Were you recently injured while working in Clearwater, Florida? You may have the right to workers’ compensation benefits or damages in a third-party lawsuit. The experienced Clearwater workplace accident lawyers at Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers will help you fight to maximize your financial recovery.
When you choose Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers, you’ll benefit from the expertise of a Board Certified Civil Trial Specialist and a team with decades of litigation experience.
For decades, we’ve won millions of dollars for injured victims of drowning accidents, Clearwater construction accidents, sexual assault, slip and fall accidents, Clearwater pedestrian accidents, and more.
Let us stand up and fight for you today. Your first consultation is free, so don’t hesitate to contact our Clearwater law office at (727) 787-2500.
How Our Clearwater Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After Your Workplace Accident
Getting hurt at work can have serious ripple effects across your life. You may struggle with debilitating pain and be unable to work for the foreseeable future. As a result, medical bills add up while you lose your income. Fortunately, there are ways to recover compensation for on-the-job injuries.
However, whether you’re going to claim workers’ comp or file a lawsuit against a negligent party, getting a check in your hand can be more difficult than it should be. That’s where our Clearwater injury lawyers can help.
We’re fierce advocates for injured workers and their families in Clearwater, Florida. Our award-winning attorneys have successfully recovered more than $100 million (and counting) from tough insurance companies and negligent parties.
When you trust us with your work injury case, we will:
- Handle all aspects of the claims process for workers’ compensation benefits from start to finish – from filing the claim to appeals, if necessary
- Determine if you have the grounds to file a personal injury lawsuit for additional damages
- Investigate the circumstances surrounding your workplace injury
- Gather evidence to support your personal injury claim(s) for compensation
- Bring in experts to provide insight and support for your case
- Negotiate to get the best possible settlement for you
- Have a respected trial attorney bring your case to a jury, if necessary
Our goal is to help you get back on track after your workplace accident. Focus on getting better. Let us handle your fight for compensation. Give our law office in Clearwater a call. Our team is always standing by to answer – 24/7.
How Common Are Workplace Accidents in Pinellas County?
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) revealed that 5,486 people were killed in fatal workplace accidents across the nation in 2022. In the State of Florida, there were at least 307 work-related deaths that year.
Thousands more are injured on the job in the Sunshine State, suffering a wide range of trauma, including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, back injury, and amputation.
According to the Florida Department of Financial Services, there were a total of 2073 workers’ compensation claims submitted by workers in Pinellas County in 2023. More than $51 million in benefits were paid for work-related injuries that year.
That means that roughly 5 or 6 workers get hurt or killed in Pinellas County workplace accidents every single day.
We Handle All Workplace Accident Cases in Clearwater, Florida
No matter what kind of job you have or where your occupation is, our attorneys appreciate that any work-related injury can be devastating. That’s why we’re proud to stand up and fight for all injured workers in Clearwater.
Our personal injury attorneys handle cases involving:
- Construction accidents
- Scaffolding accidents
- Fall-related injuries
- Slip and fall accidents
- Crushing accidents
- Electrocution
- Burn injury
- Repetitive motion injury
- Manufacturing accidents
- Accidents involving forklifts and heavy machinery
- Crane accidents
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Exposure to toxic chemicals and substances
- Wrongful death
If you’re hurt while working, the first thing you should do is seek medical attention. Prompt care will help to ensure that your injuries are diagnosed and treated before they can potentially get worse. It will also help establish a causal link between your workplace accident and resulting trauma. The sooner you get to the hospital, the stronger this link will be.
What Causes Most Workplace Accidents in Florida?
Employers have a responsibility to provide safe work environments for their employees. There are many state and federal laws in place to help ensure that workers are protected while on the job. In theory, work-related accidents shouldn’t happen. However, they are quite common.
