Legal Question in Workers Comp in Florida
sprained miniscus
I hurt my knee on the job - they paid for my doctors appts & 5 or 6 therapy sessions. Case is still open but I am no longer employed by the company I got hurt at. Knee never got back to 100% as therapist said it should. Having the knee pain (not severe) intereferes with every aspect of my life now. I cannot do the things I did before. What are my rights (if any) to be compensated for this & how much would be right for this sort of injury & how it still affects things I do (cannot do) daily? Plus it greatly hinders my job search now as I know I have to restrict myself and am only skilled for manual labor.
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: sprained miniscus
If your accident happened after October 1, 2003, you are out of luck. Payment for disability (loss of wage earnign capacity) is no longer available under the Florida WC law. You are eligible for continued medical care and you should not let a full year go by without getting some treatment to keep the claim open. You are also eligible for some minimal impairment benefits if your doctor gives you an impairment rating. Those benefits are paid for a very limited period of time, regardless of whether or not you work. But if you work, your benefits are lower than if you don't. Confused? So are the lawyers who represent injured workers. Consult a lawyer for your specific rights.