Vehicle accident representation for Palm Beach workers hurt on the road while on the job, backed by more than 20 years of advocacy behind every claim.
For more than two decades, our firm has represented injured workers in Florida, and vehicle accidents on the job are a meaningful part of that work. Call our Palm Beach, FL vehicle accident lawyer at the Law Offices of Franks, Koenig & Neuwelt to schedule your consultation.
Vehicle Accident Lawyer Palm Beach, FL
In Florida, an injury suffered while you were driving for your employer falls under workers’ compensation, a no-fault system you may already know from other kinds of work injuries. You do not have to prove anyone was at fault for the crash to receive benefits. You do have to prove that the accident happened in the course of your work, that the injury needs care, and that the carrier has not paid what it owes. Our Palm Beach vehicle accident lawyer can document the accident, file the petitions the law requires, and respond when a carrier denies, delays, or underpays the claim.
Types of Vehicle Accident Cases We Handle in Palm Beach
A vehicle accident at work covers far more than a fender bender on the way to a meeting. Delivery routes, rideshare driving, work-vehicle travel between job sites, and operating equipment on a property can all produce a serious claim. Transportation incidents are consistently among the largest categories of work-related fatalities tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Below are the vehicle accident cases our Palm Beach vehicle accident attorneys handle most often for clients in Palm Beach.
- Work-related car accidents. A crash while you were running errands for your employer, traveling between job sites, or making sales calls can support a claim. We handle these cases for delivery drivers, sales reps, and others who drive as part of the job. The line between commuting and working is not always obvious, and our Palm Beach vehicle accident lawyers know where the law draws it.
- Head-on collisions. These crashes produce some of the most severe injuries on the road. Spinal damage, traumatic brain injuries, and broken bones are common results. We pursue full medical and wage benefits for workers hurt in head-on impacts.
- Rear-end accidents. Drivers struck from behind frequently suffer neck, back, and soft-tissue injuries that take longer to heal than they first appear. Symptoms may not surface for days. We make sure that delayed-onset harm is part of the claim.
- Uber accidents. Drivers who work for rideshare platforms can face complicated questions about coverage when they are injured in a crash. The answer depends on what they were doing at the moment of impact. We sort out who pays after an Uber accident when the coverage layers overlap.
- Forklift accidents. Forklifts cause serious crush, tip-over, and struck-by injuries in warehouses, on docks, and at construction sites. Operators and nearby workers can both be hurt. We pursue every benefit a forklift injury claim allows.
- Delivery and commercial truck accidents. Workers who drive box trucks, semis, and step vans face heavy traffic, tight schedules, and long hours. The workplace truck accidents we handle range from delivery routes to crashes on the way back from a job site. Impacts at highway speeds can produce catastrophic injuries.
- Pedestrian struck-by-vehicle accidents. Workers on foot, whether at job sites, along roadways, or in parking lots, are vulnerable when a vehicle is involved. A pedestrian struck by a car or truck during work can have a valid claim. We represent injured workers in these matters as well.
Why Choose the Law Offices of Franks, Koenig & Neuwelt for Vehicle Accident Cases in Palm Beach, FL?
A Palm Beach Practice Built on Workers’ Compensation Claims
Our office serves Palm Beach and the surrounding county, and the partners who handle these claims have spent their careers on workers’ compensation alone. Managing Partner Judd P. Koenig represents only injured workers and authored a guide to Florida workers’ compensation law used widely across the state. Andrew S. Neuwelt worked as defense counsel for insurance companies before switching sides in 2007, which means he understands how carriers approach a vehicle accident claim. Eli A. Franks has advocated for injured workers since 2002 and holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
Results That Reflect the Work
What matters in a claim is the benefits delivered to the worker. Our Palm Beach vehicle accident attorneys have recovered millions of dollars for injured workers, including significant outcomes in cases involving work-related vehicle accidents and traumatic injuries. We handle these claims on a contingency fee basis, and the first consultation is free. When a carrier will not pay what a claim deserves, we are prepared to bring the dispute before a judge. For broader workplace coverage, our Palm Beach workers’ compensation attorneys handle every type of work injury.
