What Expenses Will Be Covered By Workers’ Compensation?

After sustaining a workplace injury in Fort Lauderdale and seeking benefits through the Florida workers’ compensation system, you are likely wondering about the specific expenses that will be covered. In other words, what expenses does workers’ compensation pay for, and what costs will you need to incur yourself? Our Fort Lauderdale workers’ compensation lawyers can provide you with more information about the types of expenses that will be covered if your workers’ compensation claim is approved, and to clarify what will not be covered in your workers’ compensation benefits.

Benefits Expressly Provided Under Florida Workers’ Compensation Law

 Specific expenses are covered, and benefits are provided, through the Florida workers’ compensation system when an injured employee’s claim is approved. Those benefits and expenses include the following, as long as they are connected to the workplace injury or occupational disease:

• Doctor’s appointment visits;
• Hospital bills;
• Physical therapy costs;
• Medical or laboratory testing;
• Prescription medications;
• Wage replacement benefits of 66 and ⅔ percent of your regular wages prior to the injury;
• Temporary total or partial disability benefits;
• Permanent impairment benefits;
• Permanent total benefits; and
• Death benefits for workers’ surviving family members when the workplace injury is fatal.

If you have questions or concerns about specific expenses, you should ask a workers’ compensation lawyer in South Florida. It is important to understand that workers’ compensation does not pay for non-economic losses such as pain and suffering. In order to obtain those types of benefits, you would need to be eligible to file a lawsuit (which is usually possible only when a third party is responsible for your injuries).

Requesting Reemployment Services

In addition to the expenses and benefits listed above, an injured worker who is trying to return to work in some capacity may be able to receive additional assistance through the Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation Reemployment Services. As the Division of Workers’ Compensation explains, “reemployment services are designed to help an injured worker return to work when their work-related injury or illness prevents them from returning to their usual line of work.” In order to receive reemployment services, injured employees usually need to request them through the Division of Workers’ Compensation. Following a request for these services, an injured worker receiving workers’ compensation benefits may be able to obtain the following services without out-of-pocket expense:

• Vocational counseling;
• Job-seeking skills training;
• Job analysis;
• Transferable skills analysis;
• Selective job placement;
• Training;
• Education; and
• Other services that would be necessary for the worker to return to work.

Contact a Fort Lauderdale Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

When you have been injured on the job and need help obtaining benefits, you should reach out to one of the experienced Fort Lauderdale workers’ compensation attorneys at the Law Offices of David M. Benenfeld, P.A. for help. We can provide you with more information about the specific benefits and expenses covered through workers’ compensation, and what you may be able to do to obtain additional compensation. In some cases, it may be possible to file a third-party lawsuit in order to seek compensation for losses that are not covered by workers’ compensation.

Sources:

leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0440/0440ContentsIndex.html

myfloridacfo.com/division/wc/employee/reemployment.htm