
If you got hurt on the job or have a work-related illness in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, you might wonder if you qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. You probably have many questions about getting medical care and other benefits.
A workers’ compensation lawyer in Jacksonville Beach, FL can handle your claim through the application process for benefits. Call our Jacksonville Beach personal injury lawyer today for a free consultation.
How to Find Out if Your Employer Provides Workers’ Compensation Coverage
Florida law requires almost every employer in the state to carry workers’ compensation coverage that provides medical care and other benefits for workers who sustain work-related injuries or develop work-related illnesses. You should have coverage if your employer is:
- A state or local government.
- Any employer with at least four full-time or part-time employees.
- A construction company that employs at least one person.
- A farmer who hires at least five regular workers and/or at least 12 seasonal employees who work at least 30 days.
Other Employer-Provided Coverage
Your employer might not participate in the Florida workers’ compensation program, but you still might be eligible for other benefits if you get hurt on the job or have a work-related illness. The employees below do not receive workers’ compensation benefits but you might get coverage through the federal workers’ compensation system. We can answer your questions about the federal benefits and handle your claim.
- Employees of the federal government (covered by Federal Workers’ Compensation)
- Defense contractors
- Railroad employees
- Longshoremen
- Harbor workers
You Can Lose Your Benefits if You Delay
In Florida, the workers’ compensation program has short time limits. If you miss a deadline, the system can deny your claim for benefits, even if you have a devastating work-related illness or injury.
Call us right away so that you do not lose your case on procedural grounds. We know the deadlines and other rules for pursuing workers’ compensation benefits.
You only have 30 days from the time the incident happened, or a doctor told you that your illness or injury was related to your position to report the situation to your employer. Our team will walk you through the process of reporting the incident correctly, using the appropriate form, and within the time limit. Do not rely on giving verbal notice to your boss because you cannot prove when you did so or even that you actually did.
Types of Workers’ Compensation Benefits in Jacksonville Beach, FL
Depending on the facts of your case, you might be eligible for up to three kinds of benefits for a work-related injury or illness. The categories include:
Medical Benefits
The workers’ compensation insurance policy your boss buys must include coverage for:
- Medical care
- Hospitalization
- Doctors
- Prescription drugs
- Physical therapy
- Diagnostic procedures and tests
- Prosthetic devices
The Florida workers’ compensation program does not allow you to go to your regular physician for treatment of a work-related illness or injury. If you go to your regular healthcare provider, the program will not pay those medical bills. Since your employer-provided health insurance usually excludes on-the-job injuries or illnesses, you will likely have to pay your doctor out of your own pocket.
Your boss can authorize one visit to your regular doctor right after the injury or onset of illness, but after that, you must use one of the doctors on the workers’ compensation insurance company’s list of approved providers.
Another requirement for workers’ compensation benefits eligibility is that you must disclose to everyone who treats you for the injury or illness that the condition is work-related. You have to give the treating facility the name and telephone number of your employer or the workers’ compensation insurance company.
Lost Wages and Disability Benefits
In addition to medical care, Florida’s workers’ compensation system offers financial help to replace some of the income you missed and compensate you for the long-term impairment you sustained because of the illness or injury. Within this benefits category, there are four types of compensation:
- Temporary Total Disability (TTD). If you cannot work at all right now, but your doctor expects you to return to the job after you recuperate, you can get between 66 2/3 and 80 percent of your usual wages, up to the state maximum.
- Temporary Partial Disability (TPD). If you can work in a limited capacity on a temporary basis and the limitations cause you to earn less than 80 percent of your previous income, you can collect TPD benefits for up to 104 weeks.
- Impairment Income Benefits (IIB). You will receive a rating that includes the percentage of your permanent impairment after you achieve the maximum amount of physical improvement that your doctor expects. The calculation of the amount of your monetary award for permanent impairment will use the rating information.
- Permanent Total Disability (PTD). If you will never be able to work again in any type of work, including your previous job and any other line of work because of a work-related illness or injury, you can get PTD benefits.
Death Benefits
Qualified survivors can receive compensation when a worker dies from a work-related injury or illness if the death occurs within one year of the initial incident or within five years of continuous disability. The total amount of death benefits cannot exceed $150,000. The award can include:
- $7,500 for funeral costs
- Compensation to the dependents
- Educational benefits for the surviving spouse
Workers’ compensation does not include benefits for noneconomic damages, such as pain and suffering. If you want to seek compensation for these damages, you will need to file a personal injury claim. Discuss your case with our team today to see if you qualify.
A Workers’ Compensation Lawyer in Jacksonville Beach, FL Can Help You
Florida law does not require you to work with a lawyer on your workers’ compensation claim, but there are teams of lawyers working on the other side whose job is to deny your claim or pay you as little as possible. If you make one mistake, like missing a deadline or using the wrong form, you could lose the right to compensation for your work-related illness or injury.
We know that the rules for workers’ compensation benefits are complex and that you are trying to recuperate and get your life back. When the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine handles your Jacksonville, Florida workers’ compensation claim, you can focus your attention and energy on getting better.
Call us today to see how our workers’ compensation lawyer in Jacksonville Beach can help you. There is no obligation.