Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Lawmakers Mull Workers’ Compensation Prescription Drug Changes
A proposed new Department of Financial Services rule would limit prescription drug reimbursement for workers’ compensation medical providers in the Sunshine State. If enacted, the new rule would prohibit doctors from dispensing prescription drugs without prior, written authorization. Unless these authorization requests follow specific rules, the insurance company may deny them. Absent unexpected developments,… Read More »
Workers’ Compensation And Lost Wage Replacement
Job injuries are financially devastating to most families. Most Americans have practically nothing in their savings accounts. Making matters worse, a job injury victim is a family’s only or primary breadwinner. The inability to earn a paycheck is also very hard emotionally on job injury victims. The inability to provide for their families often… Read More »
What To Expect In A Workers’ Compensation Claim
Florida and most other states enacted workers’ compensation laws around 1910, when management and labor struck the Grand Bargain. Management provided no-fault insurance that covered economic losses, and workers gave up their right to sue in court. Back in the day, workers only needed to file paperwork to obtain these benefits. Now, the system… Read More »
Guilty Plea In Employer Workers’ Comp Fraud Case
A Lakeland construction company owner faces up to twenty years in federal prison after he admitted to multiple workers’ compensation fraud counts. According to court documents, the 52-year-old man had agreements with contractors and subcontractors to use workers employed by him at construction sites and these workers were often undocumented immigrants who were actually… Read More »
Evidence In Drowsy Truck Driver Crash Claims
Recently, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has repeatedly watered down key HOS (hours of service) requirements. These rules usually include daily driving limits, usually 11 hours, and weekly driving limits, usually 70 hours. These rules also include mandatory break periods. Because of these dilutions, more drowsy truck drivers are on the road than… Read More »
Does Workers’ Comp Cover Medical Bills?
Payment of all reasonably necessary medical expenses is a key component of workers’ compensation insurance plans in Florida. The insurance company must not only pay these expenses. In most cases, it must pay them even if the job injury victim was partially, mostly, or entirely at fault for a work-related trauma injury, like a… Read More »
OSHA Investigation Focuses On Amazon Warehouses In Florida
The e-commerce giant downplayed or failed to report warehouse worker injuries in several states, including Florida, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. “Accurate recordkeeping is a critical element of that program and while we acknowledge there might have been a small number of administrative errors over the years, we are confident in… Read More »
Winning Dog Bite Injury Cases In Florida
Over the last ten years, the average dog bite insurance settlement has almost doubled. Doctors better understand the severe physical and emotional wounds these attacks cause. The physical wounds usually include surface wounds, like severe lacerations and broken bones. Deeper physical wounds, like internal organ injuries and head injuries, are common as well. Emotionally,… Read More »
Court Slams Insurance Company’s Bad Faith Tactics
Two insurance carriers quickly settled a catastrophic injury claim while a third one “sat on its thumbs,” according to a unanimous decision from a federal appeals court. In reaching this conclusion, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the insurance company’s excuse that a key witness was not fully cooperative. “American Builders did everything… Read More »
Top Five Workers’ Compensation Denial Reasons
Insurance companies state that Claims Examiners pay about 80 percent of workers’ compensation claims. This claim is very misleading. There’s a big difference between paid and paid in full. Insurance companies often cite one of the reasons listed below, even if the rationale for denial is very weak, and then pressure victims into settling… Read More »
