Focusing on Workers’ Compensation Law

Martin L. Leibowitz, Workers’ Compensation Lawyer & Certified Circuit Civil Mediator in Jacksonville, providing exceptional legal services.

At the law firm of Martin L. Leibowitz, P.A., we have helped clients with the details of documenting, preparing and representing workers’ compensation claims for over 40 years. We assist employees injured on-the-job, insured and self-insured employers, and insurance carriers.

If you were injured in a work-related accident, we are ready to provide advice about the strength of your case with a no cost, no obligation, free case evaluation. When you need a workers’ compensation attorney in Northeast Florida, we can help. Give us a call today at 904-384-8878 to speak privately with an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer. Many workers’ compensation benefits are time sensitive.

When you choose the firm of Martin L. Leibowitz, P.A., you put your trust in one of Jacksonville’s most respected and experienced workers’ compensation law firms. With his excellent support staff, Martin L. Leibowitz has been rated a perfect 10.0 Superb by Avvo Lawyer Review, is AV Preeminent Rated By Martindale-Hubbell (the Highest Possible Rating Achievable in Ethics and Legal Ability), and has been voted into Jacksonville’s Best Workers’ Compensation & Certified Civil Mediator (2012).

With Over 40 Years Of Experience,
We Provide “Excellence In Legal Representation”

Learn why hundreds of people and businesses in Florida have chosen the law firm of Martin L. Leibowitz, P.A., as their workers’ compensation law firm. Remember, your consultation is provided at no cost or obligation. You can use our website’s information e-mail address to contact us for a prompt e-mail response to your inquiry. Simply complete the free case evaluation form,  or call us today at 904-384-8878.

Click Here To Learn More About Workers’ Compensation

We provide legal services in the following practice areas:

• Florida Workers’ Compensation Cases Representing Injured Workers, Employers and Insurance Carriers/Servicing Agents

• Florida Heart/Lung Law for First Responders including Law Enforcement Officers, Probation Officers, Correctional Officers,  Firefighters, including Park Rangers, and Paramedics

• Mediation of all Florida Workers’ Compensation Cases

 

Heart and Lung Statute Claims Qualifier

The purpose of this page of our website is to assist you and The Law Firm of Martin L. Leibowitz, P.A., in determining whether you may be qualified for workers’ compensation benefits under Florida’s Heart & Lung Statute.

Please have your answers to these questions ready as you contact our office to schedule your free consultation.

Please consider the following questions:

1. Are you a Florida First Responder, i.e., correctional officer, law enforcement officer as defined in s. 943.10, firefighter as defined in s. 633.102, emergency medical technician or paramedic as defined in s. 401.23?

2. If yes, have you ever been diagnosed with high blood pressure (hypertension), heart disease (coronary artery disease) or tuberculosis?

3. If so, have you ever missed work as a result of your high blood pressure (hypertension), heart disease (coronary artery disease) or tuberculosis?

4. Were you required to undergo a pre-employment physical examination when you were hired for the position where you missed work as a result of your condition(s)?

5. Did your pre-employment physical reveal any evidence of your condition(s)?

Heart and Lung Law Representation For First Responders

Florida’s Correctional Officers, Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters & Firefighters, collectively referred to as First Responders, are trained to be prepared for dangerous, hazardous, and stressful situations. Under Florida’s Heart & Lung Law, these First Responders may be entitled to benefits if they successfully passed a physical examination upon entering into service with their current employer, and thereafter developed any condition or impairment of health caused by heart disease, high blood pressure (hypertension) or tuberculosis while employed, resulting in total or partial disability or death. At the law firm of Martin L. Leibowitz, P.A., we help you get the Workers’ Compensation benefits you deserve.

Medical Conditions Commonly Suffered by First Responders

First Responders are subject to a variety of mental and physical demands which put them at a high risk of becoming injured or debilitated while on the job. As a result of these nerve-racking situations, many first responders develop a variety of medical conditions including:

1.) Heart Disease (Coronary Artery Disease, Atrial Fibrillation and other heart related conditions)
2.) High Blood Pressure, also known as “Hypertension”
3.) Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)
4.) Mental or Nervous Injuries
5.) Diabetes
6.) Tuberculosis (TB)
7.) Hepatitis
8.) Meningitis
9.) Chronic back, knee, or shoulder pain
10.) Breathing disorders
11.) Allergies
12.) Hearing loss, and
13.) Several other conditions resulting in total or partial disability.

Under the Florida Heart & Lung Statute, many of these conditions are presumed to have been accidental and to have been suffered in the line of duty. This “Presumption” for Florida’s Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters, Correctional Officers & Firefighters is contained within Sections 112.18, 112.181, and 112.1815 of the Florida Statutes, also known as the Heart & Lung Statutes.

Unfortunately, while the Florida legislature has specifically deemed these conditions to be “work related,” insurance companies and employers either mistakenly or intentionally deny legitimate claims for relief. At the Law Firm of Martin L. Leibowitz, P.A., it is our goal to solve these problems and secure those benefits to which you are rightfully entitled.

Wrongfully Denied Claims

Employers and insurance carriers often wrongfully refuse to pay injured first responders the benefits to which they are rightfully owed. Many of these wrongful denials are due to the fact that work related medical conditions or injuries may take weeks, or even years, to surface. In these situations, the insurance carrier (Division of Risk Management in the case of State of Florida Employees) will often argue that your medical condition is not due to an on-the-job injury and ignore the Statutory Presumption of work-relatedness. Although this is a common error, it is important that you contact an attorney, familiar with the complexities of Florida’s Heart-Lung Statute, to resolve the issue with your employer’s insurance carrier.

