What to Do If I Broke My Ankle at Work in Florida?

A broken ankle can affect much more than your ability to walk. If your job requires you to stand, lift, drive, climb, or move throughout the day, an ankle injury could keep you from working for weeks or leave you unable to perform your normal duties. At the same time, you may be facing hospital bills, follow-up appointments, and concerns about how you’ll pay your regular expenses while you recover.

If you’re thinking, “I broke my ankle at work. What should I do now?” Florida workers’ compensation may provide medical treatment and wage-loss benefits for a qualifying work-related injury. Taking the right steps after the injury can help you protect your health and your workers’ compensation claim.

At a Glance

If you broke your ankle at work in Florida:

• Report the injury to your employer as soon as possible.
• Get appropriate medical care and make sure providers know the injury happened at work.
• Use authorized medical providers for follow-up treatment as required by Florida workers’ compensation.
• Follow your doctor’s restrictions concerning walking, lifting, driving, and returning to work.
• Keep copies of medical records, work-status reports, and communications about your claim.
• You may qualify for medical and wage-loss benefits if the injury affects your ability to work.

What Should I Do After Breaking My Ankle at Work in Florida?

A broken ankle can cause significant pain, swelling, bruising, and difficulty putting weight on the injured foot. Depending on the fracture, treatment could involve a boot or cast, crutches, or surgery.

Report Your Ankle Injury to Your Employer

Tell your employer about your injury as soon as possible and make clear that it happened while you were performing your job.

Under Florida Statutes § 440.185, an injured employee must notify the employer within 30 days after the date of the injury or its initial manifestation, subject to limited statutory exceptions. Once your employer has actual knowledge of the injury, Florida law requires the employer to report it to its workers’ compensation insurance carrier within seven days.

Get Appropriate Medical Treatment

If you suffer a serious ankle injury that requires emergency care, getting medical attention comes first. Tell the hospital or other medical provider that the injury occurred at work.

After emergency treatment, don’t assume you can simply choose any doctor for ongoing care. Under Florida Statutes § 440.13, medical providers need authorization from the workers’ compensation carrier before providing treatment for which payment is sought under workers’ compensation. Emergency care is an exception to the advance-authorization requirement.

Follow Your Doctor’s Restrictions

Your doctor may restrict standing, walking, driving, climbing, or heavy lifting. Depending on your job, those restrictions could prevent you from performing your regular duties even if you aren’t completely unable to work.

Resting and elevating the ankle can aid recovery, depending on your injury and your doctor’s recommendations. Follow your medical provider’s instructions about weight-bearing, activity, and when you can safely return to particular job duties.

If your employer offers modified or light-duty work, make sure the assigned job complies with your medical restrictions.

Keep Records Related to Your Injury and Claim

Keep copies of work-status reports, medical restrictions, appointment information, communications with your employer or insurance adjuster, and records showing missed work or reduced hours. Also keep mileage records for authorized medical appointments because Florida workers’ compensation can reimburse qualifying travel for medical care.

Does Florida Workers’ Compensation Cover a Broken Ankle?

A broken ankle can qualify as a compensable workplace injury when it meets Florida’s requirements for workers’ compensation coverage. Workers’ compensation in Florida is a no-fault system, meaning you don’t need to prove employer negligence to receive coverage. However, the injury must still meet Florida’s requirements for workers’ compensation benefits.

Under Florida Statutes § 440.09, an injury must arise out of work performed in the course and scope of employment. Work-related ankle fractures can happen due to falls, uneven surfaces, machinery, falling objects, or other workplace accidents.

What Workers’ Comp Medical Benefits Can Cover a Broken Ankle

Treatment for a broken ankle depends on the type and severity of the fracture. A doctor may use imaging to evaluate the injury and recommend a boot or cast, crutches, medication, physical therapy, or surgery.

A broken ankle often takes about six to eight weeks to heal, although recovery can take longer. Follow-up appointments may be needed to evaluate healing, and physical therapy may help restore movement and function. Resting and elevating the ankle may also be part of the recovery plan when recommended by your medical provider.

For a compensable injury, workers’ comp medical benefits can pay for authorized, medically necessary care, including:

• Doctor and specialist visits
• Hospital care
• Medical tests and imaging
• Physical therapy
• Prescription medication
• Medically necessary surgery
• Mileage for authorized medical appointments

The length and cost of treatment can vary considerably depending on the fracture and whether surgery or extended rehabilitation is required.

Can I Get Workers’ Comp Lost Wages While My Ankle Heals?

A broken ankle can cause a substantial loss of income, particularly if your job requires physical activity. Florida workers’ comp lost wages depend in part on what your authorized doctor says you can do and how the injury affects your ability to earn income.

If Your Ankle Injury Prevents You From Working

If the authorized doctor determines that your injury prevents you from working, you may qualify for temporary total disability (TTD) benefits.

Under Florida Statutes § 440.15, TTD benefits are paid at 66-2/3 percent, or about two-thirds, of your average weekly wage, subject to statutory limits. Temporary total disability benefits can last up to 104 weeks or until you reach maximum medical improvement, whichever occurs earlier.

The maximum weekly benefit depends on the year of injury. For example, the maximum weekly benefit in Florida for injuries occurring in 2026 is $1,358.

