If you’ve been injured at work, the first thing you should do is report the injury to your immediate supervisor. If you need emergency medical treatment, your supervisor should call the ambulance so you can be transported to the hospital. If you are injured but do not need emergency treatment, your supervisor most likely will (and should) send you to an authorized walk-in clinic. If you feel you are hurt but the pain does not manifest itself for some time, you have 30 days to report the injury.

The up-front cost to hire a lawyer to represent you in a worker’s compensation matter is zero. There is no retainer fee. The Sackman Trial Group handles Worker’s Compensation claims on a contingency basis. This means any fees received by our firm are contingent upon obtaining benefits for you from the worker’s compensation insurance carrier. In addition, the fees are not like a personal injury case where the attorney receives a percentage of the entire settlement. Rather, attorneys fees in worker’s compensation cases are set by a Florida law statutory guideline.

No. Absolutely not. Worker’s Compensation (WC) insurance is like any other private insurance. An employer, under most circumstances, is required by Florida law to maintain a worker’s compensation policy for its employees. Your employer pays premiums to maintain the policy during the course of the year. Under most circumstances, it is the insurance company, and not your employer, that pays for your medical treatment if you are injured while on the job.

Unless you are in dire need of emergency treatment, your employer and its worker’s compensation insurance carrier will direct you to a facility or doctor for treatment. When the employer/carrier authorizes medical treatment for you, the medical provider becomes known as an “authorized treating physician.” You may be directed to a Primary Care Physician (PCP), family doctor, walk-in clinic, physical therapist, orthopedic surgeon, pain management physician or any other specialized medical doctor for treatment.

Of course, I will. I will personally come to the hospital to see you and to discuss your case with you. Not a paralegal, not an investigator, but me. Hospitals can be a scary place after an accident. Let me ease your mind and assist you in the best course of action to take in your legal case so you can focus on your medical treatment and recovery. Contact our office today to schedule a free consultation.

The length of your treatment will depend entirely upon how severe your injuries are. Some worker’s compensation cases require very little treatment (like stitches, for example)) and other work-related injuries require tremendous treatment and rehabilitation (spine injuries, catastrophic injuries, traumatic brain injuries and the like). You and your doctor will decide on your treatment plan and the length of your treatment.

You will be paid a percentage of your wages (as much as 66 2/3% of your Average Weekly Wage (AWW)) depending upon how long an authorized treating physician places you off of work. Additionally, if an authorized treating physician feels that you can work with certain restrictions (i.e., no lifting greater than 25 pounds, no use of the right hand, no driving, etc), then you will go back to work in that capacity for your employer if the employer has work for you.

The Worker’s Compensation Insurance Carrier pays ALL of your medical bills provided those bills are from an authorized treating physician. The Worker’s Compensation Insurance Carrier will NOT pay bills that come from treatment where the doctor or facility is not authorized (allowed) by the Worker’s Compensation Insurance Carrier. It’s very important that you are treated by an authorized physician or facility.