Workers’ Compensation for Knee Injuries in Florida

How Do Knee Injuries Happen in Florida Workplaces?

Workers use their knees for many different tasks, so even a minor injury can have major consequences. Common causes of workplace knee injuries include the following:

• The knee is subjected to overuse or repetitive stress when a worker spends a lot of time kneeling, squatting, or bending down to lift heavy objects
• The worker suffers a fall from a height (e.g., their ladder is unstable and falls)
• The worker slips or trips, causing them to either land hard on their knee(s) or to twist their leg on the way down
• A motor vehicle hits the worker while they are walking or driving their own vehicle
• The worker becomes trapped in or between a piece of machinery

Workers’ compensation for knee injuries in Florida is designed to help workers who have experienced situations like the above.

Does Your Knee Injury Qualify You for Workers’ Compensation Benefits?

To qualify for workers’ comp, your situation needs to meet the following criteria:

• You are an employee. As a general rule, contractors do not have access to job benefits like workers’ compensation. If you are an employee, you have the right to workers’ comp, even if you are undocumented.
• Your injury occurred at work. Only injuries that happened while a worker was performing the duties for which they were hired count as “work-related” for insurance purposes.
• Your employer has insurance. Most Florida employers are required to purchase workers’ compensation insurance, so there is a good chance that your employer is covered.

If you have questions or concerns about whether you can file a workers’ comp claim, call Rosenberg & Rosenberg to find out more for free.

Pursuing Benefits for a Work-Related Knee Injury in Florida

You can start taking action to protect your benefits from the moment you suffer a knee injury. Before you leave the accident scene:

• Use your phone to take photos and/or video of your injuries, the general environment, and any specific tools or equipment that you were using at the time
• Take note of any people, including coworkers and supervisors, who are in the area
• Call 911 if necessary (e.g., you sustained a severe or life-threatening injury that requires more care than onsite medical personnel can provide)

Please note that, if you do go to the emergency room, you should make it clear that your injury was work-related and that they should send the bill to your employer’s insurer.

Reporting Your Knee Injury to Your Employer

Florida’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) states that all workplace injuries must be reported to your employer within 30 days. Failure to do so could put your workers’ compensation benefits at risk. Make sure to tell your employer all about:

• What you were doing before the injury
• Symptoms you experienced at the time of the injury and in the aftermath
• Basic information, including time, date, and location of the accident

Reporting Your Knee Injury to the Workers’ Compensation Insurer

Your employer should make this report right away. If they do not, our Hollywood personal injury lawyers can contact them for you and submit evidence showing that you are entitled to benefits.

It is the insurance company who will evaluate your case and decide whether to award benefits. You can strengthen your claim by being honest about the extent of your injuries.

Dealing With a Workers’ Comp Denial

The insurance company may deny your claim for many reasons, including if:

• They say there is insufficient evidence to prove your injury is work-related
• They say there is insufficient evidence to prove you need all of the benefits you asked for
• They do not want to pay everything you asked for

Trying to take on a big insurance company while also dealing with knee pain can be a challenge. Rosenberg & Rosenberg can make the process easier by managing your entire workers’ compensation claim and even guiding you through the appeals process.

The Health Effects of Knee Injuries and the Importance of Workers’ Comp

Knee injuries can severely limit your capabilities. They can prevent you from exercising, which could cause your health to deteriorate or exacerbate existing health conditions. They may also keep you from fulfilling your duties at work, force you to forgo important family and social events, and cause an unfair amount of pain, suffering, and mental anguish.

Along with upending your life, knee injuries can cost thousands of dollars in medical expenses for treatment like:

• Inpatient rehabilitation
• Outpatient rehabilitation
• Visits with medical specialists
• Corrective surgery
• Costly pain medications

Knee Injuries Impact Your Finances as Well

Knee injuries can also eat up your savings and reduce your ability to make a living or progress in your career, thereby creating even greater long-term costs, such as:

• Reduced retirement savings
• Lost income
• Lost inheritance for dependents
• Restricted opportunities for advancement, promotion, and bonuses

All of these impacts can change the course of your life.

Workers’ Comp Benefits Help You Cope With Knee Injuries

If you were injured in a workplace accident, filing a workers’ compensation claim can help you defray the financial effects and make sure you have a source of income until you are able to return to the workplace. Our legal team can help you seek benefits like the following:

• Up to 66 2/3 percent of your normal wages until you return to work
• Long-term payments for permanent total or partial disabilities
• Complete coverage of all medical treatment required after your workplace accident
• Vocational retraining and assistance in starting a new career (if your knee injury makes it impossible to continue at your old job)

Types of Knees Injuries That Could Qualify You for Workers’ Compensation

Remember: it does not matter what kind of knee injury you suffered or how the injury happened. As long as you were injured while trying to fulfill your job duties, you have the right to file a claim for benefits. Our workers’ compensation attorneys can pursue:

Workers’ Compensation for Meniscus Injuries

As the Mayo Clinic explains, the meniscus is the cartilage that protects your knee from making direct contact with your leg bones. If the cartilage tears, which may happen if you twist or wrench your knee suddenly, you can experience pain and loss of mobility.

Workers’ Compensation for Bursitis

Bursitis, sometimes called “housemaid’s knee” when it affects the knee, can cause swelling, pain, and difficulty moving the affected joint. Per the Cleveland Clinic, this condition occurs when something—usually an infection, blunt force trauma, or excessive kneeling—irritates the bursae, or the fluid-filled sacs that cushion your knees.

Workers’ Compensation for Knee Ligament Injuries

The ligaments are flexible bands that connect your bones and allow them to move. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, they may be susceptible to injury if you:

• Experience a direct impact to the knee
• Violently twist your knee (e.g., while falling or trying to prevent yourself from falling)

What Is The Prognosis For Work-Related Knee Injuries?

That depends on many factors specific to you and your situation, including:

• Age
• Type of injury
• Severity of injury
• Preexisting conditions
• How soon you receive treatment

While many knee injuries are easy to treat, others may require surgery, result in chronic pain, or increase your risk of developing other health conditions that further limit your ability to work.

Rosenberg & Rosenberg Advocates for Florida Workers With Knee Injuries

Our workers’ compensation law firm understands that living with any kind of knee injury is physically and emotionally stressful, especially if it jeopardizes your ability to support your family. Let us file a claim for benefits on your behalf while you just concentrate on feeling better and spending time with loved ones.

Our Florida Knee Injury Lawyers Can Help You Secure Workers’ Compensation

In Florida, almost all workers are eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits, regardless of who was at fault for their injury. If your accident occurred as a direct result of the negligence or error of another person or entity, you may also have the option of filing a personal injury claim. Both alternatives have pros and cons, but they have one thing in common: they are much easier to pursue with our lawyers on your side.

Rosenberg & Rosenberg provides the down-to-earth, compassionate service you deserve while seeking workers’ compensation for knee injuries in Florida. Our passion is in defending everyday people like you. Call now to get a free consultation from our dedicated legal team.