What’s The Big Deal With Daniel Stahl v. Hialeah Hospital?
Brian O Sutter
Personal Injury
The Florida Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in Daniel Stahl v. Hialeah Hospital in a little less than a month on April 16, 2016. The case has been followed with close scrutiny by those in the Florida workers’ compensation industry. So what’s the big deal with this case, and what does it mean for you?History Of Workers’ Compensation
Workers’ compensation schemes began as state solutions to the problem of people being injured at work. The schemes were designed as a sort of compromise between employers and labor, whereby employers and/or their insurers would pay for job-related injuries of their employees regardless of fault, and in return, employers would be immune from traditional tort suits in court, and employees would receive less money than they would have if they had sued in court.
Of course, it wasn’t hard to predict that employers and insurance companies would try to get out of paying by arguing that certain injuries were not job-related, so in Florida, the Offices of the Judges of Compensation Claims was established to rule of workers’ compensation disputes.
Daniel Stahl v. Hialeah Hospital challenges the constitutionality of significant revisions that were made to Florida’s workers’ compensation laws in 2003—specifically, the elimination of compensation for permanent partial disability. If the Florida workers’ compensation laws are held to be unconstitutional, that would open up the doors for employees injured on the job to bypass the workers’ compensation scheme, and sue their employers directly in the courts.
History of Daniel Stahl v. Hialeah Hospital
The case goes back to 2003, shortly after the revisions to Florida’s worker compensation laws took effect. Daniel Stahl was working as a nurse at Hialeah Hospital when he injured his back while lifting a patient. His back never fully healed, and was rated at a 6% permanent impairment. He was no longer able to lift patients, effectively ending his career as a nurse.
He was paid $5,472 for 12 weeks of impairment benefits, but was denied permanent total disability benefits, and because of the 2003 changes to the law, he was not entitled to permanent partial disability benefits.
His workers’ compensation attorneys worked his case through Florida’s compensation scheme and Florida’s court system over the next 12 years to get before the Florida Supreme Court.
Daniel Stahl’s primary argument is that Florida’s workers’ compensation laws have eliminated the availability of permanent partial disability benefits and the employees’ right to sue without providing an adequate replacement, which is a violation of access to courts guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
The Importance of Legal Representation In Workers’ Compensation Claims
Regardless of the outcome of Daniel Stahl v. Hialeah Hospital, the case underscores an important point in workers’ compensation claims—insurance companies and employers will try to deny or limit the payout of benefits, and Florida’s legislation does not make it any easier for injured employees to get fair and reasonable benefits they deserve.
An experienced workers’ compensation attorney can help you through the claims process by:
- ensuring the “independent” medical examiner chosen by the employer provides a truly independent evaluation and prognosis,
- contesting denials of claims before the Office of Judges of Compensation Claims,
- negotiating with employers or insurers to provide fair and reasonable compensation, and
- if necessary, filing and navigating the appeals process.
If you’ve been injured at work, you are entitled to benefits under Florida’s workers’ compensation laws. The experienced attorneys at All Injuries Law Firm may be able to assist you in obtaining the benefits you are due.