Attorney Joseph Richards is a Certified Legal Specialist in Workers’ Compensation Law by the State Bar of California, California Board of Legal Specialization.
Mr. Richards is an ambitious litigator. He has appeared before Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board Administrative Law Judges of Southern California on serious matters such as liens, AOE/COE, priority conferences, threshold issues, expedited trials on issues of medical treatment and temporary disability, mandatory settlement conferences, and trials of cases-in-chief.
In May 2014, Mr. Richards entered solo practice in Santa Ana, exclusively representing Applicants in Workers’ Compensation insurance claims, engaged in the filing of the Applications for Adjudication to resolution by settlement or trial.
Mr. Richards now spends approximately 90% of his practice time as an Applicant’s Attorney in the California Workers’ Compensation Insurance system with regular frequency. The other 10% is split between labor & employment law, wages & hours law, personal injury tort law, and disability law. Mr. Richards is willing to prioritize client matters to achieve the greatest value for each individual situation. He holds insurance carriers accountable in a competitive legal landscape.
Clients can trust Mr. Richards’ credentials and review his success stories.
Mr. Richards is a member of the California Applicants’ Attorneys Association, Orange County Bar Association Workers’ Compensation Section and a member of the California Lawyers Association Workers’ Compensation Section. He is also a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, membership in which is limited to Trial Lawyers who have demonstrated exceptional skill, experience and excellence in Advocacy by achieving a trial verdict, award or settlement in the amount of One Million Dollars or more.
Every case is different, and past results cannot be a guarantee of future performance.
- Workers' Compensation
- Employment Law
- Employee Benefits, Employment Contracts, Employment Discrimination, Overtime & Unpaid Wages, Sexual Harassment, Whistleblower, Wrongful Termination
- Personal Injury
- Animal & Dog Bites, Brain Injury, Car Accidents, Construction Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Premises Liability, Truck Accidents, Wrongful Death
- Free Consultation
- Contingent Fees
- California
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- English: Spoken, Written
- Attorney
- Law Office of Joseph Richards, P.C.
- Current
- Whittier Law School
- J.D. | Law
- Honors: Business Law Concentration
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- Lake Forest College
- B.A. | Economics & French
- Honors: Presidential Scholar
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- Super Lawyers Honoree
- Super Lawyers
- Million Dollar Advocates
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- Rising Star
- Super Lawyers
- Million Dollar Advocates
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- Rising Star
- Super Lawyers
- State Bar of California # 279922
- Member
- - Current
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- Orange County Bar Association
- Member
- - Current
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- A Tale of One Applicant's Claim Against Unfair Debt Collection Practices, Youssef Hammoud, Esq. & Joseph E. Richards, Esq.
- Workers' Compensation Quarterly, 2021 Vol. 24 No. 3
- Queen's Caste v. Drone: Expectation of Privacy Rights and Avoidance of Evidentiary Concerns Regarding Chain of Custody in Workers' Compensation Sub Rosa Surveillance
- Workers' Compensation Quarterly (California State Bar publication)
- Household Employees -- Navigating Workers’ Compensation and Civil Remedies Kathleen Duggan; Joseph E. Richards, Esq.; The Hon. Vincenti Blas; Gregory L. Connor, Esq.; Gil Tabachnik, Esq. Whittier, Santa Ana, and Los Angeles, California
- Workers' Compensation Quarterly (California State Bar publication)
- Protecting Your Clients From Medical Debt Collections, Webinar
- Gemini
- Your client gets put into collections, now what do you do? When and why do you get a debt collection and creditor attorney involved? What labor codes and credit / collections laws apply?
- MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE AND ISSUES: PTP’s, MPN, DETERMINATION OF MEDICAL ISSUES (AME/PQME), PINCUS, LOS ANGELES
- PINCUS
- Medical Knowledge and Issues: ANATOMY/PHYSIOLOGY; TERMINOLOGY; INDUSTRIAL DISEASES, PINCUS, LOS ANGELES
- PINCUS
- Medical Knowledge and Issues: Medical Treatment UR/IMR, PINCUS, Los Angeles
- Workers' Compensation Jobs, Whittier Law School
- Law Office of Joseph E. Richards
- Certified Specialist Workers' Compensation Law
- State Bar of California, California Board of Legal Specialization
LAW OFFICE OF JOSEPH RICHARDS PC - INJURY | EMPLOYMENT | COMPENSATION | LAW
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Law Office of Joseph Richards, P.C. - Wages, Compensation, & Disability Benefits
Have you been hurt at work? Having issues with your pay check? In California, when injured employees receive disability benefits, compensation rates are calculated based on average weekly wages. To accurately predict an employee’s compensation rate, we may look at income from all sources, and review payroll records for potential violations of wage and hour laws. Law Office of Joseph Richards, P.C. provides legal representation, assists injured workers in reviewing payroll records and personnel files, and informs injured workers of their rights through the Workers’ Compensation system. We may be able to help injured workers with unpaid insurance benefits. Joseph Richards is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, is a rising star according to Super Lawyers, and Certified Specialist in Workers’ Comp with the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. We have Spanish speaking staff and locations in Orange County and Inland Empire. Call now to schedule an appointment for a free consultation. NOTICE: Making a false or fraudulent workers' compensation claim is a felony subject to up to 5 years in prison or a fine of up to $50,000 or double the value of the fraud, whichever is greater, or by both imprisonment and fine.
LAW OFFICE OF JOSEPH RICHARDS, P.C. - FIRED AFTER INJURED?