These are some of the leading causes of workplace accidents in Clearwater, FL:
- Inadequate or non-existent safety equipment
- Contact with equipment
- Falls from heights
- Unsecured work equipment
- Overexertion
- Heat exhaustion
- Violence and assaults
- Violations of OSHA safety regulations
Contact our Clearwater personal injury attorneys for help after your work-related accident. We’ll listen to your side of the story, explain your legal options, and help you figure out the best way to move forward.
How Can I Get Compensation After a Workplace Accident in Clearwater?
Typically, you’ll have one or two options for recovering compensation after getting hurt on the job in Pinellas County, FL.
Collect Workers’ Compensation Benefits
Under Florida law, most employers are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance just in case an employee gets hurt. This is a no-fault system, which means benefits are available to qualifying workers regardless of who’s at fault.
In Florida, injured workers can secure the following benefits:
- Medical benefits
- Temporary disability
- Permanent disability
- Death benefits
These benefits are limited. For instance, you’ll have to obtain medical care from insurance-approved providers. Lost wages are subject to statutory caps and will only cover a percentage of your pre-injury wages. And, pain and suffering damages aren’t available at all. If you have the right to, it can make a lot of sense to file a personal injury lawsuit, too.
File a Personal Injury Lawsuit Against a Third Party
You’ll waive the right to sue your employer under the workers’ compensation system. But that doesn’t mean you can’t file a lawsuit if someone else was negligent or contributed to your accident.
You may have the right to sue:
- Manufacturers of defective equipment or tools
- Property owners
- Contractors
- Third-party motorists (if you were involved in a work-related car accident or truck accident)
- Government agencies
In a civil lawsuit, damages are more widely available. You can demand both economic and non-economic awards for:
- Medical treatment
- Lost wages and income
- Reduced earning capacity
- Loss of quality of life
- Loss of consortium
- Mental anguish
- Chronic pain
- Disfigurement, and more.
Pursuing insurance benefits and damages in a third-party action, when possible, can help to ensure you walk away with all of the money you need after getting hurt.
Can I Recover Compensation If I’m Blamed For My Work-Related Accident?
Workers’ comp is a no-fault system, so you can still recover benefits even if you caused your accident or injury.
However, if you file a lawsuit, Florida’s modified comparative fault statute will apply. Under Florida state law, you can recover damages as long as your percentage of fault doesn’t exceed 50%. However, your award will be adjusted to reflect your share of the blame.
Other parties – and their insurance companies – will almost certainly try to blame you for getting hurt. Our attorneys will step up and defend you against these tactics. The more fault attributed to you, the less money you can get. We’ll gather evidence and fight to disprove allegations that you are at fault.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After I Get Hurt at Work in Clearwater?
The statute of limitations for most personal injury lawsuits in Florida is two years. This deadline used to be four years, but the law was changed on March 24, 2023. Therefore, if your Clearwater work accident occurred after this date, you have two years to file a civil lawsuit.
You’ll have two years from the victim’s date of death to file a wrongful death action if a loved one is killed in a fatal workplace accident in Clearwater.
This may seem like a lot of time, but don’t put off filing your case. You will lose the right to obtain compensation and hold negligent parties accountable if you miss the deadline that applies to your case.
Schedule a Free Consultation With a Clearwater Workplace Accident Lawyer Near You
You got hurt on the job and are now faced with a very uncertain future. While you may be legally entitled to compensation, actually getting money in your hands can be difficult. Hiring our experienced Clearwater workplace accident lawyers can help to make things a lot easier.
At Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers, we’re top-rated trial attorneys with a demonstrated ability to win – inside and outside of the courtroom. We’ve won hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients and will work tirelessly to get the best possible results for you.
Contact our law firm in Clearwater, Florida to learn more. We offer a free consultation and work on a contingency-fee-basis. There’s absolutely no cost to speak with our law firm unless we win your case – guaranteed. Our team is standing by to take your call, so reach out to us for assistance today.
Our personal injury law firm in Clearwater also provides:
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