Lost Wages and Disability Benefits Attorney in Orlando, Florida

YOUR PAYCHECK IS NOT OPTIONAL
When the insurance company denies, terminates, or fails to correctly calculate your weekly financial benefits, including temporary lost wages or long-term disability benefits, that action immediately puts your financial stability at risk. Whether the problem involves a wrongful denial of your average weekly wage, a premature termination of checks, or the refusal to acknowledge your permanent work restrictions, a dedicated Orlando lost wages and disability benefits lawyer at Van Dingenen Law immediately works to identify why the carrier cut your income and builds a robust legal case to force the resumption of correct benefits.

Why Do You Need a Lost Wages Benefits Lawyer in Orlando?

Securing essential lost wages and disability payments after a work injury in Orlando often becomes a severe financial strain, not because you aren't hurt, but because insurance companies constantly challenge your financial benefits to save money. They dispute AWW, stop temporary checks prematurely, or deny your claim for long-term disability benefits. An Orlando lost wages and disability benefits attorney at Van Dingenen Law focuses exclusively on these issues. We compel the carrier to use the correct AWW, fight against unjustified termination of checks, and legally force the release of the full income and disability payments you deserve under Florida law.

A man is working on a machine in a factory.

We're dedicated to protecting injured workers. Schedule a free case evaluation now!

Why Hire a Lost Wages and Disability Benefits Lawyer in Orlando at Van Dingenen Law?

When your financial stability is at stake, you need an attorney whose practice is not divided. At Van Dingenen Law, we focus exclusively on workers' compensation in Central Florida. We apply our six decades of combined experience and targeted resources to challenge insurers, whether they dispute your hourly wage, wrongfully stop your checks, or refuse to acknowledge your permanent disability. Our outstanding track record demonstrates our ability to secure the maximum income replacement and long-term benefits injured workers deserve.

  • We have a deep mastery of Florida laws governing Temporary Total, Temporary Partial, and Permanent Impairment benefits, ensuring your financial entitlements are protected.
  • We investigate complex financial records to maximize your Average Weekly Wage, the foundation of all your weekly compensation checks.
  • Our firm provides comprehensive workers' compensation services across Orlando and Central Florida, covering denied claims, death claims, medical treatments, appeals, and more.
  • We handle every stage of benefit appeals, from filing Petitions for Benefits for overdue checks to expertly representing you at hearings before Compensation Judges.
  • We fight vigorously to prove entitlement to Permanent Impairment Benefits (PIBs) and Permanent Total Disability (PTD), securing financial support that lasts beyond temporary recovery.

Do not allow the insurance company to dictate your financial future. When your income is terminated, the window to legally fight back is limited, and every day without a check is a crisis. Contact an Orlando lost wages and disability benefits lawyer at Van Dingenen Law today for a free case evaluation to ensure you protect your paycheck and secure the financial support you need to recover.

How Can Our Lost Wages Benefits Lawyers in Orlando Help You?

Being injured at work can cause severe financial strain, especially if you’re unable to work. Workers' compensation is designed to replace your lost wages, but getting those benefits isn’t always straightforward. Our experienced team of Orlando work injury attorneys will fight for you. We help injured workers secure the lost wage compensation they need to cover their expenses while they recover. Our goal is to ensure you receive your payments on time and in full.

typically Denied claims

Calculate your average weekly wage for compensation: We meticulously investigate employment and wage history, ensuring the carrier uses the highest possible legal figure to maximize your weekly benefit check.

File for temporary or permanent disability payments: we strategically file petitions to secure all forms of compensation, including Temporary Total (TTD), Temporary Partial (TPD), and long-term Permanent Impairment Benefits (PIBs).

Ensure timely wage payments: We actively intervene when checks are delayed, immediately filing legal motions to compel the insurer to release overdue payments, including all applicable interest and penalties.

Appeal denied lost wage claims: We handle every stage of the financial appeal process, gathering the necessary medical and vocational evidence to overturn denials of your income benefits successfully.

