Workers Compensation Attorneys Florida. Workers Compensation. All fifty states require employers (of a certain size) to provide workers’ comp coverage for their workers. There’s also a federal layer of workers’ compensation covering many government employees. Call the Law offices of Baker Reck & Associates P.A. and finds out more about what we can do to help you get your benefits.
It is a no-fault system, designed to provide benefits to employees while protecting employers from lawsuits.
Workers’ comp benefits are typically limited to medical costs and partial compensation for lost income (generally 50 to 70 percent of pre-injury wages). Benefits normally don’t include compensation for pain and suffering. Serious injury cases may involve permanent or partial disability, resulting in a permanent stipend and/or a lump sum settlement.
Workers’ comp claims can include:
- Aggravation of pre-existing conditions
- Injuries sustained on company property or at a company-sponsored activity
- Injuries caused by company-owned assets, like mechanical equipment
More serious cases include diseases caused by exposure to hazards, such as benzene, asbestos or silica dust. While mesothelioma is one extreme example of this, a more common example is rashes brought on by exposure to cleaning chemicals or gasoline.
Workers’ compensation typically doesn’t cover injuries resulting from horseplay at work, or injuries sustained while drunk or in an impaired state. Likewise, only a few states provide coverage for employees injured while travelling to and from work, unless that transportation is provided by the employer.
The vast majority of workers’ compensation cases are streamlined, and only involve filing a claim with the workers’ comp insurance carrier. But there are times when it’s necessary to hire an attorney due to coverage limits or denial of benefits.