Knowing what injuries are covered under Florida workers’ compensation can be confusing. Are broken bones covered? What about the loss of hearing? After a job-related accident in Lakeland or anywhere in Florida, you will have concerns regarding whether your injury is compensable or not.
You are not alone. Most individuals need help understanding what compensable Work Injuries are eligible under their workers’ compensation benefits. In Florida, employees may receive workers’ compensation benefits for any injury sustained while performing tasks within the scope of their employment.
The skilled Lakeland workers’ compensation attorneys at Work Injury Rights understand Florida workers’ compensation laws and compensable injuries under the Workers Comp Act. We have over forty-five years of combined experience and have recovered millions of dollars worth of settlements for our clients.
Were you injured in a work accident and want to know if your employer’s workers comp covers your injury? The experienced lawyers at Work Injury Rights are ready to investigate the incident, prove your injury was job-related and negotiate for fair compensation on your behalf.
Call us 954-829-7077 today to schedule a free case review.
What Are Compensable Work Injuries?
Have you been injured at work? You must understand what constitutes a compensable injury and what does not. Compensable work injuries are injuries resulting from an accident that happens during the course of your employment.
However, not all injuries that happen at work are covered under the Workers Compensation Act. For instance, injuries resulting from fights between employees may not be covered. Examples of compensable injuries under workers’ compensation include the following.
Slip and Fall Injuries
Slip and fall injuries are common work injuries. For example, if you are at work performing your regular duties and slip and fall on a wet floor, hitting your head, this would be covered under the Workers’ Compensation Act.
On the other hand, if you come to work feeling light-headed and then faint while at work, hitting your head, you cannot hold your employer liable for any injuries you suffer from this fall.
Lunch Injuries
If a worker is injured on their employer’s property during lunch, their injury may be covered under the Act. But, their injury must have resulted from a reasonable activity during their employment for it to be covered.
Parking Lot Injuries
Suppose you are walking into work within a reasonable time, before or after your shift, and injure yourself in the parking lot. In that case, if your employer owns the parking lot, workers’ compensation will likely cover your injury. But, workers’ compensation will not cover an employee’s injuries if the injury occurred while the employee was jogging in the parking lot past their working hours or on their day off.
Entering and Exiting the Building
Generally, workers’ compensation covers the time required for the employees to enter and exit their employment premises before and after work. For instance, if a worker is walking into work and slips on the sidewalk, this will be covered by workers’ compensation. Going into the building using the employer’s sidewalk is reasonable during regular business.
If you have been hurt in a work accident, consider contacting our skilled and compassionate attorneys for legal representation. Work injury Rights attorneys will analyze your case to determine if your injuries are compensable and review your available legal options.
What Types of Compensation Can You Claim?
After getting hurt in a work accident in Florida, eligible workers can recover medical benefits and disability or wage replacement benefits.
Medical Benefits
Medical benefits cover the costs of your medical treatment related to your work injury, including:
- Diagnostic testing
- Physical therapy
- Hospitalization
- Surgical procedure
- Doctor’s visits
- Medical supplies
- Prosthetics
- Prescription medications
Disability Benefits
Under Florida’s workers’ compensation act, injured employees are entitled to benefits beyond their medical bills only if they suffer a disability due to a work-related accident. The types of compensation that are awarded will depend on your injuries and if they resulted in total disability, partial disability, or no disability, and if the disability is temporary or permanent.
There are four types of disability benefits one can recover, including:
- Temporary Total Disability Benefits: Your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance provider is obligated to pay you TTD benefits if the authorized treating physician states that you are utterly incapable of performing your job. These benefits are called temporary since most individuals can return to a certain level of performing their jobs after receiving treatment.
- Temporary Partial Disability Benefits: Temporary Partial Disability is paid before you reach your maximum medical improvement when the physician says you can return to work on a light duty basis.
- Permanent Total Disability Benefits: These benefits are paid when the injured employee cannot return to employment after they were injured at work. The payments for these benefits will continue until you are 65.
- Impairment Income Benefits: These benefits are paid when your authorized doctor places you at maximum medical improvement.
How Long Do You Have to File for Workers’ Compensation in Florida?
Every state has a different statute of limitation to file a workers’ compensation claim. The specific deadline to file your claim depends on your employer’s location. The statute of limitations in Florida dictates that victims have two years from when the accident happened to file their workers’ compensation claim.
You may be barred from recovering compensation when you fail to file your claim within the statute of limitation. Workers also have a deadline to notify their employer about their injury. Typically, workers have 30 days to notify their employees about the injury.
An employee who does not report their injury to their employer within 30 days risks their chance to receive Florida workers’ compensation benefits. You can notify your employer through an email or formal letter detailing the injury, when, where, and how it happened.
Call an Experienced Lakeland, FL, Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Today!
Determining if your injuries are covered by Florida workers’ compensation can be challenging. Are you uncertain about your work-related injuries being compensable? Work Injury Rights attorneys will review your case, break it down, and explain your legal rights and options in an easy-to-understand manner.
Our attorneys in Lakeland, Florida will fight for your rights and ensure you receive your deserved compensation. Let our legal professionals analyze your case and explain the best legal options for obtaining compensation.
Call us at 954-829-7077 today for a free no-obligation consultation and learn more about how you can help.
