Author Archives: Jay Butchko
FAQs About Workers’ Compensation in Florida
A hundred years ago, when the Grand Bargain gave birth to workers’ compensation, the system was very simple and quickly paid benefits to injured workers, regardless of their fault for the accident. But today, insurance company interests dominate the workers’ compensation system, which is lengthy, complex, and frustrating. Because of these complexities, many people… Read More »
Job Injury Medical Bills and the FCCPA
The Florida Consumer Protection Practices Act, which is in Chapter 501 of the Florida Statutes, is a consumer protection statute that plays a vital role in many workers’ compensation matters. Basically, the FCCPA prohibits supplemental job injury billing, a very common practice in the Tampa Bay area. More on that below. In Florida, workers’… Read More »
How Does Workers’ Comp Work in Florida?
The economic cost of nonfatal serious injuries exceeds $2 trillion a year. Medical bills and lost wages make up most of that cost. Florida’s workers’ compensation system replaces lost wages and pays medical bills, if those expenses are connected to a job-related injury or illness. However, compensation in a job injury case is a… Read More »
Medical Debt and Workers’ Compensation
A new federal rule prohibits the inclusion of most medical debt on most credit scores. A longstanding worker’s compensation rule provides similar protection to job injury victims. According to the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, an unpaid medical bill on a person’s credit report is a poor predictor of a consumer’s likelihood to repay a… Read More »
Do Job Injury Victims Always Get Workers’ Comp?
Yes, in most cases. Florida has one of the broadest exclusive remedy laws in the country. No-fault workers’ compensation benefits usually include lost wage replacement and medical bill payment. Full benefits are usually available even if a non-work or pre-existing contributed to the risk and/or severity of a job-related illness or injury. However, as… Read More »
Fatal Bicycle Wreck in Tampa
Few details were available after a vehicle fatally struck a bicyclist on 50th Street in Tampa on March 27, 2025. Officers responded to reports of the crash on 50th street just after 7 a.m. Details into the collision are limited at this time, but officials say the driver remained at the scene. The southbound… Read More »
How to Get Disability After an Accident
Accident victims can get disability if the injury is permanently disabling. A permanent condition is a condition that’s fatal or expected to last at least a year. A disability is basically a medical condition that prevents the applicant from obtaining and holding an SGA (substantial gainful activity) job. SGA is essentially a job that… Read More »
Nurses Show Support for Injured Colleague
On February 23, 2025, hundreds of Palm Beach County healthcare workers and well-wishers gathered to express support for a nurse who’d been brutally attacked by a patient the previous week. The gathering was filled with song and emotion as participants shared in a collective spirit of support. “We’re here to offer our support so… Read More »
What to Expect in a Workers’ Compensation Matter
Most job injury victims can expect a workers’ compensation settlement. About 90 percent of civil claims, including workers’ compensation claims, settle out of court. These resolutions greatly benefit victims, mostly because a settlement is a final resolution. When the insurance company settles a case, instead of tying the matter up in appeals courts, it… Read More »
Five Quick FAQs About Workers’ Compensation in Florida
In the old days, shortly after workers and management struck the Grand Bargain, most job injury victims had few or no questions about their workers’ compensation benefits. The system quickly replaced lost wages and paid medical bills, usually as soon as job injury victims filed official claims. But those days are over. Today, insurance… Read More »