Have you been hurt at work? Intend to file a claim for compensation? Worried about discrimination? Under California Law, it’s potentially a criminal misdemeanor for employers to discriminate against any employee because of a Workers’ Compensation claim. If you’re a victim of discrimination after you OR your friend OR a relative is hurt at work, you may want a lawyer’s advice about discrimination complaints and workers’ compensation insurance benefits. Law Office of Joseph Richards, P.C. may be able to give advice about potential legal rights to Workers’ Compensation, reinstatement, reimbursement for lost wages and work benefits, penalties and increased compensation due to discrimination. Joseph Richards is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, is a rising star according to Super Lawyers, and is a Certified Specialist in Workers Compensation with the State Bar of California’s Board of Legal Specialization. We also have Spanish speaking staff and office locations in Orange County and the Inland Empire. Call TODAY to schedule an appointment for a free consultation. NOTICE: Making a false or fraudulent workers' compensation claim is a felony subject to up to 5 years in prison or a fine of up to $50,000 or double the value of the fraud, whichever is greater, or by both imprisonment and fine.
LAW OFFICE OF JOSEPH RICHARDS, P.C. - How To Find The Right Workers' Compensation Lawyer
Have you been injured at work? You need a good worker’s compensation attorney on your side! Your California employer may be obligated to provide you with workers’ compensation benefits. But for many workers, simply filing a workers’ compensation Application for Adjudication can be complicated and confusing. Law Office of Joseph Richards, P.C. provides legal representation at the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Boards, informs workers of their rights, and assists injured workers in obtaining denied and delayed medical treatment and disability benefits. Law Office of Joseph Richards, P.C. helps injured workers find a great worker’s comp attorney to help them on the road to recovery! Joseph Richards is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, is a rising star according to Super Lawyers, and Certified Specialist in Workers’ Comp with the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. We have Spanish speaking staff and locations in both Orange County and Inland Empire. Contact us now to schedule an appointment for a free consultation! NOTICE: Making a false or fraudulent workers' compensation claim is a felony subject to up to 5 years in prison or a fine of up to $50,000 or double the value of the fraud, whichever is greater, or by both imprisonment and fine.
Law Office of Joseph Richards, P.C. - Legal Notices - California Workers' Compensation Claims
In California, when you get hurt at work, lots of legal notices come through the mail. Notice of “this”, notice of “that”. There are even notices you’re supposed to get on your first day of work, even before you step foot on a job site. Even before you get hurt. There are even notices that are supposed to be posted on the wall for everyone to see. Most of the time, these notices are either ignored or are difficult to understand. Notices of Temporary Disability and Salary Continuation including Notice of Temporary Disability / Salary Continuation Start (also Resume, Delay, Denial) Notices for Resumption, Change, & Termination including Notice of Resumed Benefit Payment; Notice of Change in Rate, Amount, or Payment Schedule; Notice of Termination of Benefit Payment Notices Regarding Permanent Disability including Notice of Permanent Disability Monitor (Advice, Denial, Start, Resume) Notice of Denial of Workers’ Compensation Benefits Notice of Delay of Workers’ Compensation Benefits. Notices Regarding Dependency (Death) Benefits including Notice of Dependency Payment Start (Change or End, Delay, Denial) What all these notices mean is that you have certain rights. Did you know that you might have rights as an injured worker? A skilled workers’ compensation attorney can sift through all of these notices and help make sense of an unfortunate situation. When you get hurt at work, these are just some of the notices that you might receive. If you need help dealing with all this paperwork, call now to schedule an appointment for a free consultation! NOTICE Making a false or fraudulent workers’ compensation claim is a felony subject to up to 5 years in prison or a fine of up to $50,000 or double the value of the fraud, whichever is greater, or by both imprisonment and fine.
Law Office of Joseph Richards, P.C. California Workers' Compensation Legal Proceedings & Depositions
Have you been injured at work? Law Office of Joseph Richards, P.C. may be able to fight for your rights! Providing deposition testimony is an important part of a worker’s compensation claim. A deposition is a legal proceeding where injured workers testify as to the events involving an injury and the effects the injury on their activities of daily living. We guide our clients through the admonitions, which lay the foundation to a deponent’s ability to testify honestly, accurately, to provide a clear record for the attorneys, doctors, and judges working on a case. We’ll also review the types of questions clients might be asked, from personal background, to employment, to medical history, to claims. Joseph Richards is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, is a rising star according to Super Lawyers, and is a Certified Specialist in Workers Compensation with the State Bar of California’s Board of Legal Specialization. We also have Spanish speaking staff and office locations in both Orange County and the Inland Empire. If you’ve suffered an injury at work, call now to schedule an appointment for a free consultation! NOTICE: Making a false or fraudulent workers' compensation claim is a felony subject to up to 5 years in prison or a fine of up to $50,000 or double the value of the fraud, whichever is greater, or by both imprisonment and fine.
- Q. I had a injury at work and am seeing Dr. 's .. Do I go to these appointments on my time or on company time?
- A: In California, as of July 2015, employers are required to offer limited Paid Sick Leave (PSL) to most employees. PSL information may be accessed here: https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/paid_sick_leave.htm For public policy reasons, injured employees are not typically paid disability benefits for the time it takes to visit treating doctors during a regularly scheduled working day. However, employers are able to offer Paid Time Off or Vacation Pay as an added incentive to employees. It is not a requirement for employers to offer Paid Time Off (PTO) or paid vacation, but many do offer it to employees. Check your wage statements to see if there is mention of PTO or Vacation Pay. With regard to PSL, PSL may be taken in as little as 2 hour increments in many cases. That might be all the time it takes to visit a doctor. It is best to check with your Human Resources department, union representative, or Employment Policy Manual / MOU / Union CBA for more information.
