Workers’ Compensation in Florida Does Not Include Pain and Suffering
What to expect from your workers’ compensation plan in Florida
If you are injured by heavy machinery in your workplace, you may face surgery, a long recovery time, and even partial or permanent disability. You may also suffer a great deal of pain and suffering.
While your medical procedures, wage loss, and disability are covered under Florida workers’ compensation laws, pain and suffering are not. Our legal team at Sternberg | Forsythe, P.A. provides experienced legal counsel and representation for clients throughout Palm Beach County, Martin County, and Orlando.
Locations, We Are Serving For:
- West Palm Beach, Florida
- Boca Raton, Florida
- Orlando, Florida
Understanding Florida Workers’ compensation
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), musculoskeletal injuries accounted for approximately 33 percent of all injuries and illness suffered in the workplace during 2011.
If you suffer a serious musculoskeletal injury in a traffic accident unrelated to work, you might have a claim for personal injury against the party who injured you. Unlike workers’ compensation claims, pain and suffering are recompensable in a personal injury suit.
Why doesn’t Florida workers’ compensation include pain and suffering?
Workers’ compensation programs across the United States were developed to provide a means for workers’ to receive medical and other benefits immediately without having to prove the liability of their employer after injury.
In return for providing insurance to cover the inevitable accidents that occur in every industry, employers are mostly shielded from civil lawsuits and high dollar recoveries for personal injury.
Workers’ compensation legislation defines the claims process, limits money paid out for injury, and strictly defines the recoverable benefits. Partial wages are provided, while disability payouts are limited and subject to review.
In addition, under Florida law, worker pain and suffering is not covered under workers’ compensation.
Understanding allowable benefits under Florida Workers’ compensation is the first step after an injury. If you have questions, then our legal team has answers.
Get Help for Workers’ Compensation Pain And Suffering
Throughout Florida, Sternberg | Forsythe, P.A. offers decisive legal services regarding workers’ compensation, disability, and immigration law in an office convenient to you. You pay no legal fees unless benefits are achieved on your behalf. With offices in Orlando, West Palm Beach, and Boca Raton, we are here to serve you. We offer evening and weekend appointments when necessary. Contact us online or at 561.687.5660 for a consultation.