Fort Lauderdale Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly three million workplace injuries and illnesses take place annually, which equates to 3.2 percent of all full-time workers. There is sometimes a very prolonged, sometimes impossible, journey back to health and the ability to work again. Many of these workers fall into debt or face financial difficulties for the rest of their lives. Contact our aggressive Fort Lauderdale workers’ compensation lawyers today.
Florida Workers’ Compensation Took a Big Hit in 2003
Your preconceived idea of workers’ compensation may be more idealistic than what exists in reality. Most businesses typically only pay out 21 percent of the cost of workplace injuries, which leaves much of the rest to the individual and to taxpayers nationwide. But because the injury resulted from working in the first place, how is it fair that employers pay such a small percentage to their loyal, hard-working employees? Furthermore, how is an injured employee who is out of work and not receiving a paycheck able to keep up with life’s regular bills and expenses, not to mention the exorbitant medical costs associated with their injury?
The injustice of this system is thanks to a law that changed the entire landscape of worker’ compensation back in 2003. Many states, including Florida, have decided to place the burden of workplace injury expenses on the individual, as opposed to businesses, and as a result many of these injured workers never receive the treatment they deserve and become both physically as well as financially crippled for life. Since 1994, Florida has cut workers’ compensation benefits by an astounding 65 percent. Workers’ compensation is under attack and being reduced with every passing year around the nation.
Fort Lauderdale Workers’ Compensation
Every employer with four or more employees must provide no-fault workers’ compensation. Whether negligence falls on the employee or employer, no fault coverage means that fault is not even discussed in the claim. Despite this, many employers will lie, insist that the injury was faked, that the injury was in fact a pre-existing condition, or that the injury did not actually happen at work, but happened outside the workplace. Let our experienced Fort Lauderdale workers compensation lawyers help you.
Workers’ Compensation Benefits
The severity of your injury will determine what kind of compensation you will receive. Typically, you will receive two-thirds of your weekly paycheck for medical disability benefits, pending particular circumstances.
Other types of benefits include:
- Permanent disability benefits;
- Disability income benefits;
- Disability income benefits;
- Supplemental benefits;
- Permanent total benefits; and
- Death benefits, if a death resulted from the workplace accident.
Filing a Claim
In the state of Florida you have 30 days from the date of the injury to report it to your employer. The employer must then report the injury to the business’ insurance company within the following week. As an employee, you only have up to two years to file a claim for workers’ compensation; as such, it is vital that you speak to an lawyer as soon as possible while the evidence and injury is fresh.
Contact a Fort Lauderdale Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Today
In the event of a workplace injury, contact one of the best Fort Lauderdale workers’ compensation lawyers to discuss your legal options today while the event is still recent. You may be able to receive damages to help you or your loved one recover from an injury or illness. Reach out to the Pendas Law Firm for help.
