Workers Compensation in Tampa, FL
You aren’t alone if you wonder how workers’ compensation works.
Workers’ compensation is insurance that provides wage and medical benefits to people who have become ill or injured while at work. How far this coverage goes depends on Florida state law.
If your injury or illness is eligible for compensation, the insurance carrier should help ease the financial burden.
Learn some of the basic principles of Florida workers’ compensation insurance and how the process works.
Workers Compensation Statistics in Tampa, Florida?
Employers in Tampa do not report injuries to the state, but data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says that over 1.36 million workers worked full-time in and around Tampa last year. Over 217,000 of those hard-working individuals found employment in education and health services. National data shows an average of 4.3 out of 100 reporting nonfatal occupational injuries to the U.S. Department of Labor. If that trend applies to Tampa, almost 10,000 people in this one industry possibly need workers’ compensation benefits every year.
How Does Workers Comp Work in Tampa, Florida?
Unfortunately, going through the process of applying for workers’ compensation begins with getting sick or injured on the job. The circumstances surrounding the incident that led to your problems are especially crucial. For example, the injury had to occur during your regular work duties. While an event that happens during your lunch break wouldn’t apply, getting into a car accident while running an errand for your boss would qualify for a claim.
The Florida Department of Financial Services states any organization with four or more employees has to buy coverage. If approved, you should start receiving bi-weekly payments of up to ⅔ of your salary for the last year. If you have concerns about paying your bills on that income, the state provides a benefit calculator so you can start to plan accordingly. Other benefits may include medical coverage for your injuries and vocational rehabilitation services.
For example, say your supervisor asked you to drop something off on your lunch break. While running this errand you then get in a car accident on your way to the destination. Any resulting injury is eligible for workers’ compensation. However, if you are on your lunch break, performing no such task when you get in an accident, it does not qualify for a claim.
The steps you take immediately following a workplace incident in Florida are critical for filing a claim. Follow the following steps to preserve your rights and learn how workers comp works.
Get Medical Attention
After you get injured or feel ill, the first step is to see a doctor. Don’t delay receiving help from a Florida healthcare professional. Taking too long could not only jeopardize your health, but you run the risk of missing deadlines.
Even if you believe your injury is minor, get a proper medical report detailing the extent of the damage and how it occurred. This step is the top priority in the workers’ compensation claim process. Otherwise, your employer cannot file a claim with the insurance carrier.
You may have regular checkups and testing for weeks or months before a doctor finally connects your illness with your job. Your medical records will become the foundation from which the workers’ comp carrier will launch its investigation.
Generally, your doctor determines if the illness happened because of your work conditions or became aggravated by them. Once they do, see your human resources representative to file a workers’ compensation claim.
File a First Report of Injury
Once you have a medical diagnosis relating your illness or injury to your job, you must file a claim with your employer.
Florida’s Division of Workers’ Compensation states that you should report a work-related injury within 30 days of the incident. If you fail to submit your information on-time, that may result in a denial of your claim. You can call the Bureau of Employee Assistance and Ombudsman to ask for free advice, but a Tampa worker’s compensation attorney will protect and fight for your rights most efficiently.
Timeline and Other Information
The Division of Human Resource Management says that the waiting period is seven days. If your disability lasts longer than three weeks, you should receive compensation for that time in a subsequent payment. According to the Division of Workers’ Compensation, temporary benefits can last for up to 104 weeks.
Your employer should furnish you with information about the claims process. The adjuster or insurance carrier representative may want to speak to you at some point about the incident and any possible witnesses to the event. In the meantime, the workers’ comp insurer may begin paying medical benefits while the investigation into your claim continues.
Why You Should Hire a Tampa, Florida Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
While workers’ compensation claims may be straightforward for some cases in Tampa, Florida, in others, it may be more difficult. For example, your employer may decide to question whether you were hurt on the clock or on your own time. It’s also common for a company to question the full extent of your injury. Hiring a Tampaworkers’ comp lawyer ensures that you have an advocate to fight for your rights as a victim.
Work With an Experienced Local Lawyer In Tampa, Florida
If you are hurt or contract an illness as a result of your job in Tampa, Florida you need to find the right people to help. Since the workers’ compensation claims process can have pitfalls, you should consider getting a local attorney who knows how to avoid them.
Submit a request online or call us today at (866) 345-6784 to get in touch with an experienced lawyer in your area!
About the Author
Aaron is a professional legal writer with a B.S. in English Education from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale. He has written, published, and edited thousands of legal articles for RequestLegalHelp, which has connected over 5 million people to legal help in the United States.
With over five years of experience writing thousands of legal articles for law firms across the U.S. and Canada, Aaron specializes in covering federal, state, and city-level legal issues ranging from auto accidents to wrongful terminations.
