The main phone number for California workers’ compensation is 1-800-736-7401. That toll-free line reaches the Division of Workers’ Compensation Information and Assistance Unit, which is staffed by state officers who help injured workers with claims, benefits, and disputes during weekday business hours.1Division of Workers’ Compensation. DWC Information and Assistance Unit If you already know which regional office handles your case, you can also call that office directly using the list further down.
What the Toll-Free Line Does
Dial 1-800-736-7401 if you’re not sure where your claim stands, which office covers you, or what to do next. The Information and Assistance officers can walk you through filing a claim, explain the benefits you’re owed, and help you resolve problems with your employer’s insurance company before anything turns into a formal hearing.2California Legislative Information. California Code Labor Code 5450 – Administrative Assistance The service is free, and you don’t need an attorney to use it.
When you call, an automated system asks you to pick a language and then routes you to a representative based on where your claim is located. Wait times can run past 30 minutes at busy hours, so early morning calls tend to connect faster. Once you’re in the queue, stay on the line. Hanging up and redialing puts you back at the end.
Regional Information and Assistance Office Numbers
Every DWC district office has its own I&A officer who takes phone and walk-in questions for that area. Calling your local office directly is sometimes quicker than going through the statewide line. These are the I&A direct lines, not the courtroom or judicial staff numbers.1Division of Workers’ Compensation. DWC Information and Assistance Unit
Southern California
- Los Angeles: (213) 576-7389
- Long Beach: (424) 450-2565
- Marina del Rey: (310) 482-3820
- Van Nuys: (818) 901-5367
- Santa Ana: (714) 942-7576
- Anaheim: (714) 414-1801
- Pomona: (909) 623-8568
- Riverside: (951) 782-4347
- San Bernardino: (909) 383-4522
- San Diego: (619) 767-2082
- Oxnard: (805) 485-3528
Central California
- Fresno: (559) 445-5355
- Bakersfield: (661) 395-2514
- San Luis Obispo: (805) 596-4159
- Goleta: (805) 770-6161
- Salinas: (831) 443-3058
Northern California
- San Francisco: (415) 703-5020
- Oakland: (510) 622-2861
- San Jose: (408) 277-1292
- Sacramento: (916) 928-3158
- Lodi: (209) 948-7759
- Redding: (530) 225-2047
- Santa Rosa: (707) 576-2452
Not sure which office covers your area? The toll-free line routes you to the right one.3Division of Workers’ Compensation. Division of Workers’ Compensation Office Locations
Numbers for Specific Problems
Some issues go to a specialized unit rather than the general I&A line.
Qualified Medical Evaluator Panels
If you need a QME exam to resolve a dispute over your injury or disability rating, the DWC Medical Unit handles the physician list and panel requests. Call (510) 286-3700 or toll-free (800) 794-6900.4Division of Workers’ Compensation. DWC Medical Unit You can also submit Form 106 online to request a panel.
Independent Medical Review for Denied Treatment
When your employer’s insurer denies a treatment through utilization review, you have 30 days from the denial date to request IMR. Applications go by mail or fax, not phone. For questions about the process, call Maximus Federal Services, which administers IMR for the state, at 1-855-865-8873.5Division of Workers’ Compensation. DWC Independent Medical Review The IMR submission fax is (916) 605-4270.
Reporting Workers’ Comp Fraud
To report suspected fraud by an employer, an insurer, a medical provider, or another worker, call the California Department of Insurance Fraud Division at (800) 927-4357.6WCIRB California. Fraud in California’s Workers’ Compensation System Workers’ comp fraud is a felony under Insurance Code 1871.4.7California Legislative Information. California Insurance Code 1871.4
Office of Self-Insurance Plans
Large employers that self-insure coordinate with this office at (916) 464-7000.8Department of Industrial Relations. Office of Self-Insurance Plans Most injured workers won’t need it; the line is mainly for employers and their administrators.
Have These Ready Before You Dial
Pulling your paperwork together first will cut your call time a lot. The representative needs identifying details to find your records, and digging through documents while you’re already on hold wastes the time you waited.
- Your claim number or case number, which appears on correspondence from the insurer or the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board.
- The exact date of injury. For a repetitive-stress injury, know the date you first reported it.
- Your employer’s legal name and the workers’ compensation insurance carrier handling the claim.
- The adjuster’s name and contact information, usually printed on the first page of letters from the insurer.
- A copy of your DWC-1 claim form if you’ve already filed. Your employer must give you this form within one working day of learning about your injury.9California Legislative Information. California Code Labor Code 5401
If you haven’t filed yet, don’t wait to be organized before calling. The I&A officer can walk you through the form on the phone.
When You Don’t Need to Call at All
The DWC runs an Electronic Adjudication Management System with online tools that answer several of the most common reasons people call.10Division of Workers’ Compensation. DWC Electronic Adjudication Management System
- Look up public information on any workers’ comp case with the EAMS case search tool.
- Check hearing dates and courtroom assignments on the court calendar instead of calling the district office.
- Submit Form 106 electronically to request a QME panel.
- File documents with the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board through e-forms rather than by mail.
- Download every standard form, including the DWC-1, from the DWC forms library.
For complaints about your claim administrator, the DWC has an online complaint form on the I&A Unit page.1Division of Workers’ Compensation. DWC Information and Assistance Unit
If none of the online tools fit what you need, go back to 1-800-736-7401. It’s the right starting point for anything the system can’t answer on its own.