A Florida jury has awarded a dock worker who was injured while on the job for Florida Power & Light (FPL) $4.5 million for lost earnings, pain and suffering, and medical expenses, reports The South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The worker severely injured his back in 2004 when a forklift he was riding on fell 13 feet because the ground collapsed underneath the machine. The man worked for the Port of Miami and FPL argued it was not responsible for the Florida workplace accident because it did not have a contract with the Port. The jury found that FPL tried to hide an agreement with the county to do the work and that it was partially responsible for its contractors even though the contractor had indemnified FPL under contract.
Florida Workplace Injuries
Every year about 6 million workers suffer injuries on the job, according to the National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. Another 6,000 employees die from workplace hazards while 50,000 die from workplace exposures to hazards.
Employers are required to keep the workplace safe. If there is a hazard present, the company is supposed to fix it. An employer is required to offer continuing education and training programs on the various hazards present in the workplace as well as training on how to minimize injuries.
While the workers’ compensation laws in Florida are supposed to be no-fault, occasionally we find that an employer knew, or should have known, there was a danger in the workplace that caused an employee to suffer an injury that was totally avoidable. Maybe a worker informed management that a machine was dangerous. If the employer did nothing to keep their employee safe, the Florida workers’ compensation lawyers at Farah & Farah may be able to help you explore other avenues in addition to workers’ comp that can bring you the much needed compensation for your Florida workplace injury.