If you have a job-related injury or illness in Florida, workers compensation insurance can help pay for benefits, such as medical care, disability benefits, lost wages, and other benefits.
Also, if you lose a family member due to a work-related injury or illness, you can file a workers compensation claim to recover death benefits.
It is not easy to recover workers compensation benefits in Jacksonville, Florida. Your employer and insurance provider may deny your or your family’s claim for medical, disability, or death benefits. So, it can leave you and your family struggling financially.
Hiring a skilled lawyer can help you recover workers compensation benefits.
At Florida Lawyers 360, our Jacksonville workers comp attorneys have the skills and resources to help injured or sick workers and surviving family members of workers who suffered fatal job-related accidents recover workers compensation benefits in Jacksonville, FL.
We can help you recover the maximum allowed benefits that you are entitled to.
We understand the situation you are currently facing. We can use our expensive, skills, and resources to help you recover the maximum workers benefits. We will not let your employer and insurance provider wrongfully deny you the benefits you rightfully deserve.
Contact us today at 954-448-7355 to book a FREE consultation.
What Are the Types of Workers’ Compensation Benefits in Florida?
If your work-related injury or illness results in a disability that prevents you from working temporarily or permanently, then you may be eligible to receive benefits for your disability under workers compensation law in Florida.
You will need to consider the type of your disability to determine the benefits that you can receive under workers compensation law. Here are the types of workers compensation benefits you can receive in Florida:
Temporary Partial Disability Benefits (TPD)
If you have not reached Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) and cannot return to your previous job, but you can do a different job with certain restrictions, like a limited type of work, limited hours, or limited movement, then you may be eligible for Temporary Partial Disability (TPD).
If you cannot earn 80% or more of your previous regular income, you may receive both Temporary Partial Disability benefits and additional compensation.
If you can return to light work duty after your injury, you will be paid TPD based on your Average Weekly Wages (AWW) and the amount you earn every week after returning to another job.
Temporary Total Disability Benefits (TTD)
If your medical doctor decides that you cannot return to your previous job, then you may get Temporary Total Disability (TTD) benefits. It is Temporary because you may have to return to perform some work-related duties after you receive medical care.
If you are eligible to receive TTD benefits in Jacksonville, FLO, then your compensation will be two-thirds of your regular weekly income. You will, therefore, need to determine your Average Weekly Wage (AWW) to help you calculate your TTD benefits.
Permanent Total Disability Benefits (PTD)
Once you reach your Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI), you might still be unable to return to your previous job due to the severity of your work-related injury or illness. In this case, you will be eligible to receive Permanent Total Disability (PTD) benefits.
You may receive Permanent Total Disability (PTD) benefits until you are 75 years old. If you can, however, do some work within a 50-mile radius of your home, then your PTD benefits may be discontinued.
Permanent Partial Disability Benefits (PPD)
If your medical doctor believes your medical condition will not improve after you suffered a work-related injury, then you may be eligible to receive PPD benefits. However, your medical doctor needs to state you have reached Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) to receive PPD benefits.
Your medical doctor will provide an impairment rating. And you can be put on permanent work restriction. Your lawyer will consider your impairment rating and specific medical condition to determine the benefits you will receive.
You can receive PPD benefits for the rest of your life.
Additional Benefits
Here are the additional benefits provided by workers compensation in Florida:
Medical Benefits
It costs money to treat work-related injuries and illnesses. Workers compensation insurance, therefore, covers medical expenses. If your medical doctor prescribes treatment and the insurance company authorizes it, then workers compensation insurance will pay for the treatment.
Workers comp can also cover the cost of traveling to and from your doctor’s appointment.
Vocational Rehabilitation
If you suffered a work-related injury or illness and you cannot return to your previous job due to your work-related injury or illness, then you may get help to find a new job, placement services, vocational counseling, and more.
If you need additional training or education to secure a new job, workers compensation insurance may pay for your training and education.
