How Long Will My Workers Comp Case Last?

We thought it would be helpful if we outlined what a typical #workerscompensation case may look like should you ever be involved in one.
First of all, in the state of #Florida, the injured party has 30 days from the injury to inform the employer. The employer then will contact their #insurance and notify them of the injury.
After that you should receive a mileage form and possibly #prescription forms that you may need during the case.
Depending on the severity of your #injury, your #employer will decide whether you need to be seen at the emergency room or a regular doctor’s office. You will be treated by an authorized doctor and go to visits. The outcome of these cases solely depends on what the authorized doctor has to say. They will relay whether the current injury was caused by or exacerbated by a preexisting injury as well.
Because so much rides on what a doctor says, it’s best to retain an attorney. We will send a good faith letter and essentially that tells the insurance company that they have 7 days to provide you with those benefits. If they fail to authorize this, on the 8th day we touch base, and if it still isn’t authorized, that is the beginning of litigation.
Once #litigation is started, you will first have a #mediation meeting. That includes yourself, your attorney, sometimes the employer, the insurance company’s lawyer and a mutual 3rd party to act as the mediator. This is where you can possibly decide if you’d like a settlement or whether it needs to go to trial.
Most people decide to/want to settle because if you go to trial, the fate of your case is completely up to 1 person. The #judge. A lot of people don’t want to risk that (same for the insurance company) because judges are just people. They have opinions and beliefs of their own.
The uncertainty is why a lot of cases settle.
Testimonials: bdtlawfirm.com...
Contact: bdtlawfirm.com...
Work injury lawyer: bdtlawfirm.com...
0:00
0:24 How long do I have to inform my employer?
0:36 What should the employer do?
1:21 Authorized Doctor
1:46 Treatment Pipeline
2:32 Petition for Benefits
3:03 Mediation
3:35 Settlement
3:55 Trial
4:13 Judges are Just People
4:51 Summary

[@charlesjones4550]

Hi I’m an injured worker in Florida, If my lawyer submitted a petition for benefits but I received the benefit 2 weeks later, will I still go to mediation?

[@LawOfficeOfBrianDTadros]

You may or may not (lawyer answer, am I right :) ). The parties may choose to still go to mediation if the parties are interested in exploring settlement. I would recommend that you contact your attorney and ask if the mediation is still going forward as scheduled. Wishing you a speedy recovery. Be well.