Workers Compensation establishes the liability of an employer for injuries or sicknesses which arise out of and in the course of employment. The liability is created without regard to the fault or negligence of the employer. Benefits generally include hospital and other medical payments and compensation for loss of income; if the injury is covered by the statute, compensation under the statute will be the employees only remedy against her or her employer. The workers compensation systems in place in each state are exclusive, no-fault remedies for most workplace injuries, and workers compensation attorneys guide injured workers through the process, to ensure that they receive appropriate income replacement payments and other monetary awards.
Hercules is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 19,488 at the 2000 census, but has since grown significantly; the Census Bureau estimated that its population was 24,776 in 2006. Formerly just one of many small bedroom-communities along the I-80 corridor in Western Contra Costa County, the city is undergoing a metamorphosis into a transit-oriented, mixed-use town. It is located about 20 miles (32 km) northeast of San Francisco, and approximately a half-hour drive (without traffic) from either Oakland or San Francisco. Neighboring towns are Pinole to the southwest, Rodeo to the north, as well as Martinez to the east via CA-4. The city's ethnically diverse population generally ranges from middle class to affluent. Hercules is home to a small amount of light manufacturing and high-tech industry as well as various commercial and retail activities. Most of the housing and other building stock is from the 1970s or newer. Attempts to develop mixed-use new development have begun in the waterfront district and around the intersection of I-80 and CA-4. The waterfront redevelopment includes the historic preservation and integration of a handful of buildings, some dating to Hercules's founding as a company town (see history below).