You must report your injury immediately. By law, you have thirty (30) days to report your injury, or your claim may be denied for failure to notify your employer. However, there are some exceptions to the notification requirement, those can be found in §440.185. Fla. Stat.

The employer should report your injury immediately, but no later than seven (7) days following the accident. The insurance company must send you an informational brochure, explaining your rights and responsibilities, under workers’ compensation law, within three (3) days. If the insurance company fails to provide the brochure, it may be stopped from raising certain defenses in subsequent litigation.

You have the right to report the injury, and your employer is subject to a fine for failure to report the accident/injury. If you need assistance reporting your injury, contact the workers’ compensation attorneys at Avard Law, or the Employee Assistance Office of the State of Florida.

No, all authorized medical bills should be submitted to your employer, if self-insured, or your employer’s workers compensation insurance company. If you are required to pay any medical bills out of pocket, make sure to submit your expenses to the above entities for reimbursement. If the employer or carrier has authorized medical treatment, do not submit any bills relating to unauthorized providers or treatment. You are not entitled to seek payment or reimbursement from the employer or carrier for unauthorized medical treatment.

Most likely, you will receive 66 2/3 percent of your average weekly wage, which is calculated based upon your 13-week wage history immediately preceding your date of accident.

Expect to receive the first check within 8 to 21 days following the date of accident. You will not be paid for the first seven days following the date of accident unless the disability results in more than 21 days of lost time from work.

No

Your employer or its insurance carrier is responsible for arranging and paying for transportation for medical appointments.

You are entitled to temporary partial indemnity benefits until your employer can accommodate the restrictions, or your doctor releases you to return to work, under full duty.

No, your employer cannot terminate your employer for filing a workers’ compensation claim. If they do, you may have a claim for coercion under §440.205 or a private cause of action for wrongful termination.

Unfortunately, there is no provision requiring employers to hold your job until you return. Some employers have policies within your employment contract that state the actual amount of time you may miss from work prior to being terminated for an extended leave of absence.

Depending on the type of injury you have sustained, the statute of limitations for filing your claim is two years from the date of accident, or alternatively, two years from the date you knew or should have known that your injury or illness was related to your employment. In addition, once a claim has been accepted and medical treatment has been authorized, you must treat once every year (365) calendar days with an authorized treating physician to keep your claim open.

Yes, there are two parts to every workers’ compensation claim: 1) the indemnity, or lost wages; and 2) future medical treatment. You are able to settle each part separately, or you can globally settle both parts simultaneously. Please keep in mind that settlement is completely voluntary for both parties.

You should seek the assistance of the Avard Law Workers’ compensation attorney, or you may find information provided by the State of Florida.

You should seek the assistance of the Avard Law workers’ compensation attorney.

Normally, workers’ compensation checks are paid bi-weekly.

Yes, the Social Security Disability and Florida Workers’ Compensation systems both provide disability benefits but each of them has their own definitions and procedures for obtaining those benefits. If an individual is awarded benefits under both programs at the same time, the combined benefits may not exceed a certain amount and the workers’ compensation carrier, or the social security administration, may “offset” or reduce the benefits.

In Florida, compensation is not payable if the injury was occasioned primarily by the intoxication of the employee, the influence of any drugs, barbituates, or other stimulants not prescribed by a physician. A post-accident drug test creates a presumption that the injury was in fact caused by alcohol or drugs. This means the claimant will have the burden to demonstrate that injury was not caused by alcohol or drug use.