If you have suffered a work-related illness or injury, and are unsure how to obtain workers’ compensation benefits, a workers’ compensation lawyer in Palm Bay, FL from the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine will help you. We will also help if your workers’ compensation claim has been delayed or denied.
We handle all aspects of workers’ compensation claims, from filing and negotiating a claim, to appealing a claim denial. We will help you build a solid case, so you can pursue benefits to support you while you recover from your injury or illness. To learn more about how our Palm Bay workers’ compensation lawyer will help you, call 1-800-747-3733 for a free consultation.
Report Your Injury or Illness to Your Employer as Soon as Possible
Per Florida’s Workers’ Compensation law, you must report your injury to your employer within 30 days of the date of your injury or when your injury or sickness initially manifested. You do not have to report your injury within 30 days if your employer already knew about your injury.
Unfortunately, if you do not meet the deadline for reporting your injury, you may risk losing your chance to file for workers’ compensation benefits.
Time is of the essence. If you have not yet reported your injury or illness to your employer, we encourage you to do so before filing a claim for benefits.
We Collect Evidence to Strengthen Your Case
We may ask you how your injury occurred, the type of injury you suffered, and other questions that will secure evidence for your case. We use this evidence to help you build a strong workers’ compensation claim.
The evidence we gather to strengthen your claim may include:
- Your medical records
- Your employer’s incident report or a police report of your accident, if available
- Photographs of the area where your injury occurred
- Statements from other employees who witnessed your accident
- Security video of the accident, if available
Filing a Claim for a Work-Related Illness
Workers who contract an illness based on the nature of their job may be entitled to apply for workers’ compensation benefits. For instance, a construction worker might develop an illness after long-term exposure to asbestos. A healthcare worker could develop contact dermatitis (an acquired skin disease). In either situation, the worker would be eligible to receive benefits.
If you developed an occupational illness, we can collect medical evidence, such as physical exam findings and diagnostic test results, to show your illness was directly caused by your job. Learn more today: 1-800-747-3733.
Negotiating Your Workers’ Compensation Claim
An employer’s insurance company usually determines the amount of compensation paid in a workers’ compensation claim.
Since insurance companies are out to save money, it is common for insurers to dispute the severity of a worker’s injury in order to avoid paying out a claim. Employers also question the severity of an employee’s injury because insurance premiums often increase after an injured employee files a claim.
At the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine, our workers’ compensation lawyers in Palm Bay know the strategies insurers use to deny claims. The evidence we collect prepares us to counter an insurer’s objections over a claim.
Appealing a Workers’ Compensation Claim Denial
If you previously filed a claim and were denied, we will review the insurer’s denial of your claim and can help you appeal the denial through the state’s multi-step appeals process.
Our workers’ compensation lawyer in Palm Bay, FL will represent you throughout this process. Call 1-800-747-3733 for a free consultation.
The Type of Workers’ Compensation Benefits You May Recover
Workers’ compensation provides several types of benefits for injured employees and surviving family members. These benefits include:
Medical Expenses
Your employer’s insurer will pay your medical bills and choose the doctor to treat your injury or illness.
Lost Wages
The compensation you receive will depend on the type of disability you suffered. Worker’s compensation has four categories of disability, including:
- Permanent Total Disability (PTD): When you can no longer work because you are totally disabled.
- Temporary Total Disability: When you are totally disabled but your doctor expects you to fully recover eventually and return to work.
- Permanent Impairment Benefits: When a doctor certifies that you have reached maximum medical improvement, but you can go back to work in some capacity.
- Temporary Partial Disability: When you are able to work in some capacity but are limited in what you can do.
We will explain each type of disability to you and the amount of benefits awarded in each category.
Death Benefits
Surviving family members of an employee who dies in a work-related accident can receive up to $150,000, which includes $7,500 in funeral expenses.
Meeting the Statutory Deadline for Filing a Workers’ Compensation Claim
Florida’s statute of limitations allows you to file a workers’ compensation claim within two years of your injury or illness.
While two years may sound like an adequate amount of time to pursue workers’ compensation benefits, it may take months to secure proper documentation and other evidence in order to build a strong case.
Call us as soon as you decide to file a claim. Our injury lawyers will begin investigating your injury, accident, or occupational illness.
Contact Our Workers’ Compensation Lawyer in Palm Bay, FL for a Free Consultation
At the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine, we understand the difficulties you face after suffering an injury or contracting an illness because of your job. This is why we secure solid evidence and help you meet the deadlines required for filing a workers’ compensation claim. We want to help you recover workers’ compensation benefits regardless of whether your accident happened on a construction site or in an office building.
If you want to pursue the workers’ compensation benefits you are entitled to, call us now at 1-800-747-3733 for a free consultation.