WORKPLACE INJURIES

Workplace Injuries in West Palm Beach

Workplace injuries occur every day in Florida. If you’ve been hurt at work in Florida, you are entitled to benefits and may have a workers’ compensation claim. Injuries that are covered by workers’ comp include physical and psychological injuries. The West Palm Beach on the job injury attorneys at Vassallo, Bilotta and Davis specialize in representing employees that have been hurt at work in Florida.

Physical Conditions 

The West Palm Beach workplace injury attorneys at Vassallo, Bilotta and Davis can help represent you and file workers’ compensation claims known as petition for benefits (PFB) after you’ve suffered a work accident. The following types of injuries are some of the resulting injuries we frequently see:

How to get paid if hurt at work

  • Back sprains and strains

  • Lumbar disc herniation from lifting, bending, twisting

  • Shoulder or Slap Tears

  • Rotator Cuff Tears

  • Muscle and ligament tears

  • Hernias from heavy lifting

  • Cervical herniated discs

  • Spinal cord injuries

  • Head injuries

  • Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)

  • Occupational diseases caused by prolonged exposure

  • Knee injuries - Torn meniscus or MCL or ACL

While the list describes just a few types of injuries, any injury suffered while at work in Florida should be covered under workers’ compensation. If you’ve been injured and want to discuss your claims for workers’ compensation benefits, please contact an experienced work comp lawyer.

Repetitive Trauma Injuries

Repetitive Trauma injures occur as a result of performing the same tasks over and over again. Here are a few common repetitive trauma conditions that employees experience at work: 

  • Tendonitis

  • Epicondylitis 

  • Carpal tunnel syndrome

  • Cubital tunnel syndrome

  • De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis

  • Bursitis

  • Loss of hearing and or vision

  • Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)

  • Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD)

Any repetitive motion or activity done for months or years can cause injuries to the discs, joints, tendons, and ligaments and cause an injury resulting in a disability rendering you unable to work. Repetitive trauma injuries occur in manual laborers and even office employees.  In order to be covered under workers’ compensation, the accident must be the major contributing cause of the injury and the need for treatment.

So the injured employee must show (1) prolonged exposure and (2) that the prolonged exposure added up over time to cause the injury or aggravated a pre-existing condition, and (3) that the injured workers’ job subjected the employee to an increased hazard when comparing that to which the public is exposed.

For example, if a security guard develops knee pain from walking miles per day or up and down stairs all day or night, this is likely due to a prolonged exposure that the general public is not exposed to. Repetitive trauma injuries are heavily dependent upon the facts of each case and the medical opinion of the authorized treating medical provider.

An experienced West Palm Beach on the job injury attorney can help you with a repetitive trauma workers’ compensation claim. 

Psychological Conditions Can Be Covered by Florida Workers’ Comp

As a general rule, mental or psychiatric injuries are compensable if they result from the physical injury suffered at work. The same major contributing cause (MCC)
standard applies to the physical injury. However, the psychiatric injury must simply be a direct and proximate cause resulting from the physical injury. Psychological injuries alone, without a physical injury are not compensable unless the employee suffers a physical injury requiring medical treatment arising out of an in the course and scope of their employment. This rule does not apply to first responders. For first responders such as police officers, EMTs, paramedics, firefighters, psychiatric injuries do not need to be the result of a physical injury. So if you’ve been hurt at work in Florida and need psychiatric or psychological treatment, your mental injury can be compensable and covered by Florida workers’ compensation laws.  

For example, if a worker whose pre-accident hobby was running, suffered a herniated disc in their back and cannot run anymore, this disability could have a tremendous psychological effect on the injured worker. If before the work accident, the injured worker danced, went on hikes and bike rides and long walks with the dog, and now is unable to do those things, this restriction and limitation could have a negative effect on the claimant’s mental state. These psychological injuries are real and can impact your every day life, just like physical impairments. If you have a mental injury that is not being treated through work comp, it is important to talk to a board certified workers’ compensation attorney to discuss your psychological condition and need for treatment resulting from your on the job accident and injury.

Our West Palm Beach work comp attorneys can help get the treatment you deserve for your mental injury, just like they can help get you the treatment you deserve for your physical injuries. 

