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Tampa Workers' Compensation Attorney / Blog / Workers Compensation / Types of Workers’ Compensation Benefits in Florida: Maximum Amount You Can Receive in 2020

Types of Workers’ Compensation Benefits in Florida: Maximum Amount You Can Receive in 2020

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Some jobs are more dangerous than others, which is why an employee can get injured at work. If you have sustained an on-the-job injury in Tampa or elsewhere in Florida, you are most likely entitled to workers’ compensation (WC) because all employers in the state are required to provide WC insurance.

But what are the types of workers’ compensation benefits that are available to injured employees in Florida?

Types of Workers’ Compensation Benefits in Florida

Generally, there are four types of workers’ compensation benefits for employees who suffer on-the-job injuries or are diagnosed with work-related illnesses in Florida:

  1. Temporary total disability
  2. Temporary partial disability
  3. Permanent total disability
  4. Permanent impairment benefits

Depending on the nature of your workers’ comp injury, you may also be entitled to additional benefits, including mileage reimbursement, vocational rehabilitation, and others.

Temporary Total Disability Benefits

In Florida, temporary total disability benefits are available to workers who temporarily cannot return to work due to their work-related injury or illness. A worker is entitled to workers’ comp benefits for the first seven days of their disability only if their disability lasts for 21 or more days. In that case, benefits for the first week will be paid retroactively.

Temporary total disability benefits are limited to 104 weeks or until the worker reaches their maximum medical improvement (MMI), a point of recovery when the injured person’s condition is no longer expected to improve.

These benefits comprise two-thirds of the injured worker’s average weekly earnings but cannot exceed a maximum amount set forth by Florida law. In 2020, the maximum amount is $971 a week.

Temporary Partial Disability Benefits

Temporary partial disability benefits are available to injured workers who are able to return to work but earn less than 80% of their pre-injury wages. These benefits are paid at 80% of the difference between 80% of your previous and current wages.

Permanent Total Disability Benefits

When your medical treatment comes to an end, you will be examined for permanent disability by the authorized workers’ compensation doctor in Florida. If the examination shows that you have a total and permanent disability, you may continue to receive workers’ comp benefits for life.

In Florida, workers who suffer catastrophic injuries, such as amputations, automatically qualify for permanent total disability benefits. Permanent total disability benefits amount to two-thirds of your regular wage but cannot exceed the same maximum amount as specified by state law for temporary total disability.

Permanent Impairment Benefits

If the authorized doctor determines that an injured worker has a permanent impairment due to his or her work-related injury or illness, that worker will be assigned a “permanent impairment rating,” which is a percentage used to calculate permanent impairment benefits.

In Florida, permanent impairment benefits are paid at 75% of the worker’s temporary total disability rate, but cannot exceed the same threshold as specified above. For example, a worker who received $720 in temporary total disability benefits will be eligible for $540 a week.

If a worker is able to return to work, his or her permanent impairment benefits will be reduced based on their updated impairment rating. Consult with an experienced Tampa workers’ compensation attorney to determine your eligibility for workers’ comp benefits in Florida and calculate how much you will receive. Contact our lawyers at Kobal Law to schedule a consultation. Call at 813-873-2440.

Resource:

myfloridacfo.com/division/wc/employee/calculators/TTcalc.htm

https://www.tampaworkcomplaw.com/5-things-you-should-avoid-saying-to-your-workers-compensation-doctor-in-florida/

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