If You Can Work Fewer Hours or With Restrictions

Your doctor might allow you to return with restrictions, but those restrictions could cause you to work fewer hours or earn less than you did before the injury. In that situation, you may qualify for temporary partial disability (TPD) benefits.

Florida doesn’t simply pay two-thirds of the difference between your old and new earnings. Under § 440.15, TPD is calculated using a statutory formula based on your pre-injury average weekly wage and what you’re able to earn after the injury.

What Happens During the First Seven Days?

Lost wage benefits aren’t paid for the first seven days of disability. If your injury causes more than 21 days of disability, however, compensation can be paid from the beginning of the disability period. This waiting period applies to disability compensation, not authorized medical treatment.

What If My Broken Ankle Requires Surgery or Causes Lasting Problems?

Some ankle fractures heal without surgery, while more complicated injuries can require an operation and months of treatment or rehabilitation. Even after the bone heals, some people experience continuing pain, swelling, stiffness, or reduced mobility.

Eventually, your authorized doctor may determine that you’ve reached maximum medical improvement (MMI), meaning your condition isn’t expected to improve significantly with additional treatment.

If you have a permanent impairment after reaching MMI, you may qualify for impairment income benefits. The benefits available will depend on your medical findings, impairment, work restrictions, and how the injury affects your ability to earn wages.

What If Someone Else Caused My Workplace Ankle Injury?

Some work-related injuries also involve the negligence of someone other than the employer. For example, you could break your ankle in a work-related vehicle accident caused by another driver or because of a dangerous condition on property controlled by another company.

Florida Statutes § 440.39 addresses workers’ compensation cases involving third-party liability. A potential third-party claim is separate from a workers’ compensation claim and can involve different legal rights.

When Should I Contact a Workers’ Compensation Attorney About a Broken Ankle?

Disability claims can be denied for many reasons, including missing or incomplete paperwork, disputes over medical evidence, or questions about whether an injury is work-related. Keeping accurate records and responding to requests for information can help prevent avoidable problems.

Consider talking with a Florida workers’ compensation attorney if:

• Your employer refuses to report your injury.
• The insurance carrier denies your claim.
• You can’t get necessary authorized treatment.
• Imaging, physical therapy, or surgery is delayed or denied.
• You aren’t receiving wage-loss benefits despite being taken out of work.
• Your employer asks you to perform duties outside your restrictions.
• You continue to have significant limitations after reaching MMI.

Florida also has a two-year statute of limitations for filing a petition for benefits in many workplace injury cases. Under Florida Statutes § 440.19, a petition must be filed within two years after you knew or should have known that the injury arose out of work performed in the course and scope of employment. However, payment of benefits or authorized medical treatment can affect the limitations period, so don’t assume you always have two years from the accident date to act.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get workers’ comp if I broke my ankle at work in Florida?

You may qualify if your ankle injury arose out of work performed in the course and scope of your employment and you meet other applicable requirements. Because Florida workers’ compensation is a no-fault system, you don’t have to prove employer negligence to qualify for coverage.

How long do I have to report a broken ankle at work in Florida?

Florida law requires an injured employee to notify the employer within 30 days after the injury or its initial manifestation. Certain exceptions apply, but it’s better to report the injury as soon as possible.

Can I see my own doctor for a workplace ankle injury?

Florida workers’ compensation controls the selection and authorization of medical providers, subject to specific exceptions under Florida law. Emergency care is treated differently from non-emergency treatment.

Will Florida workers’ comp pay me while I can’t work with a broken ankle?

You may qualify for temporary disability benefits if your authorized doctor determines that the injury prevents you from working or restricts your ability to earn your pre-injury wages. TTD is based on about two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to statutory limits, while a different statutory formula applies when you return to work but earn less because of your restrictions.

What happens if my broken ankle doesn’t fully heal?

If you reach maximum medical improvement but continue to have a permanent impairment, you may qualify for impairment income benefits. More serious limitations that affect your ability to work can raise additional disability issues.

Get Help Protecting Your Benefits After a Broken Ankle at Work

A broken ankle can leave you dealing with pain, limited mobility, missed work, and uncertainty about when you’ll be able to return to your normal job. Problems with treatment authorization, wage benefits, or work restrictions can make an already difficult recovery more complicated.

For more than 27 years, Founding Attorney Lyle B. Masnikoff has helped injured Florida workers address problems involving medical care, wage-loss benefits, work restrictions, and disputed workers’ compensation claims. The workers’ compensation attorneys at Lyle B. Masnikoff & Associates can evaluate your situation and explain your options.

If you’re asking, “What should I do if I broke my ankle at work?” call (866) 519-3831 or contact Lyle B. Masnikoff & Associates online to schedule your free consultation.

At Lyle B. Masnikoff & Associates, we will go the extra mile for you!

Copyright © 2026. Lyle B. Masnikoff & Associates, P.A. All rights reserved.

The information in this blog post (“post”) is provided for general informational purposes only and may not reflect the current law in your jurisdiction. No information in this post should be construed as legal advice from the individual author or the law firm, nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting based on any information included in or accessible through this post without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer licensed in the recipient’s state, country, or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.

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