A shoulder dislocation occurs when the head of the upper arm bone moves out of the shoulder socket, potentially affecting the joint and surrounding tissues. In the workplace, a shoulder dislocation may follow a fall, lifting incident, sudden pulling movement, impact, or another traumatic event. Whether the condition qualifies for Florida workers’ compensation benefits depends on the circumstances, medical findings, and applicable legal requirements.
Rosenberg & Rosenberg, P.A. may review medical records, diagnostic imaging, physician opinions, job-duty information, and other available evidence to evaluate the legal options that may apply. A dislocation may also occur alongside labral, rotator cuff, nerve, or other shoulder conditions that require separate medical evaluation. These related issues form part of the broader considerations involved in workers’ compensation claims for shoulder injuries, particularly when medical evidence documents multiple conditions following the same workplace event. Rosenberg & Rosenberg, P.A. has represented injured workers throughout Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties for around five decades.
Cases We Handle
What Is a Shoulder Dislocation and How Does It Happen at Work?
The shoulder joint is a ball-and-socket structure where the rounded head of the humerus rests in the glenoid cavity of the shoulder blade. When a shoulder dislocation occurs, the humeral head is forced out of that cavity, most commonly forward and downward in what is called an anterior dislocation. The joint may return to position on its own, be manually reduced by medical personnel, or require sedation and procedural reduction depending on the severity.
Work accidents that may cause or contribute to a shoulder dislocation include falls onto an outstretched arm, direct blows to the shoulder from a falling object or collision, sudden forceful pulling or catching of a load, and falls from heights where the arm takes the impact. Workers in construction, roofing, warehousing, patient care, and other physically demanding trades may encounter these mechanisms during the course of their regular duties.
A partial dislocation, where the humeral head moves out of the socket but does not fully separate, is called a subluxation. Subluxation may not be immediately obvious at the time of the workplace accident but can produce symptoms of instability and pain that become apparent over the days and weeks following the event.
Associated Injuries That Often Accompany a Shoulder Dislocation
One of the defining features of this type of workers’ compensation claim is that the dislocation itself is rarely the only injury involved. The force required to displace the humeral head frequently damages the soft tissue structures that normally hold the joint together. Associated injuries that may be identified in imaging or surgical exploration include:
- Bankart lesions. A Bankart lesion is a tear of the anterior inferior labrum and may be found after an anterior shoulder dislocation. Some anterior dislocations may involve labral damage, which can require separate evaluation through imaging, surgical findings, or physician review. When a Bankart lesion develops as a direct result of the dislocation, it is generally evaluated as a subsequent injury under Florida Statutes § 440.09(1)(a), which requires that the original compensable injury, in this case the dislocation, be the major contributing cause of the subsequent condition.
- Rotator cuff tears. An acute dislocation event can tear rotator cuff tendons, particularly in workers over 40 where tendon tissue may be less elastic. The relationship between the dislocation and a rotator cuff tear documented in post-event imaging may need to be addressed specifically in the treating physician’s causation opinion.
- Hill-Sachs lesions. These are compression fractures of the posterior humeral head that occur when the displaced humeral head contacts the rim of the glenoid during dislocation. They are often identified on X-ray or CT imaging and may contribute to ongoing joint instability.
- Nerve injury. The axillary nerve, which runs close to the shoulder joint, may be stretched or compressed during dislocation and may contribute to sensory changes or weakness around the shoulder and upper arm.
Each of these associated injuries may require independent evaluation as a subsequent condition under § 440.09(1)(a) if it is documented after the initial dislocation event.
Causation Standard Under Florida Law
Because this injury is an acute traumatic event rather than a condition caused by repetitive exposure, the causation standard under Florida Statutes § 440.09(1) generally requires that the injury be established to a reasonable degree of medical certainty based on objective medical findings, and that the workplace event be the major contributing cause, meaning more than 50 percent responsible compared to all other causes combined.
For the associated injuries described above, the major contributing cause analysis applies a second time, now asking whether the original dislocation is more than 50 percent responsible for each subsequent condition. A treating physician who documents the dislocation, identifies associated soft tissue damage on imaging, and provides a specific opinion connecting the two is generally providing the type of medical evidence that supports coverage for the downstream injuries under the statute.
Where a preexisting shoulder condition is also present, such as prior labral degeneration, an earlier dislocation, or prior rotator cuff pathology, a coverage question may arise under § 440.09(1)(b) about whether the workplace event was more than 50 percent responsible for the condition. A preexisting condition does not automatically bar a claim, but medical evidence addressing the specific contribution of the workplace event compared to the prior condition is generally part of the claim record in those situations.
Benefit Categories That May Apply
When a compensable shoulder joint dislocation claim is accepted under Florida Statutes Chapter 440, benefit categories that may be available include:
- Medical benefits. Authorized treatment may include emergency reduction, immobilization, physical therapy, and, if the dislocation caused associated soft tissue damage, arthroscopic or open surgical repair such as a Bankart repair. Treatment must generally be provided through the carrier’s authorized physician network.
- Wage replacement benefits. If the injury, when supported by the evidence, results in temporary total or temporary partial disability, wage replacement may be available at approximately two-thirds of the worker’s average weekly wage, subject to the 104-week limit under § 440.15 and applicable exceptions.
- Permanent impairment benefits. If the worker reaches maximum medical improvement with a remaining impairment, benefits may be calculated under Florida’s impairment rating guidelines.
