FL Workers’ Compensation Law: What You May Not Know About Time
Once Florida employees are injured at work they only have 30 days to report their injury to their employer, in order to receive Florida workers’ compensation benefits.
What Broward County employees need to know is that the law also provides that workers have two years to submit their claim. This process is not only confusing, but can feel downright tricky to many hard-working citizens who were wrongly injured and refused compensation. Under Florida’s Workers’ Compensation Act, employees who are injured on the job are entitled to receive monetary benefits to cover the costs of medical care and lost wages. While employees may think they have been told everything they need to know about Florida workers’ compensation benefits, it is likely that there remains significant information that they may not know which can either make or break their claim.
Often, numerous claims—too many to count—are rejected by insurance companies based on their defense that the injury was not reported within this narrow 30-day time frame. Now, with certain injuries, such as burns and broken bones, the date of injury is obvious. But, that isn’t always the case with other injuries and illnesses as well. Some common illnesses, in which the origination date is not as obvious, include respiratory illnesses caused by hazardous toxins or carpal tunnel syndrome that slowly creeps in, causing severe disability.
While Florida workers’ compensation law also provides that employees need to report the incident 30 days from the date that they became aware of the injury or illness, the statute of limitation also provides a wide two year time frame. Employees who are not adequately educated or aware of Florida Workers’ Compensation law may not only fall victim to their worksite injury or illness, but then again a second time when they are not properly compensated and receive what is due theirs.
Florida employees who are injured or become sick from their job may likely be unaware of easily confused by the complexity of the law as it relates to time and date of injury, especially when their claim is denied by large insurance companies whom are well adept at navigating the system better than the average Broward County citizen. Injured employees who are unable to return to their previous position are another group of disillusioned hard workers under Florida’s Workers’ Compensation program. Since the law provides that employers are required to offer alternate opportunity for employment in these situations, it is vital that employees know and understand their employment rights.
All too often, hard-working employees are denied benefits and walk away with their tail between their legs. That is, because as many workers know, there is a certain stigma associated with an employee who submits a workers’ compensation claim, and countless workers never do, simply because they fear the repercussions from their boss.
When workers’ compensation benefits are not provided, many injured employees are caused further harm to their physical, financial, and emotional health. Contact the Law Offices of David Benenfeld for a free legal consultation to determine if you have a case. Call 954-677-0155.