Sample Case Outcomes:

View Sample Case Outcomes

Free Comprehensive Guide to Florida’s Heart-Lung Presumption

At the Law Firm of Martin L. Leibowitz, we have written an extensive guide for First Responders, The Truth About Florida’s Heart & Lung Statute, What You Should Know, which outlines the complicated process associated with filing a claim under the Heart-Lung Presumption. The guide provides a detailed explanation of the claims process as well as an array of information which will enable you to assess the strength of your potential claim. By requesting this informative book, you will be taking the first step toward securing the benefits to which you are entitled. Please contact us to secure access to this free, no obligation electronic book.

 

Sample Case Outcomes

Disclaimer for Sample Case Outcomes

LEGAL NOTICE

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If you are interested in viewing information about Martin L. Leibowitz, P.A. past results, testimonials and statements regarding quality of legal services provided, please read the information below, and acknowledge your interest by continuing to read the “Sample Case Outcomes” section below. This section contains information about Martin L. Leibowitz’s past case results, testimonials about the lawyer and the law firm, and statements regarding the quality of service provided by The Law Office of Martin L. Leibowitz, P.A. The information has not been reviewed or approved by The Florida Bar.

You should know that:

The facts and circumstances of your case may differ from the cases in which results and testimonials have been provided.

• All results of cases handled by The Law Office of Martin L. Leibowitz and its staff are not provided, and not all clients have given testimonials.

• The outcomes and testimonials provided are neither representative of all results obtained by The Law Office of Martin L. Leibowitz, nor the experience of all clients. Each case is different, and all each client’s case must be evaluated and handled based on its own merits.

• By reading the “Sample Case Outcomes” below, you acknowledge that you have read and understand the above information and would nevertheless like to view the “Sample Case Outcomes” below.

Ferguson vs. Department of Corrections and Division of Risk Management
JCC Case Number:  11-008840
Outcome:  After trial, Mr. Leibowitz’s client prevailed on all issues.

 

Bradley vs. State of Florida, Department of Agriculture, Division of Forestry, and Division of Risk Management
JCC Case Number: 10-019606
Outcome:  Prior to trial, Mr. Leibowitz’s client prevailed.

 

Lancaster vs. State of Florida-Department of Children and Family Services and Division of Risk Management
JCC Case Number:  06-027849
Outcome:  After trial, Mr. Leibowitz’s client prevailed on all issues.

 

Baldwin vs. Department of Corrections and Division of Risk Management
JCC Case Number:  07-006161
Outcome:  Prior to trial, Mr. Leibowitz’s client prevailed.

 

Stanley vs. Department of Corrections and Division of Risk Management
JCC Case Number:  07-008077
Outcome:  After trial, Mr. Leibowitz’s client prevailed.

More On Workers’ Compensation

At the Law Firm of Martin L. Leibowitz, P.A., we can help file your petition for medical and disability benefits under Florida’s Workers’ Compensation laws. Workers’ Compensation benefits are intended to compensate injured employees who became ill due to circumstances of their employment. When an employer has 4 or more part-time or full-time employees, the Florida Workers’ Compensation laws require them to carry insurance. Call the Law Firm of Martin L. Leibowitz, P.A. today to schedule your no-cost, no obligation consultation. Together, we will review the details of your work injury and work to secure the benefits you deserve.

After an injury on-the-job, the law requires that you report your accident to your supervisor/employer as soon as you can, and in any event before 30 days pass (90 days for a heart & lung/occupational disease claim). If you fail to do so, your claim will  likely be denied. Your employer must then notify their workers’ compensation insurance company of your accident. If your employer fails to notify their insurance company as required by law, you can contact government officials to inquire on your behalf. You can also seek help from an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer to determine your best options.

The Law Firm of Martin L. Leibowitz, P.A. was founded in 1996 and since that time has tirelessly represented both injured workers and insurance carriers. Martin L. Leibowitz, P.A. has earned its reputation as one of the most experienced and respected workers’ compensation law firms in the State of Florida. Our firm offers advice and legal counsel in several specific areas of law. We also focus on disputes arising from those work related injuries and occupational diseases which often plague Florida’s Correctional Officers, Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters, and Firefighters. With over 40 years of combined expertise in representing Florida’s First Responders, the legal team at the Law Firm of Martin L. Leibowitz, P.A. prides itself on providing clients with aggressive, personalized representation in its efforts to secure those benefits its clients deserve.

We understand that the decision to become involved in a lawsuit is not one to be taken lightly. However, it is important to know that if you do choose to pursue your legal rights, the lawyer you choose will have a direct effect on the outcome of your case. For that reason, the Law Office of Martin L. Leibowitz, P.A. is dedicated to offering personal and professional services for each client we represent–whether that means taking the case to trial, negotiating a favorable resolution of legal issues or settlement of the case. Remember, when results are what matter most, it is important to hire an attorney with a wealth of experience who can effectively advocate your position and do the utmost to secure those benefits you rightfully deserve.

Click here to view Sample Case Outcomes

 

Workers’ Compensation Legal Representation

All employers are legally required to provide employees with a safe working environment. Nevertheless, each year, millions of Americans are injured in work-related accidents.

In Florida, employers must purchase workers’ compensation insurance, which provides benefits to employees whose injuries arise out of, and in the course, of their employment. This insurance protects employees regardless of fault.

When to Speak with an Attorney

At the law firm of Martin L. Leibowitz, P.A., we understand that the decision to contact a lawyer regarding your workers’ compensation claim is not one that should be taken lightly. Therefore, we would suggest you speak with a lawyer if:

• Your case has been denied
• You are not receiving the benefits to which you are entitled
• You are unsure whether you are receiving the benefits to which you are entitled and you want to know more
• You are considering settling your workers’ compensation case

Click here to view Sample Case Outcomes