Workers' comp in California cities

Workers' compensation in Fresno

By the Work Injury Compass editorial team · Last updated November 2026 · How we write and check guides

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The Fresno district office

Fresno district office (DWC / WCAB): 2550 Mariposa Mall, Suite 4078, Fresno, CA 93721-2219. Phone 559-445-5051. Official page: Fresno district office.

DWC's office page describes a security station at the building entrance on the 1st floor. Court lobbies are on the 4th and 5th floors and open 30 minutes before each session, and documents are date-stamped and filed at the counter in the 4th-floor lobby. The train station is two blocks away, and Fresno Area Express (FAX) buses serve downtown. Parking is metered: 10-hour meters on "O" Street between Mariposa and Fresno Streets, 2-hour meters on "O" and "P" Streets, and more in the Promenade lot on Tulare next to the train station. DWC asks that children not be brought to court unless absolutely necessary.

The office has an Information & Assistance unit and a Disability Evaluation Unit. Walk-throughs are accepted Monday to Friday, 8 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. A case-opening settlement document submitted as a walk-through must be in by noon on the court day before. DWC's ZIP code list sends Fresno County ZIP codes here, and venue can also follow where you were injured or where your lawyer's office is (Labor Code §5501.5).

How hearings work

Since March 3, 2025, DWC holds status conferences, mandatory settlement conferences, priority conferences and lien conferences on a video platform, with each judge's virtual courtroom link on DWC's website and on the hearing notice. Trials, lien trials and expedited hearings are still set in person. Court is in session from 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 5 p.m. The office has an Information & Assistance (I&A) unit. I&A officers are DWC staff who answer questions and help workers without a lawyer for free; they can't represent you. The statewide line is 1-800-736-7401. You can ask for a qualified interpreter for hearings and medical-legal evaluations. Tell the court and the claims administrator ahead of time which language you need (Labor Code §5811).

Farm work: who is your employer?

Many valley farmworkers are hired through a farm labor contractor rather than directly by the grower. Either way you're covered: the contractor must carry workers' comp, and if it didn't, the grower or the state's Uninsured Employers Benefits Trust Fund may be responsible (see who counts as an employee). Write down the contractor's name, the crew boss, the ranch or packing house, and the dates you worked there. That information makes the claim much easier to file.

Heat: the valley's biggest hazard

Fresno summers regularly pass 100°F. Cal/OSHA's outdoor heat rule (tit. 8, §3395) requires employers to provide water, shade when it's over 80°F, cool-down rest, and high-heat procedures at 95°F: close observation, pre-shift meetings and frequent reminders to drink water. Heat exhaustion, heat stroke and heat-related kidney damage are work injuries. Report symptoms right away and ask for medical care. Packing sheds and processing plants can be covered by the indoor heat rule (tit. 8, §3396). See heat illness and workers' comp.

Other common Fresno injuries

• Ladder falls in orchards and vineyards (tree fruit, citrus, grapes): fractures, back and head injuries.
• Repetitive injuries from pruning, picking, sorting and packing: hands, wrists, shoulders and back. These are cumulative trauma claims, and the date of injury is when you first lost time or needed care and knew work caused it (Labor Code §5412; see cumulative trauma).
• Machinery and vehicle injuries: tractors, forklifts, conveyors and field transport.
• Food processing and dairies: cuts, amputations, slips on wet floors, chemical burns and animal-handling injuries.
• Pesticide exposure: rashes, breathing problems, nausea and dizziness. Get medical care and report it as a work injury.
• Dust and soil: valley fever (a fungal lung infection that comes from disturbed soil) can be an occupational disease for field, construction and other dirt-moving work.
• Trucking and distribution centers along Highway 99: lifting injuries and crashes.

Seasonal work and your weekly pay rate

Temporary disability is two-thirds of your average weekly earnings, from $264.61 to $1,764.11 a week for 2026 injuries. For seasonal or irregular work, the law allows average weekly earnings to be set at what fairly represents your earning capacity, not just the week you were hurt (Labor Code §4453). Keep pay stubs from all your employers over the past year. Use our TD calculator for an estimate, and see how TD is calculated.

Immigration status and retaliation

Workers' comp benefits don't depend on immigration status (Labor Code §1171.5). It's illegal to fire or punish you for reporting an injury or filing a claim (Labor Code §132a). See undocumented workers' rights and fired for filing.

Steps after a work injury in Fresno

1. Tell the crew boss, supervisor or contractor right away, in writing if you can, and no later than 30 days (Labor Code §5400).
2. Ask for the DWC-1 claim form. It's available in Spanish. Return it and keep a copy.
3. Get medical care and say it's a work injury. Mileage to medical appointments is reimbursed (mileage calculator).
4. Watch the 90-day decision period (§5402) and the one-year WCAB deadline (§5405).
5. Get help from I&A on Mariposa Mall, or use our Fresno County attorney directory.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Every case is different. For free help from the state, call the DWC Information & Assistance unit at 1-800-736-7401.