The Workers’ Compensation System Guide is intended to give all parties a general overview and summary of the Workers’ Compensation System. It is not intended to supersede or take the place of the Florida Workers’ Compensation law (Chapter 440, Florida Statutes) or Florida Workers’ Compensation Case Law. Its purpose is to assist all stakeholders in their roles and responsibilities. It provides general information and references that may assist with resolving issues and answering questions.

Both employers and employees have duties and privileges under the law. This guide, written by an experienced Florida attorney, untangles the legalese to explain exactly what those rights and obligations are under Florida law.Offering a clear yet comprehensive explanation for the layperson on how the state's labor laws work, this book is essential reading for all employers and employees in Florida. Includes: -- Finding employment or employees -- Anti-discrimination law -- Acceptable wages and hours -- Safety standards and workers' compensation -- Civil rights in the workplace -- Labor organizations

Kenneth Berger has dedicated his professional career to the representation of the injured and aggrieved. His practice focuses on the fields of personal injury, workers¿ compensation, and civil litigation. More specifically, Mr. Berger seeks to represent individuals and families in cases involving auto and trucking accidents, work injuries, unsafe products, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, property hazards, insurance disputes, consumer abuses, wrongful death, and other areas of civil law.¿As an injury attorney, I have a responsibility not only to advocate, but to protect and give back,¿ Mr. Berger says. ¿My book, Your Guide to South Carolina Personal Injury & Workers¿ Compensation, provides a number of safety tips designed to help the public¿especially families with children¿avoid accidents. I also look for ways that my law firm and I can strengthen the community in which we live.¿

Our Florida Employer's Guide is an authoritative and accessible book that provides the "lay of the land" about employment law. the Guide integrates federal and Florida laws that affect the employer-employee relationship, making it a valuable resource for business owners, managers, and human resource professionals. The Florida Employer's Guide is written and updated annually by an employment law attorney. We have eliminated legal jargon, offering clear and concise explanations of today's complex labor laws, regulations, and court decisions. Relevant state and federal agencies are listed at the end of each chapter, along with citations for the information discussed. Chapter headings are: Hiring Managing Employees and Personnel Costs Termination of Employment Health and Safety Employment Discrimination Wages, Hours, and Child Labor Employee Benefits and Leave Personnel Records Workplace Privacy Unions and Government Contractors Written from an employer's point of view, the Florida Employer's Guide includes discussion of these and other current topics: New federal minimum wage rate information and updated sections on Florida's minimum wage Updated sections on Florida employment discrimination law Expanded discussion of Florida workers' compensation law Discussion of Florida law on apportionment of damages in negligence cases New section on leave for victims of domestic violence Discussion of the revised definition of "supervisor" under federal labor relations law

The Florida Employer's Guide is an authoritative book that provides the lay of the land of employment law for business owners, managers, and human resource professionals. Written from an employer's point of view, the Guide integrates the federal and particular state laws that affect the employer-employee relationship. Using plain English, this work explains the legal aspects of the events and situations most employers face.This 15th Edition of the Florida Employer's Guide includes:discussion of the major 2004 changes to COBRA notice requirementsdiscussion of the changes to federal law protecting the rights of veteransupdated discussion of the new federal overtime regulations and HIPAA Security Rulediscussion of new Florida Citizen Soldier and Force with Force lawsupdated sections on Florida unemployment compensation and workers compensation lawsChapter headings are:HiringTerminationHealth and Safety Civil RightsHours and PayUnions, Government Contractors, and Miscellaneous RegulationsThe Guide comes in a three-ring binder; each chapter is tabbed and includes numbered section headings in bold print for ease of use. Relevant state and federal agencies are listed at the end of each chapter, as well as citations for the information discussed.Updated annually.

