Preexisting Conditions For Workers In Florida
Florida workers are entitled to medical care and a percentage of their lost wages when they are injured or fall ill because of an on-the-job injury. Almost all employers must provide workers’ compensation insurance and provide medical and lost wage benefits for their employees. The process of receiving the benefits you are entitled to is often challenging. This is especially true when it involves preexisting conditions.
Preexisting conditions for workers in Florida can make matters more difficult when the work injury aggravates or worsens an earlier condition, illness or disease. Insurance companies often try to deny workers compensation benefits when the injured worker has a preexisting injury. An experienced workers’ compensation attorney from The Law Firm of Kevin A. Moore is your best chance to get the benefits you are entitled to.
The Challenges Of Deadlines With Preexisting Conditions
Florida imposes strict deadlines for filing workers’ compensation claims. Generally, you must report an injury to your boss within 30 days of the accident. However, repetitive motion injuries and those affecting a preexisting condition may take longer to manifest themselves. One solution to this situation is to consult your doctor as soon as you feel pain. This gives you 30 days to report your injury after your doctor tells you it is work-related. Many times, insurance companies deny workers’ compensation claims because injured workers do not timely report their injuries. Attorney Kevin A. Moore can fight these denials to ensure you get the benefits you deserve.
Florida Statutes § 440.19 also limits the amount of time you have to file with the insurer for workers’ compensation benefits. You must file a claim within two years after realizing that your job duties are worsening your condition. Unfortunately, it is common for employers and insurers to challenge the time it takes you to file a claim. They may also insist that your symptoms are not related to your work. Consulting a knowledgeable workers’ compensation attorney to discuss preexisting conditions for workers in Tampa protects your right to benefits.
Establishing A Link Between Preexisting Conditions And A Work Injury
Florida Statutes § 440.09(1)(b) states that when the workplace injury exacerbates an old injury and both combine into one injury, the doctor must certify that the workplace injury is more than 50 percent responsible for the combined injury before you can collect benefits.
Because medical evidence is the only acceptable form of proof, the doctor who treats you should be familiar with the workers’ compensation system. Tampa, Florida, attorney Kevin Moore has worked with these complicated claims thousands of times and can assist in collecting the evidence you need when you are injured at work with a preexisting condition.
Call The Florida Office To Discuss Preexisting Conditions In The Workplace
The workers’ compensation system protects employees when they are injured on the job and cannot work or can only work limited hours or for reduced wages due to being on a light-duty work status. Workers’ compensation benefits pay for medical care and a percentage of the injured employee’s lost wages.
Injuries that include preexisting conditions get complicated. Call The Law Firm of Kevin A. Moore at 844-538-6580 or contact the firm online today to discuss how attorney Kevin can help you file your claim. He will be your point of contact throughout the process and ensure you know what to expect at every turn.