“Tis the Season”

With the temperatures up north dropping to blistering cold quickly, and the temperatures in Florida dropping to the beautiful highs of mid 70’s and lows of mid 60’s, you may have noticed those out of state tags on cars carrying or seasonal visitors from the north, otherwise lovingly referred to as snow birds, arriving on our roadways a little bit earlier this year. Oh yes, Tis the Season. The season of heavier traffic, more visitors, higher prices at the golf course, and more importantly, higher sales and profits for businesses.

For the most part, Florida’s industry relies on the winter months when the number of tourists and part-time residents swell. Not only does this cause more traffic, but it causes restaurants to sell more meals, retail stores to sell more goods, body shops to do more work due to more motor vehicle accidents, and most importantly, it causes people who may have been out of work, to be able to find jobs and earn money that they may not have had in the off season.

In addition to more people finding jobs in the retail and restaurant sectors, the winter months in Florida are also big agricultural months, especially for citrus where a large number of seasonal workers are here to help harvest those delicious oranges. With the work force swelling, it is inevitable that workers will get injured.

A lot of seasonal employers, especially in the agricultural industry may use Professional Employer Organizations or other types of leasing companies. While these types of agreements may be beneficial at times, by allowing the employer to focus more on the task at hand, they create complex issues for injured workers, especially when an employee is injured before his application and other paperwork needed for employment is turned into the leasing company.

This is often due to language, which is usually buried in the agreement between the employer and the leasing company, which states that the employee is not covered for workers compensation purposes until all paperwork is received. Now, you have an employee who was working, was injured, not covered by the leasing company’s insurance with an employer who may not have coverage due to not needing it. The employee who was just trying to be productive and earn some money for his family, is left without medical treatment or any income.

Throughout Mr. Masnikoff’s twenty-year career, he has seen many employers and leasing companies play the “shell game” of coverage. He has fought vigorously to ensure that entities are held accountable in these difficult situations. We take the time to make sure you fully understand the law and the complex issues that will arise. We would love to discuss your case and explain all of your options to make sure that you receive the benefits that you are entitled to and that those who wrongfully withhold those benefits are held accountable. If you or someone you know is in this situation, please give us a call at (772) 461-9181

**Lyle Masnikoff & Associates, P.A. **1645 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd #550 West Palm Beach, FL 33401 (772) 461-9181 www.workerscompfl.net

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This article is general information, not legal advice. Every case is different - call (561) 598-7120 for a free consultation about yours.