What Does Workers’ Comp Help Pay For?
Workers’ comp helps pay for almost everything, from groceries and utility bills to physical therapy and doctor bills. In fact, in many cases, workers’ comp doesn’t just help pay for these expenses. It pays all of them. Job injury benefits in Florida usually include a lost wage replacement cash stipend and direct payment of all reasonably necessary medical bills.
In the old days, workers’ compensation insurance companies usually paid maximum benefits without asking too many questions. Those days are over. Years of premium decreases in Florida have drained money from the system, making insurance companies very stingy. Therefore, job injury victims need a Tampa workers’ compensation lawyer to claim a fair-sized piece of a shrinking financial pie.
How Much Do You Get for Lost Wages?
Usually, workers’ compensation pays two-thirds of the victim’s average weekly wage for the duration of a temporary or permanent disability.
The AWW (average weekly wage), which is the basis for this benefit, combines prior current wages with the money the victim loses due to injury.
In terms of prior wages, the AWW is different from the net wage. The AWW includes non-cash compensation, such as matching retirement account contributions and loan forgiveness. Furthermore, if the victim recently changed jobs or got a promotion, the prior wage component only takes those wages into account, not the lower earnings of a prior job or position.
Future lost wages include missed overtime opportunities, lost opportunities for advancement, and missed performance bonus milestones.
The line between a temporary and a permanent disability is often blurry. Many doctors prematurely apply the MMI (maximum medical improvement) tag. This issue is especially common in Florida because job injury victims must normally see company doctors.
Sometimes, a doctor claims a victim hits MMI before the victim qualifies for permanent disability benefits. A Tampa workers’ compensation lawyer, usually working with an independent doctor, advocates for victims in these situations.
The good news is that temporary benefits last up to five years in Florida. The protected recovery period is considerably shorter in most other states.
hat Percentage of Medical Bills Does Workers’ Comp Cover?
If the medical expense was reasonably necessary, workers’ comp covers 100 percent of that medical bill. Coverage applies not only to hospital bills but also follow-up care, ancillary medical costs, such as medical devices, and physical therapy.
As mentioned, job injury victims in Florida must normally see company doctors. Physicians closely affiliated with insurance companies often erroneously believe that “reasonably necessary” means “cheapest available.”
Assume Mike gets hurt at a food processing plant that’s far away from the nearest qualified trauma center. So, emergency responders ordered a helicopter medevac. An insurance company adjuster claims that added expense was not reasonably necessary, as surface ambulance transport would have been sufficient.
Insurance adjusters must look at the whole picture, not a tiny bit of the picture, to determine what was reasonably necessary. If necessary, a Tampa workers’ compensation lawyer partners with an independent doctor who assesses the bills and testifies that they were reasonably necessary.
On a related note, job injury victims aren’t financially responsible for any unpaid expenses. If providers bill them, the billing is illegal under several federal and state laws.
Rely on a Compassionate Hillsborough County Lawyer
Injury victims are entitled to important financial benefits. For a confidential consultation with an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer in Tampa, contact Kobal Law. The sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we start working for you.
Source:
myfloridacfo.com/division/wc/employee/benefits-available-to-injured-workers
