Florida employees injured in the course and scope of their employment may be eligible for workers’ compensation wage loss benefits. Florida’s workers’ compensation system offers three types of wage loss benefits – Temporary Partial Disability (TPD) (Florida Statute 440.15(4)), Temporary Total Disability (TTD) (440.15(2)), and Permanent Total Disability (PTD) (440.15(1)). Of the three types of benefits, only TPD and TTD are available during the recovery stage, or before maximum medical improvement (440.02(10)). Of the two, only TPD is payable while the injured employee is able to work. This blog will discuss what evidence injured workers must present to make a prima facie case to receive TPD.
Under 440.15(4)(a), TPD benefits are payable “if overall maximum medical improvement has not been reached and the medical conditions resulting from the accident create restrictions on the injured employee’s ability to return to work.” For years, the second clause of this simple sentence has resulted in extensive litigation. With the recent decision in