Farah & Farah
Workers' compensation, on-the-job injury, denied claims
Free ConsultationFee set by statute📍 Tampa
Hurt on the job in Tampa and getting the runaround from the insurance company? Florida workers' compensation pays for your medical care and part of your lost wages without you having to prove anyone was at fault. The catch is the deadlines and the paperwork. You must report the injury to your employer within 30 days, and Florida sets the lawyer's fee by statute (§440.34) — often the employer's insurer ends up paying it when you win, so you usually pay nothing up front. Disputes are decided by the Tampa district office of the Office of the Judges of Compensation Claims. Because the system is no-fault, you generally can't sue your employer, which makes getting the claim right the whole ballgame.
Updated May 31, 2026
Workers' compensation, on-the-job injury, denied claims
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Florida workers' compensation, governed by Chapter 440 of the state statutes, is a trade-off. If you're hurt on the job, you get medical treatment and a portion of your lost wages without having to prove your employer did anything wrong. In return, you usually give up the right to sue that employer. Common Tampa claims come from construction falls, warehouse and dock injuries, repetitive-strain conditions, and crashes by delivery and service workers driving for work.
Timing controls everything. Report the injury to your employer within 30 days — late reporting is the single most common reason carriers deny claims. After that, you generally have two years from the date of injury to file a petition for benefits if a dispute comes up. The insurance company picks the authorized doctor in most cases, which surprises injured workers and is one reason claims stall. If the carrier cuts off treatment, disputes your wage benefits, or denies the claim outright, that goes before a judge at the Tampa district office of the Office of the Judges of Compensation Claims.
The fee structure is unusual and worth understanding. Florida sets attorney fees by statute under §440.34, typically a sliding percentage of the benefits the lawyer secures, and in many disputes the employer's insurer is ordered to pay your attorney's fee when you prevail. That means most injured workers pay nothing out of pocket up front. A strong Tampa workers' comp lawyer earns the fee by getting denied medical care authorized, fighting a low impairment rating, and making sure your wage benefits are calculated correctly.