Clearwater Lost Time Benefits Lawyer

Getting hurt on the job in Clearwater, Florida, can interfere with your ability to work, earn an income, and support your family. Fortunately, Florida workers’ compensation laws provide lost time benefits under certain circumstances.

Our experienced Clearwater lost time benefits lawyers can help you recover all of the money you’re entitled to under Florida state law.

At Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers, we’ve been advocating for injured workers in Clearwater, Florida, since 1955. We put more than 300 years of experience behind our cases and help our clients win hundreds of millions in compensation.

Contact our law office in Clearwater, Florida, at (727) 796-8282 to schedule a free consultation with our team to learn more about how we can help you, too.

How Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You Recover Lost Time Benefits After a Workplace Accident

How Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You Recover Lost Time Benefits After a Workplace Accident

Lost time benefits can compensate for a temporary loss of wages while you’re out of work. They can also make up for a loss of income related to a permanent disability or impairment. However, benefits are capped, and your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance company won’t be eager to pay you for all of the benefits you qualify for.

That’s where our Clearwater workers’ compensation lawyers can help. 

Collectively, our award-winning personal injury attorneys have more than three centuries of legal experience. Our law firm has secured more than $675 Million in benefits, settlements, and verdicts. We know how to advocate to get you the lost income and benefits you need as you struggle to get back on your feet.

As you focus on recovering, our attorneys will:

  • Coordinate with vocational rehabilitation specialists and medical professionals to assess the extent and impact of your workplace injury
  • Calculate the maximum lost time benefits to which you’re entitled under Florida law
  • Request an independent medical exam (IME) to contest claims made by the insurance carrier or your plan-approved approved healthcare provider
  • Handle conversations and negotiations with your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance provider 

Our goal will involve making sure that you’re financially secure as you recover from your workplace accident. While we will work tirelessly to negotiate a fair settlement, we will not hesitate to push forward to arbitration or trial if necessary. 

Contact our workers’ compensation lawyers to learn more about our legal services and representation. Your first consultation is 100 percent free.

What Income Benefits Are Available Under Florida Workers’ Compensation Law?

If your on-the-job injury keeps you out of work for more than 7 days, you can qualify to recover benefits for your lost time and income.

There are three categories of lost time benefits under Florida state law:

  • Temporary total disability benefits
  • Temporary partial disability benefits, and
  • Permanent total disability benefits (impairment benefits).

Here’s a brief overview of each type of disability benefit.

Temporary Total Disability Benefits

Temporary disability benefits are intended to make up for the income and wages you miss out on immediately after getting hurt on the job. 

Typically, you can recover two-thirds of your average weekly wage before you got hurt. There are some instances when workers can recover 80 percent of their average weekly wage. However, this is limited to workers’ compensation claims involving particularly catastrophic injuries, like blindness or paralysis.

However, temporary disability benefits are subject to a statutory cap. The Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation sets a limit, adjusted annually, on how much workers can recover.

For injuries sustained after January 1, 2022, the maximum average weekly wage benefit is $1,099. If two-thirds of your average weekly wage exceeds this amount, you’ll have to do without it. The most you can be paid through workers’ compensation for TDB is $1,099. 

Temporary disability benefits are paid until:

  • You’re cleared by your doctor to return to work, or
  • You’ve reached Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI).

If you haven’t reached MMI and haven’t been cleared by your doctor, benefits can last for up to 260 weeks.

Temporary Partial Disability Benefits

If you’re cleared to go back to work but can’t resume your normal level of activity, then you may qualify for temporary partial disability benefits. 

These total 80 percent of the difference between what you earned prior to getting hurt and what your earning potential is right now.

Let’s say you earned $1,000 a week before getting hurt. After your injury, you can only earn about $600 a week. Temporary partial disability would equal $320 (80 percent of $400). Your lost time benefits would be awarded in addition to your paycheck, putting you close to earning what you could have brought home pre-accident.

Florida actually has a benefits calculator to determine what you’re entitled to recover.

Temporary partial disability benefits can be paid for up to 260 weeks.

Permanent Disability Benefits

If you reach MMI and are diagnosed with a permanent impairment, you may qualify for permanent disability benefits. 

Permanent disability benefits are calculated using an impairment rating that estimates how much your injury affects your ability to work and earn an income. Your doctor will give you a thorough physical exam, consider the scope of your disability or impairment, and rate your level of impairment.

You can use Florida’s impairment income benefit calculator to determine how much your permanent disability benefits are worth.

Schedule a Free Case Evaluation With an Experienced Workers’ Compensation Lawyer in Clearwater

Are you fighting to recover maximum benefits for your lost time, wages, and income after a work-related injury in Clearwater, FL? Get Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers in your corner and make the insurance company negotiate fairly.

Our Clearwater lost time benefits lawyers have extensive experience handling tough workers’ compensation matters like yours. We’ve helped our clients recover $675 million (and counting) in life-changing benefits and financial awards. We’re ready to help you secure the money you’re owed for your lost time, too.

Call our law office in Clearwater to get started with your free consultation now.

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