Florida · Workers' Compensation
Hurt at work in Florida?
The carrier has a playbook. So does Kia.
In Florida, the insurance carrier picks your doctor, runs the authorization process, and controls the pace of your benefits. Knowing the rules — and the pressure points — is how injured workers get what the statute actually promises.
The rules that decide Florida claims
Four things Florida gets strict about
Carrier-authorized doctors
Treatment must be authorized by the insurance carrier, and the authorized doctor's opinions drive your whole claim. You get one statutory change of physician — spend it wisely.
30 days to report
Report the injury to your employer within 30 days. Late reporting hands the carrier its easiest denial.
Two years to act
The statute of limitations generally runs two years from the injury — with separate rules once benefits have been paid and then stop. The deadlines stack; missing any one can end the claim.
The Petition for Benefits
When the carrier delays or denies, the fight runs through the Office of the Judges of Compensation Claims. It's real litigation with real procedure — built for professionals, not injured workers on their own.
When to bring in Kia
Florida carriers count on you not knowing the rules.
- — Authorization for treatment keeps "pending" while you wait in pain
- — Your claim was denied outright
- — Checks stopped after you reached "maximum medical improvement"
- — The carrier's doctor says you're fine; your body disagrees
- — A settlement is on the table and the number feels arbitrary
Florida questions, answered
Florida workers' comp FAQ
How long do I have to file a workers' comp claim in Florida? +
Generally two years from the date of injury, and you must report the injury to your employer within 30 days. Once benefits start, separate deadlines govern how long you have if benefits stop.
Who picks my doctor in Florida? +
The insurance carrier authorizes your treating physician. You have a limited statutory right to one change of doctor — using it strategically matters.
What is a Petition for Benefits? +
It's the formal filing with the Office of the Judges of Compensation Claims when the carrier denies or delays benefits you're owed — the start of the litigation path in Florida workers' comp.
Does Florida workers' comp pay for pain and suffering? +
No. It pays authorized medical care and wage-replacement benefits set by formula. That's why correctly maximizing the benefits that do exist — and spotting any third-party case — matters so much.
Not sure whether you need representation at all? Read the honest framework.
Take the first step
Your Florida claim deserves a second set of eyes.
Free, confidential, and reviewed by Kia personally — before the carrier's deadlines do your deciding for you.
