MIAMI WORKER'S COMPENSATION

Workers’ Compensation is a no-fault system established by the Florida Legislature to compensate employees for injuries that happen “on the job”. The workers’ compensation system is an alternative to the personal injury system. An employee must become injured while working in order to qualify for workers’ compensation. Employees are covered by workers’ compensation beginning with their first day on the job, whether they are working full-time or part-time. Any person covered by workers’ compensation will be entitled to coverage for medically necessary care and treatment if injured ‘on the job”. An employee may even be covered if the injuries occurred during a break or while performing a job outside of the employees’ normal daily duties. An injury does not have to be sudden in order to make a claim for workers’ compensation benefits. For example, a person may slowly become injured because of repetitive tasks such as a typist that develops carpal tunnel syndrome. As long as we can prove the cause of your injury is related to your job, you may have a claim. The workers’ compensation system requires an employee to comply with certain “notice” requirements. Failure to follow the procedures in a workers’ compensation can severely reduce the compensation you are entitled to receive. Typically, a work-related accident must be handled under the workers’ compensation system, however, certain exceptions apply and there are certain circumstances where an injured employee may seek recovery from the workers’ compensation system and the civil system. For example, if you were injured while driving a company vehicle because another person collided with the vehicle you occupied, you may have a workers’ compensation claim as well as a claim against the person that struck your vehicle as well.