Death Benefits
If a worker dies due to work-related injury or illness in Jacksonville, Florida, then the surviving family members of the deceased worker may receive death benefits under workers compensation law.
However, the death benefits will depend on the number of dependents. The benefits do not exceed $150,000 in total or two-thirds of the Average Weekly Wage (AWW) of the deceased worker. Workers compensation insurance may cover funeral and burial expenses up to $7,500.
If you or a loved one has suffered a work-related injury or illness in Jacksonville, Florida, you can contact Florida Lawyers 360 to talk to our workers compensation lawyers.
We are ready to help you get a fair settlement. Contact us at 954-448-7355 for a FREE consultation with one of our knowledgeable lawyers.
Are Florida Workers’ Compensation Benefits Taxed?
No, workers compensation benefits are not taxed in Florida. If you receive disability benefits for your work-related injury or illness, you will not have to pay taxes. If, however, you are receiving disability pensions, you may have to pay taxes.
In certain situations, workers compensation benefits are subject to taxation. For example, if an injured worker returns to work while receiving disability benefits, then the new income will be taxable.
We highly encourage you to talk with a workers compensation attorney to find out if your workers compensation benefits are subject to taxation.
How Do I Calculate Workers’ Compensation Benefits in Florida?
The term “compensation rate” is used under Florida workers compensation law to refer to the amount of compensation that an injured worker receives while the injured worker is on a “no-work” status.
Injured workers can receive Temporary Total Disability (TTD) or Permanent Total Disability (PTD) benefits. Injured workers can use 66% of their Average Weekly Wages (AWW) to calculate their TTD or PTD benefits.
There are, however, so many methods of calculating Average Weekly Wage (AWW). The most common method is to calculate the average of the gross weekly earnings during the 13 weeks just before the work-related injury or illness. Injured workers can go through their wage records or contract to determine their AWW.
However, if the injured worker works on a seasonal basis or in an industry with big changes to the income of the workers, depending on the time of the year, then the injured worker can calculate their weekly earnings during the 52 weeks before their work-related injury or illness.
It is complicated to calculate workers compensation benefits in Florida. Retaining the services of our experienced, knowledgeable, and skilled workers compensation lawyers can ensure your calculations are done properly. We will apply the most appropriate methods to do your calculations.
Contact us at 954-448-7355 to assist you to calculate your workers compensation benefits in Jacksonville, Florida.
What Are the Workers’ Compensation Income Limits in Florida?
The maximum weekly income cap for disability benefits is $1,099 as of 1st January 2022. Further limitations can apply, which depends on the type of disability, such as Temporary Partial Disability (TPD) or Temporary Total Disability (TTD).
TTD benefits are two-thirds or 66.67% of the injured worker’s Average Weekly Wage (AWW) just before their work-related injury, up to the legal maximum adjusted annually.
TPD benefits are 80% of the difference between the injured worker’s AWW and the remuneration that the injured worker can earn after the work-related injury.
It is very difficult to determine the workers compensation limits in Florida. It is wise to consult an experienced and knowledgeable workers compensation lawyer.
Florida Lawyers 360, can help answer all of your questions related to workers compensation income limits in Jacksonville, Florida.
Contact Our Knowledgeable Jacksonville Workers’ Compensation Lawyers
In Florida, the law requires employers to have workers compensation insurance. The insurance protects employees from work-related injuries and illnesses. Therefore, if you get injured in a workplace accident, you do not have to spend your own money on medical care.
Hiring an experienced and highly skilled workers compensation lawyer can help you recover the maximum workers compensation benefits in Jacksonville, Florida. Your lawyer will not let your employer or insurance company deny your workers compensation benefits.
If you want strong legal representation in your workers compensation case in Jacksonville, Florida, do not hesitate to contact Florida Lawyers 360 by calling 954-448-7355. We provide a FREE, no-obligation consultation and case evaluation.
We are committed to helping you get the maximum benefits you are entitled to.
