Florida’s workers compensation statute is self executing?
Florida statute section 440.015 states that “It is the intent of the Legislature that the Workers’ Compensation Law be interpreted so as to assure the quick and efficient delivery of disability and medical benefits to an injured worker and to facilitate the worker’s return to gainful reemployment at a reasonable cost to the employer”.This section of the law goes on to states specifically “an efficient and self-executing system must be created which is not an economic or administrative burden.”
So a few questions automatically arise; what does this mean and why do injured workers and insurance companies hire attorneys?
The answer to these questions cannot be answered in just one blog, however I will attempt to address these queries in this and the next few blogs to follow. Self executing means, as indicated in the statute, that the Florida Workers Compensation Law was enacted to “ensure the prompt delivery of benefits to the injured worker” .