Workers' compensation subrogation continues to change and adapt, as trial lawyers prod its weak points and capitalize on confusing areas of the law. There have been numerous changes in workers' compensation statutes and case law in many states since the last edition. This edition includes an exhausting survey and detailed explanation of the crazy status of employer contribution in Illinois, which includes a step-by-step exposition of how contractual indemnity and the "Kotecki cap" play a role in expanded employer liability in Illinois workers' compensation subrogation cases. It covers the many nuances of Naig and Reverse-Naig settlements under Minnesota law, including an analysis of who has what burdens of proof and the effect such a settlement has on the remaining third-party case tried to a jury. In light of the landmark Missouri Court of Appeals decision in Robinson v. Hooker, the liability of co-employees in Missouri and surrounding states have been covered in greater detail. The concept of co-employee liability for acts which are intentional or committed outside of the course and scope of employment has been added in several states. New case law and explanations were added to the Texas chapter with regard to subrogating against UM/UIM policies, including arguments with regard to the efficacy of UM/UIM exclusionary policy language and the ability to subrogate against a UM/UIM policy actually issued by the same carrier insuring for workers' compensation coverage. West Virginia completely revised their subrogation statute and created a new statute relating to the "statutory employer" status of primary contractors and subcontractors on construction sites, limiting when and how primary contractors can become legitimate third parties for purposes of subrogation. Chapter 7, "Contractual Limitations to Subrogation" has been completely overhauled to include new statutes and case law for every state to assist practitioners in determining the law applicable when there is an alleged applicable waiver of subrogation which might otherwise destroy subrogation. A new Chapter 12 has been added, which focuses on jurisdiction of workers' compensation third-party actions taking a broad look at 28 U.S.C. § 1441, which prohibits removal of cases "arising under" state workers' compensation laws. A carrier now has the ability to prevent cases from being removed from favorable venues in state court to less favorable federal court venues - an attractive option for plaintiffs' attorneys with whom subrogated carriers can negotiate with for stipulations and concessions on their subrogation interests in exchange for maintaining a case in state court. This edition also expands on which states do and do not hold workers' compensation to be primary. Combined with more than 100 new case decisions, this Fifth Edition is the most complete and up-to-date edition yet. Workers' Compensation Subrogation is the most complete and thorough treatise covering workers' compensation subrogation ever published. There are very few areas in which the laws of each state vary more and are applied as differently, then in the area of workers' compensation subrogation. This book is intended to introduce the workers' compensation claims handler, in-house counsel, and subrogation professionals to some of the more esoteric and complex subrogation issues encountered in today's workers' compensation insurance subrogation marketplace. It covers the following issues in all 50 states: • Allocating Third Party Recoveries • Attorney's Fees • Borrowed Servant Doctrine • Conversion of Workers' Compensation Liens • Costs and Expenses • Dual Capacity Doctrine • Equitable Subrogation/Contribution • Exclusivity Rule Barring Action Against Employer • How To Calculate Your Credit/Advance and How It Is Applied In Each State • Intentional Acts • Joint Ventures • Made Whole Doctrine As Applied To Workers' Compensation Subrogation • Necessity of Intervention • Lien Reduction Statutes • Staff Leasing Services and Temporary Employment Agencies • Statutory Subrogation Rights • Subrogating Against UM/UIM Benefits • Subrogating In Medical Malpractice Cases • Subrogating In Legal Malpractice Cases • Waivers of Subrogation • Who Qualifies As A Third Party • Other Workers' Compensation Subrogation-Related Issues In addition to being an excellent primer on workers' compensation subrogation, suitable for both the new subrogation professional and the seasoned veteran, the book also contains a detailed synopsis of the workers' compensation subrogation laws in each of the 50 states. It is a must for anyone with multi-state subrogation responsibilities. Complete with diagrams, references and thousands of footnotes, this is the most ambitious workers' compensation subrogation project ever undertaken. The following issues and topics are covered in detail for each of the 50 states: Statutory Subrogation Rights • Identifies the statutory authority for workers' compensation subrogation in that state. • Discusses the purpose/legislative intent of the statute. • Is an election necessary by the worker? • Who can bring a third party action (plaintiff, carrier, employer, or all of the above)? • When and must a third party action be brought? • What are the rights of a carrier to intervene in an existing third party action filed by a worker? • Will a worker's compensation carrier's subrogation interest be barred if not brought timely? Third Parties • Who can be sued as third parties in a third party action? • Can a co-employee be sued and under what circumstances? • Can an uninsured/underinsured carrier be a "third party" under the laws of that state? • Is there a dual capacity or borrowed servant doctrine which somehow affects the ability of a worker's compensation carrier to effectively subrogate? • What is the state's workers' compensation bar? • Are there any specific restrictions regarding subrogation against a subcontractor or an employee of a subcontractor in a construction situation? • Under what circumstances can the employer be sued? • Can a carrier subrogate to the benefits of a recovery in a legal or medical malpractice action? Allocation of Third Party Recovery • How and when does the carrier recover its subrogated interest? • Does the carrier recover past benefits only or also the present value of future benefits which it owes under the Workers' Compensation Act of that state? • Is there a formula used to determine how a third party recovery is allocated? • What happens to the total recovery and how is it applied? • Can a carrier recover benefits paid by a third party or recovered in a third party action which relate to loss of consortium, or non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, mental anguish, or punitive damages? • Does the employer's negligence reduce the recovery by the worker or carrier? Attorneys' Fees/Costs • Can the plaintiff's attorney recover attorneys' fees and/or costs out of the carrier's subrogated recovery and under what circumstances? • How are attorneys' fees and costs handled if the carrier is also represented by subrogation counsel, intervenes into the third party action and actively represents its interest? • What if the carrier isn't represented? • Can a plaintiff's attorney recover attorneys' fees based on the value of past benefits only or will he be able to recover attorneys' fees based on the future benefits/credit recovered by the carrier? • Must a carrier bear its proportionate share of expenses as many states require, and what does that really mean? Credit/Advance • Can a carrier take a vacation from paying workers' compensation benefits once a worker makes a third party recovery? • How is the credit calculated under state law? • Does the carrier have to do anything special to obtain the credit, such as filing with the Workers' Compensation Commission? • Does the carrier get a credit toward future compensation benefits it owes or does it actually get to collect the present value of the future benefits it owes and still be obligated to pay the scheduled benefits in the future? Statutes of Limitation • What are the applicable statutes of limitation or statutes of repose that may be applicable to third party subrogation actions? Related Subrogation Issues • Are there any other issues or statutes which affect a worker's compensation carrier's right of subrogation, such as the made whole doctrine, common fund doctrine, or anti-subrogation statutes? • Are there any lien reduction statutes, such as those existing in Indiana, which affect a worker's compensation carrier's right of recovery? • Does the state have any no-fault laws which complicate workers' compensation subrogation involving an automobile accident, such as exist in Michigan and Colorado? • What are the carrier's options if the worker and his attorney simply refuse to repay a worker's compensation carrier's lien after settling a third party action? • If the worker fails to repay the carrier, is there a cause of action for conversion of a carrier's subrogation interest or may the carrier still proceed against the third party tortfeasor to recover its subrogation interest?