Serious injury and wrongful death are all too common within the workplace, and it is an employer’s responsibility to maintain a safe working environment for their employees. Workers’ compensation insurance is required by virtually every employer to cover workplace injuries. This coverage provides compensation for medical bills and lost wages if you are injured while on the job.
You might find yourself in a situation where your employer does not compensate for these costs. An Orlando workers compensation lawyer at Bogin, Munns & Munns can fight for the benefits you deserve.
How Long Do You Have to File a Workers’ Compensation Claim in Florida?
Injured employees generally have two years to file a workers’ compensation claim. However, it is important to note that you must complete other tasks within that time or risk jeopardizing your right to benefits.
Employees that have been injured while at work should report the accident directly to their employer as soon as possible. In typical workplace injury cases, employees have 30 days from the date that the injury occurred. In cases of occupational exposures, employees have 90 days.
If an employee fails to inform their employer of the work-related injury within these specified timeframes, a workers’ compensation claim in Florida may be denied.
To consult with an experienced workers' compensation lawyer serving Orlando, call 855-780-9986
What You Should Know About Workers’ Compensation Benefits
If you have been injured while on the job or as a direct result of your job, you may be entitled to compensation. This compensation is designed to help you recover the costs of medical care, as well as any lost wages that you experienced in the past, present, or in the future as a result of your work-related injury.
Despite this, each case is unique. This is why an Orlando workers’ compensation lawyer from our firm will thoroughly investigate every detail of your case in order to best represent you. Some of the benefits you may be entitled to recover include:
- Past medical expenses and costs of ongoing care needs
- Lost wages
- Compensation for permanent or disfiguring injuries
- Survivors benefits for families of employees who died as a result of their workplace injuries
- Costs for additional training to secure new employment
Different Types of Benefits Are Available
The types of benefits you could recover depend on the severity of your injury—and the related losses. Florida Statutes § 440.15 states that you could be eligible to collect the following kinds of benefits:
- Temporary partial disability: If you sustained a minor injury, but can continue to work to some extent
- Temporary total disability: If you sustained a major injury that keeps you out of work while you recover
- Permanent partial disability: If you will never recover from your injury but can continue to work to some extent
- Permanent total disability: If you are majorly injured and cannot work in any capacity after the accident
These benefits can pay for things like visits to an approved medical doctor, transportation costs to get to these appointments (and to the pharmacy), and lost wages, tips, benefits, and bonuses.
You Could Secure Job Retraining Paid for by the State
The Division of Workers’ Compensation offers injured workers a program that can help them get back to work after an injury. You can apply to receive a vocational evaluation.
Your evaluator will tell you if you are eligible for the program. It is free of cost—you will only have to cover the cost of your transportation.
You Could Secure Death Benefits if You Lost Family
You can also secure job retraining if you lost a loved one due to a work injury and have to enter the workforce due to loss of income. Other death benefits include payment for funeral expenses and dependency benefits.
Orlando Workers' Compensation Lawyer Near Me 855-780-9986
Let Our Orlando Workplace Injury Attorney Help You
An Orlando workers compensation lawyer will guide you through the process of determining that your injury or illness has been a direct result of your employment. This way, you receive the workers’ compensation benefits to which you are entitled. In this case, a workers’ compensation lawyer on our team can be beneficial in representing you.
Some tasks that our firm can handle for you include:
- Interviewing eyewitnesses who saw you sustain an injury
- Recording your testimony of the injury and your symptoms
- Speaking with your doctor to understand the healing process and the severity of your injuries
- Communicating with the Division of Workers’ Compensation
- Helping you gather documents to file your claim
- Helping you appeal a wrongful denial
- Standing with you in court, if necessary
- Explaining your options
- Protecting your rights
We can also recruit the help of accident reconstructionists and medical expert witnesses that can attest to the severity of your injuries. By providing these expert testimonies, the long-term effects of your injuries can be outlined more clearly to determine an adequate level of compensation.
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Steps to Take After Getting Injured at Work in Florida
If you sustain an injury at work and believe you may be eligible for a workers’ compensation claim, it is important to take certain steps to ensure you have a good chance at getting the compensation you deserve.
Seek Medical Help
When it comes to severe workplace injuries, your safety and overall well-being is the top priority. Visit a hospital or doctor’s office as soon as possible. Remember that you must use an approved medical provider.
During this visit, be sure to explain the details of your work-related accident, injury, or illness to the doctor. This is helpful because it will allow the doctor to diagnose the injury properly, but a detailed report is also helpful for your workers’ compensation claim in Orlando.
Gather Evidence and Record the Incident
Once any immediate medical emergencies have been addressed, take a moment to gather any evidence available. From there, write out the details of the accident or how the injury occurred. This can be helpful in linking your injury to the workplace.
Report the Injury to Your Employer
It is essential to report any injuries to your employer. If you do not report it immediately after it occurs, be sure to do so as soon as you see a doctor or within 30 days of the incident. From there, your employer will report the claim to their workers’ compensation insurance agency. If they do not report it within seven days, you are able to contact the insurance agency on your own to file a report.
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How Much Will Hiring Our Lawyers Cost You?
You will not have to pay us for our team to start working on your behalf. We do not operate in that way. We take our attorney’s fee from any compensation you recover at the end of the case. This encourages us to apply our resources and knowledge to your situation.
We offer all prospective clients a consultation to get a feel for our firm. Tell us about your injury and learn if an Orlando workers’ compensation lawyer is right for you.
The Kinds of Work Injuries We See in Our Practice
Workers’ compensation cases in Orlando can include any type of work-related injury, including:
- Vehicle accidents while on the job
- Injury from unsafe/malfunctioning equipment
- Injuries in the workplace (various work environments are included)
- Back injuries
- Carpal tunnel
- Illness caused by or during employment
- And many more
Although there are a number of ways that a person may be injured while on the job, it is important to note that some instances may not be covered under the terms of workers’ compensation.
Our team can help if the insurance company claims your injury or illness does not qualify.
Injuries Caused By a Third Party
If your injury was due to another person’s negligence (and they are not your employer), you could be eligible for financial damages. For example, if a contracted electrician left live wires exposed and you hurt yourself, you could file a claim against their employer’s insurance policy.
If a co-worker’s ordinary negligence was the cause of your injury in the workplace, in most cases, Florida law prohibits one employee from suing another. These cases instead are managed under workers’ compensation claims.
It is important to remember that you cannot sue your Florida employer after sustaining an injury. This is because the law prevents employers with proper workers’ compensation insurance from being held responsible for medical expenses as a result of a workplace injury.
Bogin, Munns & Munns Is Ready to Take on Your Case
We are humbled to assist you in the handling of a work-related accident claim. We can meet you in the location that is most convenient for you. We have 12 locations. With our main office in Orlando, we have 11 other offices, including:
- Clermont
- Daytona
- Gainesville
- Kissimmee
- Leesburg
- Melbourne
- Ocala
- Orange City
- Cloud
- Titusville
- The Villages
Our clients say the following about us:
- “Great law firm. Very responsive and caring… Glad I selected this firm to represent me.” – Pamela Johns
- “Always kept me in the loop and took me under [their] wing while… guiding me and explaining the whole process… I appreciate their ability to get everything done in a timely manner. – Keny Henry
Retain One of Our Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Serving Orlando
Our personal injury lawyers work to ensure your worker’s compensation is handled with the care you should expect from a firm that has been around for over 40 years.
Call Bogin, Munns & Munns today to discuss your case.
Call or text 855-780-9986 or submit our Consultation Request form today
