Did you suffer an injury while working in Lakeland, Florida? Grajek Law Personal Injury Lawyers can help you figure out and follow through with your best course of action. Contact us at (863) 312-0430 to schedule a free consultation with a Lakeland workers’ compensation lawyer who can explain your legal rights and options.
Our legal team brings 25 years of experience to the table and has secured substantial recoveries for our clients to date. Not every personal injury law firm is capable of handling a complex workers’ comp case, but we’re more than up to the task.
How Grajek Law Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help With Your Workers’ Compensation Claim in Lakeland, FL
Workplace injuries cause financial strain, pain, and other personal impacts. While filing a workers’ compensation claim is the typical first step, the process is often complex. Insurance carriers frequently deny claims, and navigating the system without legal help can result in losing entitled benefits.
Grajek Law Personal Injury Lawyers is passionate about fighting for the rights of injured employees in our local community.
Our Lakeland personal injury attorney can help with your case by:
- Investigating your workplace accident and the injuries you sustained
- Identifying all of your legal rights and options
- Gathering medical records and other supporting evidence
- Calculating the full value of your claim
- Negotiating with the insurance carrier on your behalf
- Representing you at hearings before the Judge of Compensation Claims
- Filing a third-party lawsuit if additional compensation is available
Reach out to our Lakeland workers’ compensation attorney today for a free consultation. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you only pay attorney’s fees if we win compensation for you.
Workers’ Compensation in Florida
Florida law requires most employers with four or more employees to carry workers’ compensation insurance. Construction employers must carry coverage regardless of how many people they employ. If you suffer an injury on the job, you can file a claim for benefits through your employer’s policy.
Workers’ comp in Florida operates as a no-fault system. That means you don’t need to prove your employer was negligent to qualify for benefits. As long as the injury happened in the course and scope of your employment, you’re generally covered.
The types of benefits available through a Florida workers’ comp claim include:
- Medical care related to your workplace injury
- Temporary total disability benefits if you can’t work while recovering
- Temporary partial disability benefits if you can return to work in a limited capacity
- Impairment benefits for any permanent damage you sustain
- Permanent total disability benefits if you can never work again
- Death benefits for surviving family members in fatal workplace accidents
In some cases, these benefits aren’t enough to cover all of the injured employee’s losses. This is when it becomes helpful to consider filing a lawsuit for additional compensation.
Third-Party Personal Injury Lawsuits
Workers’ compensation covers a lot, but it has its limits. For example, it won’t compensate you for pain and suffering. In some cases, however, you may be able to file a separate personal injury lawsuit against a liable third party for additional damages beyond what workers’ comp provides.
You typically can’t sue your own employer if they carry workers’ comp insurance. However, if someone other than your employer contributed to your accident, a lawsuit against that party may be on the table.
Examples include:
- A car accident caused by a negligent driver while you were on the clock
- An injury caused by defective equipment or machinery made by a third-party manufacturer
- Unsafe conditions at a job site controlled by a general contractor or property owner
These lawsuits allow you to pursue full economic and non-economic damages, which can be significantly more than what workers’ comp alone would provide.
How Long Do I Have to File a Workers’ Compensation Claim in Lakeland, FL?
Timing matters in workers’ compensation and personal injury cases alike. You must report your workplace injury to your employer within 30 days. From there, you generally have two years from the date of the accident to file a Petition for Benefits with the state.
If you’re pursuing a third-party personal injury lawsuit, Florida’s statute of limitations gives you two years from the date of the injury to file that claim. Missing either of these deadlines could mean losing your right to recover compensation altogether, so reaching out to a workers’ comp attorney as soon as you can is the safest approach.
Contact Our Lakeland Workers’ Compensation Attorney for a Free Consultation
Were you injured at work in Lakeland, FL? Workers’ compensation benefits may be available to you, and a third-party lawsuit could lead to even more monetary damages depending on the facts of your case.
Grajek Law Personal Injury Lawyers is here to help you make the most of your claim, with 25 years of experience representing clients just like you. Contact our Lakeland workers’ compensation lawyer today to schedule a free consultation and learn more.