If you suffered a serious injury while on the job, leaving you unable to perform your job or severely affecting your income, Florida workers’ compensation laws may be able to compensate you for your injury. Injured workers facing permanent or even temporary disability may be eligible to receive benefits. However, Florida sets high thresholds for administering permanent workers’ compensation disability benefits.
Hiring an experienced Orlando, Florida workers’ compensation attorney from the onset of your injury can help give you and your family the best chance at maximizing the benefits you may be entitled to. Although Florida workers’ compensation laws exist to protect injured workers, the wheels of justice often turn slow.
Permanent Disability Benefits
According to Florida workers’ compensation law, permanently disabled workers are entitled to two-thirds of their weekly income until the age of 75. If for some reason the disabled worker is unable to receive Social Security disability payments at age 75, he or she may continue to receive workers’ compensation disability benefits.
Medical conditions warranting the dispersal of permanent disability benefits include:
- Spinal cord injury involving severe paralysis of an arm, a leg, or abdomen;
- Amputation of an arm, a hand, foot, or leg involving the effective loss of use of that appendage;
- Severe brain or closed-head injury resulting in sensory or motor functions, communication disabilities, cerebral function disturbances, neurological disorders resulting in severe episodes;
- Second-degree or third-degree burns of 25 percent or more of the total body surface or third-degree burns of 5 percent or more to the face and hands; and/or
- Total or industrial blindness.
Disabilities must result in the injured victim being unable to perform sedentary work within a 50 mile radius of his or her residence. Florida law is very clear that only injured employees able to demonstrate they were catastrophically injured or able to further engage in employment are eligible for permanent workers’ compensation benefits.
Temporary Workers’ Compensation Benefits
Injured workers temporarily unable to work may receive up to two-thirds of their weekly pay for up to 104 weeks. Injured workers who become paraplegic, paraparetic, quadriplegic, or lose the sight of both eyes may be paid temporary total disability of 80 percent of their average weekly salary for up to eight months after the accident.
Injured workers receiving disability benefits may have their compensation rescinded due to age, death, or incarceration. Changes in an injured worker’s health resulting in him or her being able to return to work may also affect benefits.
Orlando Workers’ Compensation Attorneys
Florida workers’ compensation claims are overseen by insurance adjusters. These insurance claims adjusters may not always have the best intentions of the worker’s wellbeing at heart when examining medical records and the extenuating circumstances of an accident when considering how much compensation to award the injury victim.
In these instances, workers need strong advocates for their legal rights. An Orlando, Florida workers’ compensation attorney can help get you a fair medical evaluation, negotiate with insurance adjusters, and properly handle any administrative actions and appeals necessary to try and secure the most compensation possible.
Contact an Orlando Workers Compensation Attorney if you have questions about your workers’ compensation claim.
