Florida’s Supreme Court rulings are wrecking workers’ comp system

At Bealls, we work hard to make sure that our employees are safe on the job. It’s part of our culture to help them to be successful and productive at work. If by chance someone is injured on the job, our top priority is to get them the medical care needed to return to work as quickly as possible.

In the early 2000s, Florida had the unenviable distinction of having the highest workers’ comp rates in the nation. Then reforms were enacted that dropped rates by nearly 60 percent, putting Florida in line with other states while helping injured employees get back to work in fewer days.

Unfortunately, that could all change based on two recent Supreme Court rulings involving Florida’s workers’ comp system. At the Florida Chamber of Commerce, we believe that Florida’s workers’ comp system has been working effectively, and we fear that dramatic changes will be triggered by the Supreme Court decisions. The most alarming of these changes will be a significant increase in unnecessary litigation.

The rulings recently prompted the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation to approve an increase in workers’ comp insurance rates of 14.5 percent. All told, this increase will cost Florida businesses $1.5 billion, creating uncertainty among job creators and damaging the state’s economy.

It is frustrating to see these rulings undo years of progress we have made to improve the system.

This story was originally published October 8, 2016 at 4:41 PM with the headline "Florida’s Supreme Court rulings are wrecking workers’ comp system."