Pasadena Personal Injury & Workers' Compensation Lawyers
Nordanyan Law represents injured workers and accident victims throughout Pasadena — from Old Town and the Caltech/JPL research corridor to the Rose Bowl. With over $150 million recovered, we provide aggressive, experienced representation at no cost unless we win.
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Pasadena workers' compensation and injury claims: quick answers
- Where your workers' comp case is heard
- Workers' compensation claims from Pasadena are heard at the WCAB Los Angeles district office, 320 W. 4th Street, 9th floor, Los Angeles, CA 90013. Nordanyan Law files and appears there on your behalf, so you do not need to go.
- Deadline to report a work injury
- In California you must report a work injury to your employer within 30 days, and file a workers' compensation claim within one year of the injury (Labor Code § 5400 and § 5405). Missing the 30-day report can cost you benefits, so report it even if you are unsure how badly you are hurt.
- Deadline to file an injury lawsuit
- A California personal injury lawsuit must generally be filed within two years of the injury (Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1). A claim against a city, county, or state agency must be presented within six months (Government Code § 911.2), which is the deadline people miss most often.
- What it costs
- Nothing upfront. Nordanyan Law handles Pasadena personal injury cases on contingency, and the workers' compensation fee is paid out of the recovery only if the case succeeds. The consultation is free.
- Languages
- Nordanyan Law handles cases in English, Spanish, and Armenian, with attorneys and staff who speak all three — not an interpreter line.
- Do you have to come in
- No. Nordanyan Law handles the consultation, document signing, and the entire Pasadena case by phone, text, email, and video. The firm's only office is in Van Nuys, and most clients never visit it.
Serving Injured Pasadena Workers & Accident Victims
Pasadena sits where the 210, 134, and historic 110 freeways meet, with a workforce concentrated in healthcare, education, scientific research, and tourism. Old Town's pedestrian-heavy retail district and major events at the Rose Bowl add to the local traffic and injury risk.
The 210 and the 134/210 interchange are frequent collision points, while Colorado Boulevard carries dense pedestrian and vehicle traffic through Old Town. Pasadena's street grid also carries an unusual amount of event traffic: Rose Bowl game days and the Rose Parade route shut down and reroute major arterials several times a year, and the surge of unfamiliar drivers and pedestrians on those days produces a distinct spike in collisions. We pursue every coverage layer and handle your medical liens from start to finish.
Pasadena's workforce is concentrated in a handful of very large institutions rather than spread across light industry. Huntington Hospital is one of the largest employers in the San Gabriel Valley, and hospital work carries some of the highest workers' compensation claim rates of any industry — patient-handling back injuries, needlesticks, repetitive strain, and assaults by patients are all compensable. Caltech and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory bring laboratory and technical staff who face chemical exposure, clean-room, and machine-shop hazards that most people do not associate with a research campus. Add Pasadena City College, the city's hotels and restaurants along Colorado Boulevard, and a large municipal workforce, and most Pasadena claims we see come from healthcare, education, research, and hospitality rather than construction.
Huntington Hospital on South Fair Oaks Avenue is Pasadena's trauma center and the receiving hospital for most serious collisions and workplace injuries in the city. If you were taken there after a crash, your records from that visit are usually the single most important document in your case, because they establish that your injuries date from the accident rather than from something later. Get a copy. If your employer sent you to an occupational clinic instead, be aware that in a workers' compensation claim your employer's insurer generally controls your treating physician for the first 30 days through its Medical Provider Network — but you can name your own doctor in advance by predesignating them in writing before you are injured, and after 30 days you can request a change.
Which Workers' Comp Board Hears a Pasadena Claim
California assigns workers' compensation cases to a Workers' Compensation Appeals Board district office based on the ZIP code where the injury happened. For Pasadena, that is the WCAB Los Angeles district office.
WCAB Los Angeles
320 W. 4th Street, 9th floor
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 576-7335
You almost certainly will not go there. Nordanyan Law files the paperwork, appears at hearings and conferences, and handles depositions on your behalf. Most Pasadena clients resolve an entire workers' compensation case without ever setting foot in a board office. Office assignments can change, so if you want to confirm yours, the state publishes a ZIP lookup at dir.ca.gov — or call us and we will check it for you.
What To Do in the First 48 Hours in Pasadena
- 1
Get medical attention the same day, even if you feel functional. Adrenaline masks soft-tissue and head injuries for 24 to 72 hours, and a gap between the accident date and your first medical visit is the single most common argument an insurer uses to reduce a Pasadena claim.
