Workers’ Compensation in Florida
Florida businesses are required to have workers’ compensation insurance. Worker’s comp provides financial help to people unable to work due to their injuries. Depending on the severity of the injury and the length of time that a victim will be unable to work, workers’ compensation benefits provide various degrees of assistance.
In the event you or a family member has been injured or became ill while on the job, workers’ compensation can provide financial assistance to help cover the cost of missing time at work, lost wages, and medical expenses.
Filing for Workers’ Compensation Benefits
If your employer properly has workers compensation insurance coverage, you are covered so long as the injury/illness happened while you were in the ‘course and scope’ of your employment. This coverage is granted regardless of fault for an accident/incident so long as it occurred in the court and scope of work. It is crucial that you inform your employer as soon as possible to ensure the success of your claim.
What are Workers’ Compensation Benefits?
Depending on the severity of your injury or illness, workers’ compensation can provide invaluable financial assistance if you are unable to work. These benefits often cover the following:
- Medical Expenses: such as doctor appointments, hospital treatments, medication, and rehabilitative care.
- Temporary Disability Benefits: such as partial compensation for lost wages during the time off from work.
- Permanent Disability Benefits: these include compensation for lost wages and other daily costs of living for you and your family members if you cannot return to work.
- Death Benefits: these are paid to dependent family members to compensation lost wages and services otherwise provided by the deceased.
Workers’ Comp Claims are Different than Personal Injury Claims
A workers’ compensation claim differs from a personal injury claim in that you don’t have to prove fault. Also, a workers’ compensation settlement will not cover the following damages:
- Pain and suffering
- Punitive damages
- Damages for loss of joy of life
- Other damages normally recoverable in a personal injury claim
Suing Your Employer Outside of Workers’ Compensation
Generally, your employer is ‘immune’ from a lawsuit in circuit court and you are required to go through the workers compensation system. However, under limited and specific circumstances, you may be able to file a lawsuit against your employer in addition to a workers’ compensation claim if you believe that your employer’s negligence contributed to the injury accident or illness. However, piercing workers compensation immunity is only done in very limited cases. You should discuss this possibility with an experienced lawyer at Robinson Trial Lawyers.
Contact Robinson Trial Lawyers
Whether you have suffered an immediate injury or developed a disability or illness over a period of time as a result of work, you deserve to have the support you need to recover. The workers’ compensation lawyers at Robinson Trial Lawyers will work tirelessly to ensure that you win rightful coverage. Please contact us at (954) 632-6607 for a free consultation.
