have Spanish-speaking staff, and Silberman & Lam lists attorneys who speak Cantonese, Vietnamese and Chinese.4, 6 Third, who will handle your case day to day? Ask on the first call. Most applicants' attorneys give one free consultation, according to the DWC.18
How much does a workers' comp lawyer cost in California
You pay nothing up front. The California Division of Workers' Compensation says the fee is usually 9 to 15 percent of your final permanent disability settlement or award, and a workers' comp judge must approve it.18 The DWC's own fee disclosure form puts the normal range at 9% to 12% of benefits awarded.30 The judge weighs the responsibility the lawyer took on, the care used, the time spent and the result.30 Of the firms above, only Mehlhop & Vogt publishes a number (15% on all cases).14 The others say there is no fee unless they win.
Deadline to file a workers' comp claim in California
Two clocks matter. Tell your employer within 30 days of the injury: Labor Code section 5400 requires written notice within thirty days31, and the DWC warns that you could lose your right to benefits if your employer does not learn of the injury in that time.32 Then the formal case: under Labor Code section 5405, proceedings must start within one year of the injury date, or of the last disability payment or medical benefit if that is later.33 Your employer must give you a claim form (DWC 1) within one working day after you report.26
What to do after a work injury
Report it to your supervisor right away, and in writing. Get emergency care if you need it. Ask for the DWC 1 claim form, fill it out and give it back to your employer. Keep copies of everything, including the date you turned it in. If the claims administrator does not deny the claim within 90 days, it is considered accepted in most cases.26 If you get a denial letter, or a letter saying a doctor's report limits your benefits, call a lawyer or the DWC Information & Assistance Unit before the next deadline passes.34
Denied workers' comp claim in California
A denial letter is the start of a dispute, not the end of the claim. The DWC says you have a right to challenge the decision and warns that there are deadlines for filing the papers.26 A full denial usually goes to the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board, where an applicants' attorney files an application and asks for a hearing.26 A partial denial, where one body part or one treatment is refused, is usually fought with medical evidence instead. Either way, bring the denial letter and every medical report to the first meeting with a lawyer.
Shoulder or back injury at work
Shoulder and back claims are where partial denials happen most: the insurer accepts one part and disputes another, or accepts the injury but refuses surgery or physical therapy. If treatment your doctor asked for is denied, the DWC says you can ask for independent medical review within 30 days of the decision.27 If the delay or denial had no reasonable excuse, a penalty of up to 25 percent of the delayed service, capped at $10,000, may be awarded.27 A certified specialist can tell you which route fits your letter.
Repetitive stress injury (cumulative trauma)
Tendinitis, hearing loss and other injuries that develop gradually count as work injuries too. The DWC tells workers to report them as soon as they learn or believe the job caused them.32 These claims are often disputed because there is no single accident date, and the insurer may say the condition came from outside work. Write down your duties, how many hours a day you did them, and when the symptoms started. Firms that publish results for long-term work, such as Cole Fisher, list settlements for jobs like medical coder and shipping packer.2
QME: the medical exam that sets your rating
A qualified medical evaluator is a doctor certified by the DWC to settle medical disputes in comp cases.27 If you disagree with a treating doctor's report and you have no lawyer, you must send a letter within 30 days of getting the report; with a lawyer, the attorney has 20 days.27 After the claims administrator sends the form, you have 10 days to request a panel, then 10 days to pick a doctor from the panel.27 Miss those and the claims administrator picks. With a lawyer, the two sides can instead agree on one doctor, called an AME.27
WCAB appeal: petition for reconsideration
If you lose before a workers' comp judge, the appeal is a petition for reconsideration to the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board. The DWC says the board office that issued the decision must receive it within 20 days of the decision date, or within 25 days if the decision was mailed to your home in California.28 The date is near the judge's signature. This is a short window, so if you have no lawyer, call one of the firms above or the DWC Information & Assistance Unit the day the decision arrives.
Retaliation for filing a workers' comp claim
California Labor Code section 132a makes it illegal for an employer to punish or fire you because you filed a workers' comp claim, and also protects co-workers who testify in your case.26, 35 The DWC lists a separate petition for this kind of discrimination.36 If your hours were cut, you were moved or you were let go after reporting an injury, tell your lawyer right away. Some firms on this list, such as the Law Office of Joseph Richards, also handle wage and employment cases.37
Koszdin, Fields & Sherry (Van Nuys); Silberman & Lam (Torrance and Van Nuys offices); Law Office of Joseph Richards (Los Angeles office on Center Dr W).1, 3, 24
San Diego
Navarro Law Firm (Camino del Rio S.); Silberman & Lam (Mission Center Ct).1, 19
Fresno
Cole, Fisher, Cole, O'Keefe & Mahoney (Capitol Street); Ghitterman, Ghitterman & Feld (W Shaw Ave); Silberman & Lam (N. Gateway Blvd, plus a Visalia office).1, 2, 16
Sacramento
Mehlhop & Vogt (G Street); Law Office of Joseph Richards (University Ave office).14, 24
San Jose and the Bay Area
Johnson Law Firm (San Jose); Boxer & Gerson (Oakland and Concord); Law Office of Joseph Richards (Oakland office).10, 23, 24
Riverside and the Inland Empire
Law Offices of Cleveland & Metz (Rancho Cucamonga, with a Riverside line); Law Office of Joseph Richards (Corona); Silberman & Lam (Victorville).1, 21, 24
Frequently asked questions
How much does a workers' comp lawyer cost in California?
Nothing up front. The DWC says the fee is usually 9 to 15 percent of the final permanent disability settlement or award, and a judge must approve it.18
What is the deadline to file a workers' comp claim in California?
Tell your employer within 30 days (Labor Code 5400). Start proceedings within one year of the injury, or of the last benefit if later (Labor Code 5405).31, 33
What if my workers' comp claim is denied?
You can challenge it. A full denial goes to the appeals board; a partial denial is usually fought with medical evidence. If no denial comes within 90 days of the claim form, the claim is considered accepted in most cases.26
What is a QME?
A DWC-certified doctor who settles medical disputes. Without a lawyer you have 30 days to object to a report; with one, the attorney has 20 days.27
How do I appeal a workers' comp judge's decision?
File a petition for reconsideration. The board office must receive it within 20 days, or 25 days if the decision was mailed to a California address.28
Can my employer fire me for filing a workers' comp claim?
No. Labor Code section 132a makes that illegal.26, 35
How do I check if a lawyer is a certified workers' comp specialist?
Use the State Bar Attorney Search, Advanced Search, and pick Workers' Compensation Law under Cert. Legal Specialty.29
Where can I get free help?
The DWC Information & Assistance Unit at 1-800-736-7401, weekdays during business hours.34
