West Palm Beach Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Numerous development projects and streetscapes are always in progress in West Palm Beach, including on Tamarind Avenue and Banyan Boulevard. Regarding these large-scale building and design projects, construction companies, developers, and others routinely employ numerous individuals, including construction workers, welders, contractors, and project managers. When these workers suffer injuries while on the job, they may recover various monetary benefits through the Florida workers’ compensation system.
However, workers’ compensation benefits are not just available to those working on large-scale building and development projects. Office workers who suffer a work site injury or illness may also recover various benefits if they slip and fall or develop carpal tunnel syndrome from typing. Injuries can occur in any industry, including hospitality, healthcare, transportation, and more.
Workplace accidents, injuries, and illnesses may also have devastating consequenes for injured workers. In addition to incurring high medical bills, affected workers may be unable to work for a significant amount of time, losing large amounts of income.
Assisting Injured Workers in West Palm Beach, Florida
In addition to seeking immediate medical treatment following a work-related injury, talk with a qualified West Palm Beach workers’ compensation lawyer right away. At Feldman Law, our experienced legal team can meet with you to discuss your work circumstances and determine if you may file a claim for benefits. If you qualify, we can help you file the appropriate claim with your employer’s insurer and pursue the highest monetary award possible in your case. We can also help you file a third-party personal injury claim or lawsuit if you are eligible to do so.
Our knowledgeable legal team has a strong track record of recovering maximum compensation for our clients via workers’ compensation claims and personal injury claims. Some of our case results for injured workers include:
- Fall-related paralysis – $4.7 million
- Spinal injury from a traffic crash – $2.4 million
- Back injuries from heavy lifting – $1.4 million
- Serious fall-related injuries – $800,000
- Amputation and back injury – $768,700
- Lower back surgery – $500,000
Let us maximize your monetary award so you can become whole again after your workplace accident.
For a free case evaluation and legal consultation with an experienced West Palm Beach workers’ compensation attorney, please reach out to Feldman Law today to learn more.
Common Workplace Occurrences That Lead to Injuries and Illnesses at Job Sites
Workplace accidents may lead to numerous injuries and illnesses, depending upon the work setting. Construction workers and builders, especially those who work on ongoing development projects in the West Palm Beach area, are especially prone to workplace accidents. This is because construction workers and builders are around dangerous equipment and heavy machinery on a daily basis. In addition, these individuals frequently have to lift heavy objects, which can severely strain their necks and backs.
However, construction workers and builders are not the only individuals who may suffer a serious injury at their job. In fact, office workers can suffer injuries in a slip and fall accident or motor vehicle accident while they are on the clock.
Some of the most common accidents that lead to workplace injuries include:
- Slip and fall accidents on office premises or at a construction site
- Motor vehicle accidents when a worker must operate a vehicle on the clock
- Explosions on a job site and lead to severe burn injuries
- Product malfunctions when a product, machine, or piece of job-site equipment does not work correctly – even when a worker is using the equipment properly
- Electrocution accidents from faulty wiring that lead to severe burn injuries
- Other premises accidents when a work supervisor fails to maintain the premises in a reasonable, safe, and careful manner
- Fall accidents when an individual must work atop tall scaffolding or ladders
- Roof accidents, where a roofer falls to the ground
If you suffered injuries in one of these incidents at your job, you should seek the medical help you need right away. Next, you should contact a West Palm Beach workers’ compensation attorney as soon as possible. At Feldman Law, our legal team can promptly investigate your work circumstances and explore your legal options for filing a workers’ compensation claim for various benefits.
Common Workplace Injuries and Illnesses
Workplace accidents and injuries may leave individuals in extreme pain and in need of ongoing medical treatment. Individuals may also have to take significant time off work to recover from their injuries and attend all of their medical and physical therapy appointments.
The injuries workers can sustain vary widely. While some workplace injuries and illnesses appear right away, others take several weeks or even months to manifest. Some heal with treatment and time, and others cause permanent disabilities for the rest of the worker’s life.
Some of the most common injuries and illnesses workers suffer while on the job include:
- Broken bones (especially hip bones and shoulder bones)
- Soft tissue contusions, such as a whiplash injury in a car crash
- Spinal cord damage
- Internal organ injuries
- Full and partial paralysis injuries
- Traumatic head and brain injuries, including concussions
- Knee injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Crush injuries
- Asthma and other breathing difficulties that result from chronic exposure to harmful chemicals on a job site
- Burn injuries
- Carpal tunnel syndrome from prolonged repetitive movements, such as typing
In Florida, injured workers typically do not have the discretion to treat with the medical provider of their choosing. Since an injured worker’s employer pays workers’ compensation benefits through their insurance company, the insurer typically selects the medical provider from whom the injured worker must seek treatment.
