Florida is a popular vacation destination for its agreeable climate, expansive beaches and the litany of activities available. One key aspect that is known to attract people from all over the world are the Sunshine State’s theme parks. Whether it is Disney World, Sea World, Universal Orlando, Epcot and others, these parks are not only a boon to the state in general, but they are a major employer. Still, theme park workers face unique challenges in remaining safe and free from injury and illness. For those who work at a theme park and face issues causing them to miss time and need medical care, it is important to understand how to get and maximize workers’ compensation benefits.
Keeping a theme park operational requires a wide array of workers
From security to maintenance to food servers and entertainment, a theme park has many moving parts. For example, maintenance workers may need to work on heavy machinery at significant heights. They are required to operate heavy tools and place themselves in harm’s way to ensure the park is working as it should. This can set the stage for clear injuries like broken bones, cuts and even lost limbs. Some injuries, however, are less clear but can still be debilitating like a back or neck injury that is not obvious to the naked eye. In these situations, knowing how to pursue workers’ compensation becomes particularly important. In the current situation, those who are interacting with the public could be more susceptible to becoming ill. This too could warrant workers’ compensation benefits. Regardless of the work a person does, injuries and illness can come about without warning at a theme park, so workers’ compensation will come to the forefront to make ends meet and get the necessary medical care.
What benefits care available through workers’ compensation?
Under workers’ compensation, the injured worker must be allowed to see an authorized physician, have the treatments paid for and allow the worker to change the physician once after a written request to do so has been submitted. The medical care can include a wide array of services to try and get the worker back to normal health. That includes being hospitalized, having rehabilitation, testing, prescriptions and more.
Wages are a primary concern for a person who is no longer able to do his or her job at a theme park. This too can be covered by workers’ compensation benefits. For those who are disabled for more than seven calendar days and cannot do their job as they did before, they can get wage replacement benefits. This is true whether the person is on partial disability or total disability. The wage replacement generally covers two-thirds of what the worker earned per week. It cannot, however, surpass Florida’s average weekly wage. The payments start within 21 days after the insurer is made aware of the injuries. The types of benefits available include temporary total, temporary partial, permanent impairment and permanent total.
Workers should know that they must report the injury within 30 days from when it manifests itself. Failure to do so could damage the chances of getting approved. There are also options to appeal a denied claim or a claim in which the worker does not believe he or she has been categorized correctly in terms of disability. Workers can also receive help in finding other employment if they can no longer fulfill their former duties at the theme park.
Seeking workers’ compensation after theme park injuries can be complicated
Because theme park workers may be perceived by their employer as disposable, it could be difficult to get an approval for workers’ compensation benefits without a fight. These workers have rights and if they are dealing with a medical issue of any kind and cannot work, they should be cognizant of what they should do to get the workers’ compensation they are entitled to. Having professional assistance with these cases is crucial in any job, but it is especially true with theme parks. Consulting with those experienced in these cases is key.
