A recent Florida Workers’ Compensation report revealed that the Sunshine State ranks among the top five states for workers’ compensation claims related to the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19 has also impacted employees who have been injured on the job. Some are finding it difficult to get medical care, including payment of their medical bills associated with the illness and or lost wages. As a result, Florida Workers’ Compensation Claims and COVID have presented some unique issues for everyone. Hiring Evan M. Ostfeld, Esq., (a Coral Springs Workers’ Compensation Attorney) and his legal team, at The Law Offices of Evan M. Ostfeld, P.A., however can help you navigate thru the problems involved with the complex Florida Workers’ Compensation Law.
COVID-19 has also affected the work restrictions of injured workers as well as the potential for pandemic-related layoffs. When jobs are no longer available as a result, insurance carriers and employers oftentimes deny injured employees their workers’ compensation benefits.
One recent case, Correa v. The Salvation Army/Chesterfield Services, Inc., dealt with an injured worker who was on light duty work. His employer laid him off because of pandemic. The judge however ruled that the employer’s inability to continue providing such a job due to financial reasons could not be used to defend against the claim for lost wages under the Florida Workers’ Compensation System. The reasoning – when a portion of an employee’s wages are caused by something unrelated to an on the job injury, that does not automatically preclude the individual from receiving their lost income. As long as he/she can show a causal relationship between the incident and the wage loss, they are still eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.
Coral Springs Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Evan M. Ostfeld, Esq. has more than 27 years of experience fighting for the rights of injured workers and their families. He understands the complexities of the Florida Workers’ Compensation system and how to aggressively protect one’s rights. The legal team at The Law Offices of Evan M. Ostfeld, P.A. offers a free, no-obligation case evaluation. In fact, we do not charge any attorney’s fees or costs unless we win or there is a settlement.
If you or a loved one have Florida Workers’ Compensation questions, contact The Law Offices of Evan M. Ostfeld, P.A., today. We are only a phone call, text or email away at (866) I SUE YOU, (866) 478-3968, (866) BAD RXRX, (866) 223-7979, (954) 227-7529, (954) 998-0075 Text or at evan@attorney4life.com. We are here to help now and in the future!