Injured workers must seek immediate medical treatment after their workplace injury and they avoid long gaps in treatment. When significant treatment gaps exist in a worker’s medical records, insurance companies often become skeptical. In fact, the insurance company may believe your injuries were not serious or you did not make your medical treatment a priority – if lengthy treatment gaps exist.
In addition to receiving the medical care you need following your workplace injury, talk with an experienced West Palm Beach workers’ compensation attorney as soon as possible. The skilled legal team at Feldman Law can immediately gather the supporting documentation you need to file your workers’ compensation or personal injury claim for monetary compensation. Once you finish your medical treatment, we can help you begin to pursue the full monetary benefits you deserve to recover.
What to Do After a Workplace Injury or Illness
Suppose you become involved in an accident while at your job; there are specific steps you should immediately take. First, you should report the incident, as well as your injuries, to your employer. Your employer will typically have you fill out and submit a form. Employers are not allowed to retaliate against workers who file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits.
Take photographs of the incident scene, as well as photos of any visible injuries you may have. In addition, you should seek immediate medical care for all of your injuries. Finally, talk with an experienced West Palm Beach workers’ compensation attorney at Feldman Law right away. We can review the circumstances of your accident with you and help you begin the claims filing process.
Eligibility to File a West Palm Beach Workers’ Compensation Claim
To file a workers’ compensation claim in Florida, individuals must meet several requirements. First, they must have suffered their injury or illness while they were at their job and while they were working within the scope of their employment. Therefore, to fit within this definition, the worker must ordinarily have been performing a job duty at the time their illness or injury developed.
In addition, workers’ compensation benefits are no-fault benefits. Therefore, an injured worker may recover these benefits regardless of who caused the incident and how the incident occurred.
Finally, workers’ compensation benefits in Florida are only available to employees. Independent contractors, on the other hand, are not eligible to pursue a claim for these benefits. In general, independent contractors have more freedom when it comes to setting their income and determining the time and place of their work. They are also subject to far less control from an employer than an employee.
Employees, on the other hand, typically have starting and ending times for their workday and are subject to far more control from their employer. In addition, at tax time, an employee generally receives a W-2 tax form, while an independent contractor receives a Form-1099.
The West Palm Beach workers’ compensation attorneys at Feldman Law can determine your eligibility to pursue a claim for workers’ compensation benefits. We can then file the claim on your behalf promptly and begin seeking the total compensation and benefits you deserve to recover in your case.
Recovering Benefits Through the Florida Workers’ Compensation System
The total benefits an injured worker may recover will vary from case to case. However, some common types of benefits available through the Florida Workers’ Compensation System include:
- Reimbursement for all related medical expenses, including the costs of various medical treatments
- Reimbursement for a portion of the accident victim’s lost income
- Vocational rehabilitation benefits, if the worker’s injuries prevent them from continuing in the same line of work
- Various types of permanency benefits, including permanent partial disability (PPD) benefits, when the accident victim suffers an injury or illness that is unlikely to recover completely
Who Can File a Third-party Claim after a Work Accident?
Those parties may include:
- A product manufacturer whose negligence caused a product malfunction while on a job site
- A motor vehicle operator who caused an accident that led to permanent injuries
- A construction project manager or supervisor who failed to properly supervise workers or maintain the job site
As part of a third-party personal injury claim or lawsuit, injured workers can receive additional monetary compensation, including monetary damages for their:
- Anticipated medical costs or lost income
- Permanent pain and suffering
- Loss of use of a body part
- Loss of life enjoyment
- Loss of spousal companionship
- Emotional anguish and mental distress
Our knowledgeable legal team can determine if you can file a third-party claim or lawsuit in addition to your claim for workers’ compensation benefits. If so, we can file a timely claim on your behalf and work to pursue the additional compensation you deserve for your work-related injury or illness. In most situations, we will resolve your workers’ compensation claim first and then turn our attention to the third-party portion of your claim.
Contact an Experienced West Palm Beach Workers’ Compensation Attorney Today
Suppose you suffered an injury or illness while at your job; you should take legal action right away. Delaying this critical step may jeopardize your right to recover the monetary benefits and compensation you deserve. At Feldman Law, our skilled team can help you take legal action promptly, safeguarding your right to recover the favorable financial benefits and damages you deserve.
For a free case evaluation and legal consultation with a West Palm Beach workers’ compensation attorney, please call us at (877) FELDMAN or contact us online today for more information.