Author Archives: Jay Butchko
2025 Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rates to Dip Slightly
Citing higher physician reimbursement rates, the National Council on Compensation Insurance is recommending a 1 percent average premium decrease for workers’ compensation insurance policies in Florida in 2025. Senate Bill 362 created a new workers’ compensation maximum reimbursement plan for physicians for the first time in years, allowing a big jump in pay for… Read More »
How Much Does Workers’ Comp Pay?
Most workers’ compensation insurance policies in Florida pay two-thirds of a job injury victim’s average weekly wage (AWW) for the full length of a temporary or permanent disability. Lost wage replacement may be the most important workers’ comp benefit. Most families live hand to mouth. A few months without a paycheck, or even a… Read More »
Issues in the Workers’ Compensation Settlement Process
Lawyer shows usually feature dramatic and emotional courtroom showdowns. But the legal system in general, and the workers’ compensation system in particular, is built on compromise. Over 95 percent of workers’ compensation claims settle out of court. Usually, liability, or legal responsibility for injury, is not disputed in these cases. Damages, or the amount… Read More »
Top Five Covered Medical Expenses in Workers’ Comp Cases
Since 2000, medical treatment costs have increased over 120 percent. That’s much higher than the overall inflation rate. Most group health insurance policies exclude work injury or disease-related costs, for liability reasons. Since most families live hand to mount, they cannot possibly afford to pay these staggering costs out of pocket. A job-related “injury”… Read More »
Top Five Occupational Diseases in Florida
An occupational disease is any work-related injury that arises over the course of more than one work shift. These disease claims usually involve unique legal issues, as outlined below. Usually, workers’ compensation benefits are available if the disease was job-related and the effects of that disease are partially or totally disabling. The D-word’s definition… Read More »
Job Injuries and LEP Workers
Tampa Bay has one of the largest percentages of Limited English Proficiency individuals in the nation. LEP usually means the person speaks a language other than English at home, and the person’s English skills are self-described as average or below average. For various reasons, the workplace injury rate for LEP workers is almost twice… Read More »
FAQs About Workers’ Compensation
Workers’ compensation law has changed significantly in Florida in recent years. Therefore, many people have many questions about their rights and obligations. The law has changed, but the role of a Tampa workers’ compensation lawyer hasn’t changed. Then as now, a partnership with a lawyer ensures maximum benefits for your job-related injury. These benefits… Read More »
Motorcycle Crashes And The Pain Afterwards
In TV and movies, motorcycle crashes don’t hurt. But in real life, motorcycle crashes hurt physically, emotionally, and financially. The motorcycle rider collision fatality rate is thirty times higher than the enclosed vehicle collision fatality rate. That one statistic says volumes about how much motorcycle crashes hurt not only victims, but also their friends… Read More »
SSD’s Quick Disability Determinations Program: What You Should Know
Social Security Disability waiting times have spiraled upward in recent years. In the late 2010s, the Social Security Administration (SSA) typically processed initial applications in less than 120 days. Over the first eight months of the 2024 federal fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, that figure had doubled. Additionally, the average wait for a… Read More »
Liability Defenses in Workers’ Comp Cases
A no-fault insurance program that compensates injured workers for their economic losses was a key part of the Grand Bargain between workers and management, in which injured workers agreed to give up their rights to sue in court. However, employers quietly reserved a few liability defenses. More on that below. To overcome these defenses,… Read More »
