If you were injured on the job in Orlando, Florida, the law gives you the right to receive workers’ compensation benefits to pay for your medical bills and compensate you and your family in cases of disability or death. Whether you suffered your accident in a one-time workplace accident or developed a medical condition over the course of tenure at a business, your employer must carry workers’ compensation insurance.
Most people never think about what workers’ compensation benefits they are entitled to in case of an injury caused by workplace conditions. Under Florida law, injured workers may receive income benefits, healthcare, mileage reimbursement, and death and funeral benefits.
Injured workers may receive permanent and temporary disability income benefits, depending on the extent of their injuries. Temporary disability income benefits include temporary total disability (TTD) benefits and temporary partial disability benefits (TPD).
Florida Temporary Workers’ Compensation Benefits
TTD compensation is given to workers unable to perform any of their work functions while they recover from their injuries. Typically, workers may receive two-thirds of their income for up to six months while they recover. Severely injured workers are eligible to receive up to 80 percent of their pay for up to six months.
Injured workers able to return to work but in a diminished capacity may receive TPD benefits. Employees who return to work after an injury but unable to make 80 percent of their income before the injury may be eligible for TPD income benefits.
Permanent Workers’ Compensation Benefits in Florida
Long term disability payments are also available to injured workers suffering from permanent and debilitating injuries. Florida has a system to calculate the amount of workers’ compensation injury victims may receive if they are unable to return to work or suffer from permanent diminished working capacity.
Permanent Partial Disability Benefits (PPD) may be calculated using the Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation online tool. Permanent total disability benefits (PTD) must be evaluated by a member of the Florida Bureau of Monitoring and Audit. In 2016, the maximum weekly compensation an injured worker may receive is $863.
Other Workers’ Compensation Benefits
Injured workers are also entitled to healthcare reimbursement for their medical treatment. These benefits are paid for by the employer’s workers’ compensation insurer. Workers may also be reimbursed for any prescription medication, therapy, or hospital visits. Travel costs associated with receiving medical treatment may also be eligible for reimbursement.
In tragic cases of a workplace death, the deceased employee’s family is able to receive up to $150,000 in benefits for their beloved family member’s lost income. Florida workers’ compensation laws may also pay up to $7,500 in funeral expenses.
Workers’ Compensation Lawyers in Orlando, Florida
For more information about workplace disability benefits claims in Florida, speak to a qualified workers’ compensation lawyer in Orlando. If you were injured at work, retaining experienced legal counsel from the onset of your claim can help maximize the benefits you and your family may receive.
