Why You Need a Workers’ Compensation Attorney in Florida | Protect Your Rights

Summary

With 27 years of experience, the speaker advises that injured workers should always hire an attorney because, without one, employers and insurance companies are not obligated to provide benefits or information within a set timeframe. By hiring a lawyer to file a “petition for benefits,” the employer is legally required to respond within 30 days, and the state of Florida will schedule mediation within three to four months. Trying to handle the process alone often results in long delays for medical appointments and issues with payment checks, which can be resolved quickly by filing a legal claim.

FAQs

Q: Should I get an attorney?

A: Yes, the answer is always yes. The speaker notes they have been doing this for 27 years and have seen the risks people take when they do not have an attorney.

Q: Why do I need an attorney to get benefits?

A: When you do not have an attorney, the employer and the insurance company have no obligation to provide you with any benefits or information within any specific time frame. Without an attorney, nothing is filed that requires the employer and the carrier actually to do anything.

Q: What happens after an attorney is hired?

A: The attorney files a claim with the court, called a “petition for benefits”. This forces the employer and insurance company to provide benefits or an answer within 30 days.

Q: When does mediation happen?

A: Once the claim is filed, the state of Florida sets a mediation within three to four months. If you do not have an attorney, you will never get a mediation.

Q: What specific problems can an attorney fix quickly?

A: An attorney can quickly fix situations where people are waiting months for doctor’s appointments, therapy, or MRIs. They can also address issues where people are not getting their checks or the checks are for the wrong amount.

Q: What does the speaker say happens if someone tries to handle their claim without hiring an attorney?

A: The speaker states that trying to handle a workers’ compensation claim on your own will never work out the way you think it will and advises injured workers not to wait to seek legal help.

Q: Why do many injured workers end up waiting months for medical care without an attorney?

A: Many injured workers do not understand the process and may end up waiting months for doctor’s appointments, physical therapy, or an MRI.

Q: What professional experience does the speaker draw on to say the answer is always yes?

A: The speaker has been handling workers’ compensation cases for 27 years and has seen the problems and risks people face when they do not have an attorney.

Q: What specifically are the employer and insurance company not required to do without an attorney involved?

A: Without an attorney, the employer and insurance company may not be required to provide benefits or information within a specific time frame.

Q: What issue can arise with a worker’s checks if they don’t have an attorney?

A: Without an attorney, an injured worker may not receive their checks, or the checks they receive may be for the wrong amount.

Transcription of the Video

“People call our office all the time and ask, ‘Should they get an attorney?’ My answer is always yes because I’ve been doing this for 27 years and I’ve seen all the problems or risk that people take when they don’t have an attorney the biggest thing is when you don’t have an attorney the employer and the insurance company have no obligation to provide you any benefits or to provide uh the information to you within any time frame so what happens is once you hire an attorney we then file a claim with the court called a petition for benefits and then that makes the employer and the insurance company have to provide those benefits or provide an answer within 30 days and then the state of Florida will also set a mediation al within three to four months from whenever we file the claim so if you don’t have an attorney you’ll never get a mediation you’ll never get something filed that will require them the employer and the carrier to actually do anything many times people don’t understand that and they wait months and months to get a doctor’s appointments or wait for a therapy or wait for an MRI or they don’t get their checks or the checks are the wrong amount those situations we can fix very quickly if you hire us and then we file a claim right away so don’t wait and try to do it yourself because it will never work out the way you think it will”.

So if you need help, feel free to give us a call” – Last part is missing from the transcript