When you’re injured at work, it can create havoc in your life. In addition to suffering from painful injuries, you may be unable to work. When you have a workers’ compensation case, the payments that you receive may be a welcome relief for you and your family.
But you need to know when you can expect a check. How long does a workers’ compensation case take to settle? Here’s what you need to know from our team of experienced Florida workers’ compensation attorneys.
How Long Does a Workers’ Compensation Case Take to Settle?
A workers’ compensation case takes between several weeks and two years to settle. The time it takes to settle depends on several different factors including the severity of your injuries, whether the insurance company disputes your injury rating, and the time it takes for you to receive the maximum medical benefit from your treatment.
Average Florida Workers’ Compensation Settlement Time
Most Florida workers’ compensation cases settle in 1.5 years. About 20 percent of cases settle in less than six months. There are a lot of factors that can impact how long it takes for your workers’ compensation case to settle. Some factors include what disagreements exist about the case, the time it takes to receive medical examinations, and the time frame for scheduling formal court appearances.
How to Speed up Your Florida Workers’ Compensation Settlement
There are some things that you can do to get your Florida workers’ compensation settlement faster. But there are also some things that are out of your control. And some things that you can do to get your workers’ compensation payment faster are not necessarily beneficial to your case. It’s essential to strike the right balance between resolving your case as quickly as possible and taking the right steps to get the most compensation.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Workers’ Comp Settlement Check in Florida?
It should take several weeks from the date of the settlement to get your workers’ compensation settlement check in Florida. The insurance company won’t take steps to disburse your payment until both parties sign the settlement. It can take between several weeks and two years to get a workers’ comp settlement check in Florida depending on the case’s complexity and the disputes between the parties.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Workers’ Compensation Check?
It takes between several weeks and two years to get a workers’ compensation check. In cases where there are no disputes, you should have a check as soon as the insurance company can process the payment. A complex case can take as long as two years.
What Happens After a Workers’ Comp Settlement?
After a workers’ comp settlement, you may or may not continue to receive payments for your medical bills. It depends on the terms of your settlement. You may receive periodic payments, or you may get a lump sum payment. After a workers’ comp settlement, you wait for your payment. You may continue medical care and occupational therapy after the settlement.
Resolving Your Florida Workers’ Compensation Case
If your employer or their insurance company disputes your workers’ compensation case, there may be a delay in your payment while you wait for the dispute to resolve. As you wait for your Florida workers’ compensation case to settle, you might receive temporary payments. If you miss work, there’s a good chance that you can get some payments while you wait for future proceedings in your claim.
One of the disagreements might be about your disability rating. You may need a second medical exam to dispute the opinion of the insurance company. If you still disagree with the insurance company, you can challenge their opinion and request a hearing. Of course, all of this takes time.
Another cause of delay might be waiting for your recovery. You may continue to receive treatment until you get the maximum medical improvement from the treatment. It can be hard to resolve the case fairly if you’re not sure how serious your damages are or how long it’s going to take you to recover.
Florida Workers’ Compensation Settlement Process
There is a process to settling a workers’ compensation case in Florida. Until a settlement is executed by both parties and complete, the case continues with scheduling and preparing for trial. You have one year from the decision on benefits or two years from the date of the accident to petition to the Clerk of the Office of the Judges of Compensation Claims. The court will require the parties to participate in mediation within 130 days. There will also be pretrial hearings. If you’re unhappy with the decision from the court, you may file an appeal.
If you reach a settlement, you must execute the paperwork to make it official. Even if you’re eager to reach a settlement, it’s not always in your best interests to take the first offer. If the other side isn’t being reasonable, the hearing process exists to ensure that you get the financial compensation that you deserve.
How Can a Tampa Workers’ Compensation Attorney Help Me?
Although it can take longer to resolve your case when you have an attorney, injured workers who have legal representation recover, on average, a third more in compensation than people who try to handle the case on their own. Resolving a workers’ compensation case is a delicate balance of working quickly and effectively. Your attorney can help you approach your case in the best possible way while taking all of your interests into account.
Contact Our Tampa Attorneys for Workers’ Compensation Settlements
Have you been injured at work? Do you need a workers’ compensation settlement check as quickly as possible? We can help. Our team of Tampa injury attorneys helps all kinds of accident victims. We’re proud of the work we to ensure that accident victims from all walks of life get fair compensation for their injuries.
We don’t stop fighting until you have a check that represents justice. See how we can represent you with no cost upfront and no fee unless you win. Call us today.