- One-time change of physician. Under Florida Statutes § 440.13(2)(f), an injured worker generally has the right to request a one-time change of authorized treating physician, which may be relevant when there are differences in opinion about the extent of associated injury or the appropriate course of treatment.
South Florida Industries Where These Injuries Occur
Construction workers throughout Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties regularly work at heights and in conditions where a fall from a ladder, scaffolding, or elevated surface could produce a traumatic dislocation. Roofing, framing, electrical, and concrete trades are among those with elevated fall risk.
Healthcare and patient care workers, including nursing assistants and physical therapists employed at South Florida’s hospitals and rehabilitation facilities, may sustain these injuries during patient handling, particularly when attempting to prevent a patient fall or catch a patient who is unsteady. A sudden pull or heavy force on the arm in these situations may contribute to a shoulder dislocation.
Warehouse and distribution workers in the region’s large logistics sector may sustain this injury when catching a falling load, slipping on a dock surface, or being struck by equipment. Port and freight work along South Florida’s coast may also involve lifting, slipping, or impact-related shoulder injuries.
Shoulder Injury Case Result
In one workers’ compensation matter handled by Rosenberg & Rosenberg, P.A., a client who sustained a shoulder injury during employment underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery as part of authorized treatment. Medical expenses and lost wages during recovery were addressed through the workers’ compensation claim, which ultimately settled for $150,000.
Disclaimer: The facts and circumstances of your case may differ from the matter in which this result was achieved. Not all results are provided. The results on this page are not necessarily representative of results obtained by the lawyer. Every case is different, and each client’s case must be evaluated and handled on its own merits.
Recurrent Instability After a Shoulder Dislocation
Once the joint has been displaced in this way, it may be at elevated risk of future displacement, particularly in younger workers who return to the same physically demanding duties that contributed to the original event. Recurrent instability can affect a worker’s ability to perform overhead tasks, lifting, and any job duty that places the arm in a position of vulnerability.
Subsequent dislocations that occur while performing work duties may generate additional workers’ compensation claim activity, but the connection between each new event and the prior workplace injury generally needs to be established through medical documentation. A physician opinion addressing whether the instability resulting from the original workplace shoulder dislocation, when supported by the evidence, was the major contributing cause of a later event is generally relevant to how that subsequent claim is evaluated under Florida Statutes § 440.09(1)(a).
Florida Statutes § 440.185 generally requires an injured worker to notify their employer of a workplace injury within 30 days. For an acute traumatic joint displacement, the 30-day clock generally runs from the date of the event. Where associated injuries such as a Bankart lesion or rotator cuff tear are identified through post-event imaging and evaluated as subsequent injuries, the major contributing cause analysis for those conditions should be addressed through the authorized treating physician during the ongoing treatment of the original claim.
The general deadline to file a petition for benefits under Florida Statutes § 440.19 is two years from the date of the accident or from the date the worker knew or should have known the injury was work-related, subject to statutory exceptions.
FAQs about Shoulder Dislocation
Q1. Can a work-related shoulder dislocation qualify for workers’ compensation in Florida?
It may. Eligibility generally depends on whether medical evidence supports a connection between the workplace accident and the shoulder dislocation under applicable Florida workers’ compensation requirements.
Q2. What if I also have a labral tear or rotator cuff tear after the shoulder dislocation?
Associated injuries may also be relevant to the claim when supported by medical evidence. Imaging findings, surgical records, and treating physician opinions may help evaluate whether the additional shoulder conditions are related to the original workplace injury.
Q3. Does a previous shoulder dislocation affect my workers’ compensation claim?
It may. A prior shoulder condition does not automatically prevent a claim, but medical evidence may be necessary to evaluate the relationship between the workplace accident, the preexisting condition, and the current shoulder dislocation.
Q4. What evidence may be relevant to a shoulder dislocation claim?
Medical records, diagnostic imaging, accident reports, physician opinions, job-duty documentation, treatment records, and information concerning any prior shoulder conditions may be relevant when evaluating the claim.
Q5. What workers’ compensation benefits may be available for a shoulder dislocation?
Depending on eligibility and the circumstances, benefits may include authorized medical treatment and certain wage-related or disability benefits. The benefits that may be available depend on medical findings, work restrictions, and other claim-specific factors.
Q6. Can I receive workers’ compensation if my shoulder dislocation requires surgery?
Potentially. When surgery is medically necessary and authorized as part of treatment for a compensable workplace injury, workers’ compensation may cover eligible medical treatment. Other benefits may also be available depending on work restrictions and the circumstances of the claim.
Q7. How long do I have to pursue a shoulder dislocation workers’ compensation claim in Florida?
Florida workers’ compensation claims are subject to notice and filing requirements. A 30-day employee notice requirement and separate filing deadlines may apply, subject to statutory exceptions. The applicable deadlines should be evaluated based on the specific circumstances of the claim.
How Rosenberg & Rosenberg, P.A. Reviews These Claims
Rosenberg & Rosenberg, P.A. provides guidance on traumatic shoulder joint claims by reviewing medical records, imaging findings, treating physician opinions, and job history to help evaluate the options that may be available under Florida law. For accepted cases, attorney’s fees generally depend on obtaining a recovery, subject to the written fee agreement. Court costs and case expenses may apply. Our firm is available 24/7 and offers free initial consultations. Contact an attorney at Rosenberg & Rosenberg, P.A. to learn more about the workers’ compensation options that may be available for your shoulder dislocation claim.
This page is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Viewing this page does not create an attorney-client relationship with Rosenberg & Rosenberg, P.A. Past results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case.
