Being injured on the job isn’t something that anyone wants to happen. However, if you sustain injuries at work you may be entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits. Injuries you suffer at work can have a plethora of implications including unexpected medical expenses and potentially the inability to go back to work and earn wages for either a short amount of time or permanently depending on the severity of your injuries. Working with a Florida workers’ compensation lawyer can help you understand what benefits you can receive and for how long you will be paid.

What Benefits Can I Recieve From Workers’ Compensation?

Florida workers’ compensation benefits can offer an injured employee a portion of their wages that they are unable to obtain because they are unable to work. If an employee sustained injuries that will not allow them to go back to their job but they can still do another job, worker’s compensation may help pay for the costs of vocational training. 

If you are unable to work for only a temporary amount of time, while you recover, you may be able to receive temporary total disability benefits. When this is the case, the amount you obtain depends on how long you are out of work. If you are unable to work for more than 21 days, you will be able to secure payment. You can continue to receive payment for up to 104 weeks or until  you are deemed to be at “maximum medical improvement.” What that means is that the condition you are in is the best that it will be and that no more healing will continue. You can obtain as much as two-thirds of your weekly pay up to a maximum of $971 per week. When your injuries are catastrophic, you will receive a bit more pay for the first six months you are out of work. Victims of catastrophic injuries will receive four-fifths of their weekly pay. 

When you have recovered from your initial injuries but are examined by a medical professional and are said to be permanently disabled, you may qualify for weekly payments for the rest of your life. The payments that you receive when you are permanently injured such as is the case with limb amputation, for example, would be for two-thirds of your average weekly pay. Similar to temporary total disability payments, Florida does cap weekly payments at $971.

When you have a doctor sign off that you have a “permanent impairment rating" the amount that you can obtain would be three-quarters of the temporary total disability amount. If you are able to go back to work, there will be a reduction in payments.

Speak with a Florida Workers’ Compensation Attorney Today

You may be able to obtain a portion of your wages when you are injured on the job in Florida. When your Florida worker’s compensation claim is properly put together and filed correctly, you can expect to receive your payments quickly. Your Tallahassee workers compensation attorney will make sure that everything is in order so that you can see your payments without delay. 

Call Stephen M. Andrews, P.A. to help you with your workers’ compensation claim today. The Tallahassee workers’ compensation law firm of Stephen M. Andrews, P.A. can be reached by calling (850) 906-9599 and scheduling a free, no-obligation consultation.