Loss Of Use Injuries and Catastrophic Temporary Disability Benefits Explained by Our West Palm Beach Job Injury Attorneys

An injured worker who has lost his or her arm, hand, leg, or foot, and has been rendered a paraplegic, paraparetic, quadriplegic, or quadriparetic, or has lost the vision in both eyes shall be paid temporary total disability of 80 percent of her or his average weekly wage (AWW) for a period of 6 months following the date of accident. This is important to know when seeking workers’ compensation benefits for any injuries that have occurred. If you do not have use of an extremity and are not getting paid catastrophic disability benefits, one of our West Palm Beach on the job injury attorneys can work with you to secure you the benefits you deserve. The experienced workers’ comp lawyers at Vassallo, Bilotta and Davis can help secure you the compensation you deserve.

Steps to Take if You Have Suffered a Workplace Injury in Florida

If you are injured on the job, whether you are a truck driver, a healthcare worker, first responder, or teacher, you should report your accident in writing. Even if you assume your injury isn’t that serious or you think you’ll be fine after a few days, it’s important to document the accident so that work comp doesn’t try to deny your injuries later because they may have occurred somewhere else. If you end up needing to pursue workers’ compensation in the future, it is best to take the following steps at the time of your work accident:

Report your injury in writing to a supervisor as soon as possible.
Even if your co-workers saw your accident or know that you were hurt at work in Florida, it is important to make your boss aware of the accident. We strongly recommend reporting the accident in writing by email or text. You can be as simple or as detailed as possible and although you have 30 days to report the accident, we recommend reporting it as soon as possible.


Follow Your Employer’s Instructions.

If your employer requires you to fill out a form, you should complete the form indicating how you were injured at work.  


If you need medical treatment, ask for medical treatment.

Your employer should report the accident to their workers compensation insurance carrier and offer you medical treatment. If they don’t offer you medical treatment and you need medical treatment, ask them for medical treatment. If they refuse, and only if they refuse or do not respond timely, then you may seek medical treatment on your own under the self-help provision. This is one of the few occasions when you can see a doctor of your choice. As a general rule, the employer/carrier chooses the doctors you treat with under workers’ compensation.  


Follow the doctor’s orders.
Do what the authorized medical provider recommends. If the authorized workers comp doctor tells you not to work, then don’t work. If the work comp dr. tells you to return to work sedentary or light duty, and your employer offers you work within those restrictions, you need to try to return to work and perform the job within those sedentary to light duty restrictions. If you disagree with the doctor’s recommendations, contact an experienced workers’ compensation attorney to discuss your options.  
Your workers’ compensation claim and petitions for benefits.
If your injury prevent you from working, you should file a petition for benefits (PFB) for temporary disability benefits. If your authorized provider recommends diagnostic testing, physical therapy, injections, or surgery, you should file a PFB for the recommended treatment. These petitions for benefits should be filed as with the Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) as soon as possible. The sooner you send a good faith request and file your PFB, the sooner you can start receiving benefits. 


Consult with a West Palm Beach on the job injury lawyer.
Although you are not required to hire a work comp lawyer, it is stron1 Columngly recommended. There is no out of pocket cost to hire a workers’ compensation lawyer and our attorneys have extensive experience representing injured workers. If you have been hurt at work in Florida and are uncertain of the benefits you may be entitled to under workers’ compensation laws, our work comp attorney can help you understand your work injury rights.  

Our West Palm Beach On the Job Injury Lawyers Will Fight for You

You shouldn’t have to fight for workers’ compensation benefits from your employer or their carrier. You should receive benefits without jumping through hoops and sending good faith requests and filing petitions for benefits. However, unfortunately, the injured worker does not always get the work comp benefits they’re entitled to.

All too often, it takes an experienced workers’ compensation attorney to fight with the employer/carriers to get you the benefits you deserve. Sometimes, it’s not just about securing workers’ compensation benefits but it’s also about representing your honor and dignity and giving you peace of mind. The West Palm Beach workers’ compensation attorneys at Vassallo, Bilotta and Davis are ready to fight for your work injury rights.

Get Your Health and Life Back, Contact Our West Palm Beach On the Job Injury Attorneys for a Free Consultation

Whether you’ve suffered a physical or mental injury or both, the West Palm Beach on the job injury attorneys at Vassallo, Bilotta and Davis are here to help you and secure you the workers’ compensation benefits that you are entitled to. Call us at 561-471-2800 or email us to schedule a free consultation and let us help you fight to get your health and life back.