Hillsborough County Workers’ Comp Mileage Reimbursement Attorney
Workers’ compensation covers more than hospital bills and lost wages. One of the most consistently overlooked benefits under Florida law is mileage reimbursement for Hillsborough County workers’ comp claimants who have to travel for authorized medical care. Injured workers drive to doctor appointments, physical therapy, pharmacies, and specialist evaluations, sometimes repeatedly over months or years. That adds up. Florida law says those miles are compensable, and yet many injured workers never receive a cent for them because no one told them to keep track, or because the insurance carrier quietly ignored the obligation.
At Kobal Law, Jason Kobal has spent nearly two decades working through the details of Florida workers’ compensation claims on behalf of injured workers in Tampa and throughout Hillsborough County. Mileage reimbursement is one of those details that looks small on paper but can represent real money over the course of a serious injury claim.
What Florida Law Actually Requires for Travel Reimbursement
Florida Statute Section 440.13 governs the medical benefits available to injured workers, and it expressly includes reimbursement for travel to and from medical treatment. The Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation sets the applicable mileage rate, which tracks the state travel rate rather than the IRS rate, and it applies to every trip taken for authorized medical care related to your workplace injury.
Covered travel includes trips to your authorized treating physician, any specialist your authorized doctor refers you to, physical or occupational therapy, diagnostic imaging like MRIs or X-rays, the pharmacy to fill prescriptions tied to your injury, and independent medical examinations when required by the carrier. If the carrier authorized the treatment, the travel to receive it is reimbursable.
There is a threshold. Florida law only requires reimbursement when the one-way trip exceeds a certain mileage minimum, currently set in the statutes. For workers in and around Tampa, most medical travel easily clears that threshold, particularly when treatment facilities are spread across Hillsborough County or when specialists are located in other parts of the Tampa Bay area.
The reimbursement claim must be submitted on a specific DWC form. If you have not been submitting these forms, or if you have been submitting them and the carrier has not responded, that is a problem worth addressing directly.
Why Carriers Let Mileage Reimbursement Slip Through Without Pushback
Insurance carriers are not going to remind you that you are entitled to mileage reimbursement. There is no upside for them in doing so. If you do not submit the form, they do not have to pay. If you submit it late, they may dispute it. If you submit it without adequate documentation, they have grounds to deny it. The system is not designed to help you collect every dollar you are owed. It is designed to process claims that are properly submitted and to minimize payouts on everything else.
For injured workers managing pain, medical appointments, and reduced income simultaneously, tracking mileage and completing reimbursement forms often falls to the bottom of the list. Carriers count on that. Some workers only realize how much they left on the table when the claim is nearing resolution and a lawyer reviews the file.
It is also worth knowing that mileage reimbursement disputes can escalate into formal proceedings before a Judge of Compensation Claims. If the carrier refuses to pay or consistently delays without justification, that behavior can support a petition for benefits and, in certain circumstances, a request for attorney’s fees against the carrier. The obligation to reimburse travel is not optional for the employer’s insurer, and treating it as optional has consequences.
Keeping Records That Actually Support a Reimbursement Claim
Documenting mileage for a workers’ compensation claim requires more than a rough estimate. You need the date of each trip, the starting point, the destination, the reason for the trip, and the round-trip mileage. Keeping a simple written log, a notes app on your phone, or a dedicated spreadsheet works. Google Maps printouts showing route distance can corroborate your records if a carrier challenges your mileage calculations.
Receipts matter for more than just mileage. If your injury required you to travel more than 50 miles one way for treatment, Florida law may entitle you to reimbursement for meals and lodging in addition to the mileage itself. Workers coming to Tampa from other parts of Hillsborough County or beyond for specialized care should keep receipts for every related expense.
The DWC-25 form is the standard vehicle for submitting mileage reimbursement requests in Florida. It asks for basic trip information and your signature. Submitting it promptly after each medical visit, rather than waiting until you have accumulated dozens of trips, keeps the records cleaner and reduces opportunities for the carrier to raise documentation objections.
If you have been injured and have not been submitting mileage reimbursement requests at all, it may still be possible to recover for past travel. The statute of limitations for workers’ compensation benefits in Florida is complex, and the window for recovering historical mileage depends on the specific circumstances of your claim. This is something Jason Kobal can review when evaluating your case.
What Injured Workers in Hillsborough County Often Ask About Mileage
Does mileage reimbursement apply to every medical trip, or only some of them?
It applies to travel for authorized medical care. If the carrier authorized the treating physician and the specific appointment, the travel is reimbursable. Trips to unauthorized providers or care the carrier has not approved will not qualify, which is one of many reasons why staying within the authorized treatment network matters for your claim.
What if the carrier denies my mileage reimbursement request?
A denial is not the end. You can file a petition for benefits with the Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation challenging the denial. If the carrier’s refusal was without merit, you may also be entitled to attorney’s fees and costs, which shifts the financial burden of litigating the dispute away from you. An attorney who handles these disputes regularly will know when a denial is worth challenging.
Can I be reimbursed for mileage to pick up prescriptions?
Yes. Travel to a pharmacy to fill a prescription that is part of your authorized workers’ comp treatment is reimbursable under Florida law. Keep a record of those trips the same way you would for doctor visits.
How long does the carrier have to pay after I submit a mileage request?
Florida law requires carriers to pay undisputed amounts within a specified period after receiving a proper request. Delays beyond that window can give rise to penalties. If your carrier is routinely slow to pay mileage reimbursements, that pattern is worth documenting and discussing with an attorney.
I’ve been driving to appointments for months and never submitted anything. Is it too late?
Possibly not, but the answer depends on the timeline of your claim, the current status of the claim, and the specific facts involved. Florida workers’ comp statutes include limitation periods that can affect recovery for older unreimbursed travel. The earlier you raise this issue, the better your position. Waiting until the claim is fully settled may foreclose options that are still available now.
What if I live far from Tampa and have to travel significant distances for authorized care?
Greater distances mean larger reimbursement amounts, and the obligation on the carrier’s side does not change based on how far you live from the treating provider. Workers in more rural parts of Hillsborough County or surrounding areas who travel to Tampa for specialized care are entitled to reimbursement for the actual miles driven.
Does hiring an attorney cost anything upfront for a mileage reimbursement dispute?
At Kobal Law, cases are handled on a contingency basis. There are no fees owed until and unless there is a recovery. For workers dealing with financial pressure from a workplace injury, that structure means you can pursue the benefits you are owed without adding to the financial strain.
Talk to a Hillsborough County Workers’ Compensation Attorney About Your Travel Benefits
Mileage reimbursement in a workers’ comp claim sounds like a minor issue until you add up two years of twice-weekly physical therapy appointments across Hillsborough County. The amounts become meaningful, and they are amounts you are legally entitled to receive. Jason Kobal works with injured workers across Tampa and Hillsborough County to make sure every available benefit, including travel reimbursement, is identified, documented, and pursued. If your carrier has been ignoring these submissions, delaying payment, or denying requests without explanation, that is a problem a Hillsborough County workers’ comp mileage reimbursement attorney can address directly. Reach out to Kobal Law to have your claim reviewed.