- 2
If you were hurt at work, tell your supervisor in writing — email or text, so it is timestamped — and ask for a DWC-1 claim form. California gives you 30 days to report a work injury under Labor Code § 5400, and your employer must give you the claim form within one working day of learning about it.
- 3
If it was a vehicle collision, call Pasadena Police at the scene and get the report number. Pasadena PD handles collisions on city streets including Colorado Boulevard, Lake Avenue, and Fair Oaks; the CHP handles the 210, 134, and 110 freeways, so which agency responds depends on where you were hit.
- 4
Photograph everything before it changes: vehicle positions, the hazard that caused your fall, your visible injuries, and the wider scene. Old Town's sidewalk and construction conditions in particular get repaired quickly, and a defect nobody photographed is very hard to prove later.
- 5
Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer or sign a medical authorization before you have talked to a lawyer. Those calls come fast, often within 48 hours, and they are taken to find a reason to pay you less.
Personal Injury Lawyers in Pasadena
Hurt in Pasadena by someone else's negligence? You pay nothing unless we win.
Car & Vehicle Accident Lawyers in Pasadena
We pursue every coverage layer after a Pasadena collision, including underinsured-motorist coverage.
Workers' Compensation Lawyers in Pasadena
Injured on the job in Pasadena? Benefits are owed regardless of fault. We have handled 7,500+ comp cases.
Why Pasadena Clients Choose Nordanyan Law
No Fee Unless We Win
You pay nothing upfront. Our fee comes from your settlement — if we don't win, you don't pay.
Bilingual Team
Our attorneys and staff speak English, Spanish, and Armenian to serve our diverse community.
$150M+ Recovered
We have the track record to prove we deliver results. Our aggressive approach maximizes your recovery.
7,500+ Clients
Thousands of injured workers and accident victims across Southern California have trusted us.
Direct Attorney Access
You work directly with your attorney — not a paralegal or case manager. Your calls get returned.
Local Knowledge
We know Pasadena's courts, judges, and the insurance adjusters who operate here.
Directions from Pasadena
Our Van Nuys office is conveniently accessible from Pasadena via major freeways.
Results for Pasadena Area Clients
$5,500,000
Workers' Compensation
$2,245,735
Workers' Compensation
$1,495,206
Workers' Compensation
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. See methodology.
Pasadena Frequently Asked Questions
Which workers' compensation board hears a Pasadena claim?
Pasadena workers' compensation claims are heard at the WCAB Los Angeles district office at 320 W. 4th Street, 9th floor, downtown Los Angeles — not in Pasadena and not at the Van Nuys board. California assigns the venue by the ZIP code where the injury happened. Nordanyan Law files the paperwork and appears at hearings there for you, so the great majority of Pasadena clients never travel downtown for their own case.
I was injured walking in Old Town Pasadena. Can I file a claim?
Possibly. If a vehicle struck you, you likely have a personal injury claim against the driver, and California law gives pedestrians strong right-of-way protection. If you were injured by a hazard on a property — a fall, a sidewalk defect, inadequate lighting, or poor maintenance — you may have a premises-liability claim instead. Colorado Boulevard and Old Town carry heavy pedestrian traffic alongside cars looking for parking, which is a combination that produces a steady stream of these cases. A free consultation costs nothing and tells you which claim you actually have.
Do you represent Huntington Hospital, Caltech, and JPL workers?
Yes. Healthcare workers face high rates of back and shoulder injuries from patient handling, repetitive strain, needlesticks, and workplace violence, and all are covered by California workers' compensation regardless of fault. Laboratory and technical staff at research institutions face chemical exposure, machine-shop injuries, and repetitive strain that are equally compensable. Employees of large institutions sometimes assume a big employer's insurer will simply do the right thing; in practice those claims are administered by the same third-party adjusters who handle everyone else's.
How long do I have to file after a Pasadena injury?
For a work injury, report it to your employer within 30 days and file the workers' compensation claim within one year of the injury date (Labor Code § 5400 and § 5405). For a personal injury lawsuit, California generally allows two years from the date of injury (Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1). If your claim is against the City of Pasadena, Pasadena Unified, or another public entity — a dangerous roadway, a city vehicle, a hazard on public property — you must present a government claim within six months (Government Code § 911.2). That six-month deadline is the one people miss.
What does it cost to hire you for a Pasadena case?
Nothing upfront. Nordanyan Law handles Pasadena personal injury and accident cases on contingency, and the workers' compensation fee comes out of the recovery only if the case succeeds — in workers' compensation the fee must be approved by the judge, and it is typically around 15 percent. You pay nothing unless we recover for you, and the consultation is free.