Understanding Vehicle Accident Cases in Florida
When a vehicle accident happens during work, the claim that follows runs through the workers’ compensation system. A clear sense of how workers’ compensation works is the starting point for understanding what you are owed and when.
Benefits Available After a Work-Related Vehicle Accident
Florida workers’ compensation benefits are paid by category rather than as a single check. A vehicle accident claim usually involves some combination of the following:
- Medical care. Authorized treatment for injuries from the crash, including surgery, prescriptions, imaging, and physical therapy.
- Lost wage benefits. Partial wage replacement while the injury keeps you off work or on limited duty.
- Impairment benefits. Payments based on a permanent impairment rating once your condition stabilizes.
- Permanent total disability benefits. Longer-term benefits when the crash leaves you unable to return to any work.
- Death benefits. Support for the surviving family of a worker killed in a work-related accident.
Vehicle accidents often produce injuries that take time-consuming treatments to resolve: herniated discs, traumatic brain injuries, and lasting back and neck pain are just a few examples. The mix of benefits reflects how serious the harm is and how long the recovery takes. A claim that looks routine in the first week can change significantly by the sixth month, and the category structure is built to absorb that.
What Are Important Aspects of a Vehicle Accident Claim?
A few decisions in the first hours and days shape the strength of a claim, even before you begin working with our Palm Beach vehicle accident lawyer. Vehicle accidents are documented quickly when the police arrive, which helps, but the workers’ compensation side of the case requires its own paperwork. Practical steps after a car accident protect both sides of the record.
- Report the crash to your employer right away and in writing.
- Get medical attention promptly, even if your injuries seem minor at first.
- Save the police report, photos of the scene, and contact information from witnesses.
- File within the two-year deadline that Florida law applies to a petition for benefits.
Documentation is what carries the day if a carrier later questions whether the crash truly happened on the job.
What Does the Vehicle Accident Claim Timeline Look Like?
Every crash is a little different, but most work-related vehicle accident claims follow a similar path. Work travel coverage sometimes raises questions that delay the early stages.
- You report the accident to your employer, which Florida law requires within 30 days.
- Your employer notifies its workers’ compensation insurance carrier.
- The carrier authorizes treatment, or it denies or delays the claim.
- A petition for benefits is filed when benefits are withheld, and the case may move to mediation.
- Treatment continues until you reach maximum medical improvement, the point at which your recovery levels off.
What Should You Bring to a Vehicle Accident Consultation?
A first meeting with our Palm Beach vehicle accident lawyer goes faster when you bring the necessary documents, including:
- The police or crash report, and any photos you took.
- Any accident or injury report filed with your employer.
- Medical records or contact information for the doctors who treated you.
- Pay stubs from the period before the accident.
- Letters or notices from the workers’ compensation insurance carrier or its adjuster.
At the meeting, we go through how the crash happened, explain where the claim stands, and lay out what comes next. The conversation is free and carries no obligation to hire us afterward.
What Are Important Florida Legal Resources for Vehicle Accident Cases?
Florida runs its workers’ compensation system through specific statutes and agencies, separate from the civil courts. The resources below are dependable starting points for understanding the law that applies to a work-related vehicle accident and how the system administers these claims.
- Chapter 440 of the Florida Statutes contains the workers’ compensation law, including the deadlines, benefits, and definitions that apply when a vehicle accident happens during work.
- The Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation publishes guidance for injured workers and answers to common questions about benefits and reporting.
- The Office of the Judges of Compensation Claims hears disputes between injured workers and insurance carriers when a claim cannot be settled.
Reading these sources before a consultation with our Palm Beach vehicle accident attorney can help you ask sharper questions about your own claim.
Reach Out to the Law Offices of Franks, Koenig & Neuwelt to Schedule a Consultation
A work-related vehicle accident can stop your income and your routine in a single afternoon. Our attorneys will review what happened and tell you honestly whether we can help. We answer questions from injured workers across Palm Beach and the surrounding counties. Vehicle accident claims are handled on a contingency fee basis, and the first consultation is free. Contact us to speak with our Palm Beach vehicle accident lawyer.
