Workers' comp in California cities

Workers' compensation in Los Angeles

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

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Which office handles a Los Angeles case?

DWC publishes a ZIP code list that assigns each ZIP to a district office. For the City of Los Angeles it breaks down roughly like this:

• Downtown Los Angeles office: most central, East, South and Northeast LA ZIP codes, including downtown, Boyle Heights, South LA, Hollywood and Highland Park.
• Van Nuys office: the San Fernando Valley (for example, ZIPs 91324 Northridge and 91367 Woodland Hills).
• Marina del Rey office: much of the Westside and the airport area (for example, 90045 Westchester, 90049 Brentwood and 90066 Mar Vista).
• Long Beach office: the harbor area, including 90731 San Pedro, 90744 Wilmington and 90710 Harbor City.

The ZIP list is a guide, not the final word on venue. Under Labor Code §5501.5, your Application for Adjudication can be filed in the county where you live, where the injury happened, or, if you have a lawyer, where the lawyer has their principal office. In a county with more than one office, like Los Angeles, you can file at any office in the county that meets one of those tests. Use DWC's ZIP code finder or our WCAB offices page to check.

The Los Angeles district office

Los Angeles district office (DWC / WCAB): 320 W. 4th Street, 9th floor, Los Angeles, CA 90013-1954. Phone 213-576-7335. Official page: Los Angeles district office.

The office is on the 9th floor of the Junipero Serra state building. Every visitor goes through a metal detector and an x-ray check, so allow extra time. DWC's page says there's no long-term street parking nearby. Paid lots are close, and some close without warning for film shoots, so public transit is often easier. The Pershing Square Metro station is across the street. No food, gum or drinks other than bottled water are allowed on the 9th floor.

Besides the courtrooms, this office houses an Information & Assistance unit, a Disability Evaluation Unit (which issues permanent disability ratings), an Audit Unit, and the Uninsured Employers and Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust Fund units. The UEBTF unit is the one to know about if your employer had no workers' comp insurance (see misclassification).

The other Los Angeles-area offices

Van Nuys district office (DWC / WCAB): 6150 Van Nuys Boulevard, Suite 105, Van Nuys, CA 91401-3370. Phone 818-901-5367. Official page: Van Nuys district office.

Marina del Rey district office (DWC / WCAB): 4720 Lincoln Boulevard, 2nd floor, Marina del Rey, CA 90292-6902. Phone 310-482-3820. Official page: Marina del Rey district office.

Long Beach district office (DWC / WCAB): 1500 Hughes Way, Suite C203, Long Beach, CA 90810. Phone 562-590-5001. Official page: Long Beach district office. See our Long Beach guide.

Eastern Los Angeles County ZIP codes go to the Pomona district office (732 Corporate Center Drive, Pomona, CA 91768-2653).

Hearings and free help

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. You can walk documents through Monday to Friday, 8 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. DWC's office pages also list free injured-worker workshops held by video on the first Friday of each month in English and the third Friday in Spanish, at 3 p.m. If you don't have a lawyer, an I&A officer can explain your claim, help with forms and tell you what a hearing will look like. The statewide line is 1-800-736-7401.

Los Angeles jobs and the injuries they bring

Los Angeles has one of the most varied workforces in the state, and the injuries reflect it:

• Garment and food manufacturing (downtown, South LA, Vernon and nearby): repetitive strain in hands, wrists and shoulders, back injuries, and heat inside factories. Cal/OSHA's indoor heat rule (tit. 8, §3396) applies to many hot workplaces. See repetitive injuries and heat illness.
• Restaurants, hotels and janitorial work: burns, cuts, slip-and-falls, and housekeeping back and shoulder injuries.
• Health care and home care: patient-lifting injuries, needle-sticks and assaults. Home care workers paid through public programs are generally covered; ask I&A if you're unsure who your employer is.
• Construction: falls, struck-by injuries and heat on outdoor sites.
• Warehouses, delivery and the ports: lifting and repetitive picking injuries, forklift accidents, and vehicle crashes. Delivery drivers labeled "independent contractors" are often employees under California's ABC test (see misclassification).
• Entertainment production: stunt and set injuries, falls from rigging, and long-hour fatigue. Freelance crew are often still employees of a production company or payroll company for workers' comp purposes.

Summer heat waves in the Valley and inland parts of the city make outdoor heat illness a real risk. Cal/OSHA's outdoor rule (tit. 8, §3395) requires shade when it's over 80°F and extra high-heat procedures at 95°F.

Immigration status doesn't matter

Many Los Angeles workers worry about this. Workers' comp benefits don't depend on immigration status, and California law makes status irrelevant to these remedies (Labor Code §1171.5). See undocumented workers' rights.

Steps after a work injury in Los Angeles

1. Report it to your supervisor in writing within 30 days (Labor Code §5400); see how to report.
2. File the DWC-1 claim form and keep a dated copy (DWC-1 guide).
3. Get treatment, inside your employer's MPN if it has one (choosing a doctor). Mileage to appointments is reimbursable (mileage calculator).
4. Watch the 90-day decision period (the 90-day rule) and the one-year filing limit (one-year deadline).
5. If you're denied or stuck, contact I&A at your district office or speak with a workers' comp attorney. Our Los Angeles County attorney directory lists attorneys who practice there.

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.