Suffering a workplace injury in Homestead can be a daunting experience, but you do not have to face it alone. At 1-800-Injured, we connect you with experienced workers’ compensation lawyers who understand the complexities of work-related injuries, from sudden accidents to repetitive stress. Our attorney and medical referral service helps you find legal assistance to protect your rights and handle the complicated workers’ compensation system. Contact us today to learn more.
What Is Workers’ Compensation?
Workers’ compensation is a system designed to provide financial assistance for medical expenses and lost income due to work-related injuries or illnesses. Under workers’ compensation law, the question of who was at fault for the injury is generally irrelevant.
For example, if you are injured by a power tool and forced to take several months off for recovery, workers’ compensation will cover your lost wages during this period. When an injury occurs, you should file a workers’ comp claim. After filing, you will undergo a medical assessment to determine the severity of your injuries and confirm your eligibility for benefits under Florida law.
How Is Workers’ Compensation Calculated in Homestead, FL?
The total amount of benefits you will receive will be based on a few key factors:
Average weekly wage (AWW)
This is calculated by averaging the wages the worker earned over the 13 weeks prior to the injury, not including the week of the injury. Certain allowances for lodging, tips, and other benefits might be included in this calculation.
Percentage of wage replacement
- Temporary total disability (TTD): If you are completely unable to work for a temporary period, TTD benefits are generally two-thirds of your AWW. There is a state-mandated maximum limit to this benefit.
- Temporary partial disability (TPD): If you can return to work in a limited capacity and earn less, TPD benefits make up 80% of the difference between 80% of your pre-injury wages and your current earnings.
- Permanent total disability (PTD): PTD benefits are also two-thirds of your AWW and can continue until age 75 or for life, depending on the nature of the disability and other factors.
Severity and duration of disability
Once you reach maximum medical improvement (MMI), a doctor may give you an impairment rating if you have lasting limitations. This rating influences the duration and amount of impairment benefits.
What Do Workers’ Compensation Benefits Cover?
These benefits include coverage for all necessary medical treatments related to the injury or illness. This encompasses doctor’s visits, hospital stays, surgeries, physical therapy, medications, and any required medical equipment.
In addition to medical coverage, workers’ comp provides wage replacement benefits if you are unable to work, you return to work at a reduced capacity and pay, or you sustain permanent injuries preventing any future work. If injured workers need vocational training to return to work or train for a new job, those rehabilitation costs are also covered.
Moreover, in the event of a worker’s death due to a job-related injury, workers’ comp provides death benefits to the dependents — which include funeral expenses and financial support.
Why Hire a Homestead Workers’ Compensation Lawyer?
To make the process of filing for workers’ comp smoother, you should have a practicing workers’ compensation lawyer in Homestead, Florida, on your side. Employees seeking workers’ compensation benefits, such as medical bill reimbursement, wage replacement, and vocational rehab, should have an experienced Homestead workers’ compensation attorney to represent them.
Moreover, if injured workers find themselves in any of the following situations, contacting a workers’ compensation attorney early in the process is helpful:
- Your workers’ compensation case involves pre-existing conditions or disputes about the injury being work-related, or if it is a high-value claim.
- The insurance provider has denied your workers’ compensation claim or you believe the settlement offer does not cover all your medical bills and lost wages.
- You have suffered serious workplace injuries, especially those resulting in partial or total disability.
- You are facing any form of retaliation from your employer after filing a claim — like demotion, reduction in hours, or unjust termination.
Get Legal Help from a Homestead Workers’ Compensation Attorney
Workers’ comp laws in Florida are not only multifaceted, but they are forever evolving. If you are overwhelmed or concerned about your compensation benefits after a workplace accident, reach out to 1-800-Injured and get connected with dedicated workers comp and personal injury lawyers in Homestead, FL.
DISCLAIMER: 1-800-Injured is an attorney and medical referral service.