The Most Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Workers' Compensation in Florida
Bryan Greenberg
Traffic Accidents
Workers’ Compensation
Whether you are an employee or an employer, it is important to understand workers' compensation laws. This kind of insurance covers and protects both the employer and employee in the event that the employee becomes injured while on the job.Here we will go over some of the most frequently asked questions regarding workers' compensation in Florida, starting with what it is.
What Is Workers' Compensation?
Again, workers' compensation is an insurance policy that provides coverage for the business and the injured employee in the event of an accidental injury. It helps the injured employee recover and protects them from the potential costs that can be involved due to any work-related injury.
What Does Workers' Compensation Actually Cover?
Another big question when it comes to workers' comp is what it covers. This policy will help cover all medical expenses associated with the injury as well as cover lost wages, the costs for any ongoing care, and funeral expenses in the case of more serious accidents.
What Isn't Covered Under Workers' Comp?
Some situations do not apply and are not covered by the workers' compensation policy; however, these situations vary from state to state, so you want to familiarize yourself with the different state laws.
A few examples of what is not typically covered under workers' compensation include injuries sustained as the result of a fight with another employee, an injury that is sustained while the employee was under the influence at work at the time of the accident, an injury that was intentional, and emotional injuries that are not also accompanied by physical injuries due to workplace trauma.
Who Pays for These Benefits?
If the employer doesn't pay for these benefits, they will purchase workers' compensation insurance to cover their benefits. The majority of states require businesses to carry this insurance. A couple of exceptions to this include Texas and New Jersey, where workers' compensation coverage is elective rather than mandatory.
It is never the employee's responsibility to pay for this coverage. The coverage cost will depend on state laws, the size of the business, the type of industry, and on-the-job risks involved.
What Is the Process?
When an employee is injured on the job, they first have to report the incident to a supervisor. When reporting the incident, it is imperative that you include specific details, including the date, time, and what happened surrounding the incident. Different state requirements will also have to be considered to ensure everything has been properly reported.
Incidents should be reported if the injured person is an employee of the business, the employee has become sick due to the nature of their work, they get injured while performing their job duties or if the employee is hurt while in the workplace.
The employee should receive the proper medical care and treatment and be given time off work if requested due to their injuries.
When filing a claim, you also need to have the company account number, location, policy number, name, date of birth, address, phone number, social security number, age, the gender of the employee, and the incident details.
When reporting the incident, be sure to include the date, the injuries, which body part was hurt, the cause of the injury, an estimated number of days the employee will be out of work, anticipated return date, and include witness statements.
Still have questions about the process, or has your workers' compensation claim been denied? Call us today to go over the details of your case.