Do not allow the insurance company to use bureaucratic tactics to cut off your income. When your paycheck is terminated, the window to legally fight back is limited, and every day without a check is a crisis for your family. Contact our Orlando lost wages and disability benefits lawyers today for a free consultation to ensure we protect your current income stream and secure the reliable financial stability necessary for your long-term future.

What Types of Lost Wages and Disability Benefits Are Available Under Workers’ Compensation in Orlando?

Florida's workers' compensation system provides several types of income replacement payments designed to secure your financial stability after a job injury. The specific benefit you receive depends entirely on your medical restrictions and ability to work. Our Orlando lost wages and disability benefits attorneys fight to ensure you receive the correct category and maximum amount of compensation, which includes:

01

Temporary Total Disability (TTD)

These benefits are paid when your authorized doctor takes you completely off work. You receive 66 2/3% of your Average Weekly Wage, and we fight the carrier if they try to stop these checks prematurely.

02

Temporary Partial Disability (TPD)

 If you can work reduced hours, benefits may help supplement your lost income.

03

Permanent Total Disability (PTD)

These are long-term benefits for a catastrophic injury that permanently prevents you from ever returning to the workforce. We build the legal case to prove PTD and secure reliable, lifetime compensation.

What Lost Wages and Disability Benefits Do We Fight to Secure for Orlando Workers?

While the law defines the categories of benefits (TTD/TPD/PTD), securing the full financial recovery often requires aggressive legal action beyond simply receiving a weekly check. Your Orlando lost wages and disability benefits lawyer will fight to ensure you achieve every available financial advantage:

  • Maximize the average weekly wage: We challenge the initial AWW calculation to include bonuses, tips, overtime, and secondary employment income, ensuring your weekly check is based on the maximum possible pre-injury earnings.
  • Secure Impairment Benefits: We fight to maximize your Permanent Impairment Rating and ensure the correct payment of PIBs, which provide necessary compensation once you reach Maximum Medical Improvement.
  • Force payment of overdue benefits: We compel the carrier to release all wrongfully terminated or delayed checks and demand the payment of statutory interest and penalties that the insurance company owes you for late payment.
  • Negotiate comprehensive financial settlements: We represent you in negotiating a convenient settlement, ensuring the total amount adequately covers future wage losses and provides final, reliable financial security.


The insurance company often treats the denial of your wages as the final decision, but a Judge of Compensation Claims holds the real authority. Do not passively accept an interruption to your household income. Contact an Orlando lost wages and disability benefits lawyer at Van Dingenen Law immediately for a free review. We will fight the carrier to resume payments, ensuring you secure the money you need to meet living expenses and focus on your recovery.

Why Are Workers' Compensation Lost Wages and Disability Benefits Delayed or Denied in Orlando?

Insurance carriers frequently employ specific tactics to minimize or eliminate their financial liability for your lost wages and long-term disability. Our Orlando lost wages and disability benefits attorneys consistently counter these common denial reasons:

The Average Weekly Wage (AWW) Dispute

The insurer fails to calculate your AWW correctly, often excluding overtime, bonuses, or concurrent employment income, resulting in a weekly benefit check that is far lower than you are entitled to receive.

Premature Release to Work

The insurance company's authorized doctor releases you to full or light duty before you are medically ready, or the carrier argues that there is available work you can perform, cutting off your Temporary Total Disability checks.

MMI/Impairment Dispute

The carrier disputes your date of Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) or rejects the doctor's finding of a permanent impairment rating, thereby denying you access to necessary Permanent Impairment Benefits.

Vocational Dispute (PTD Denial)

For long-term or catastrophic injuries, the insurer argues that you still have the ability to perform some type of work in the open labor market, wrongfully denying your claim for Permanent Total Disability.

What Steps Should You Take If Your Workers’ Compensation Lost Wages and Disability Benefits Were Delayed or Denied in Orlando?

A denial or delay of your workers’ compensation income is a serious event that demands immediate action to protect your finances. Do not attempt to negotiate the denial alone; you need formal legal intervention to compel the carrier to resume checks.

Obtain the Official Denial Notice

Your first step is securing the official written document from the carrier explaining the specific reason for the denial or termination of benefits. This letter forms the basis of your legal challenge.

Contact an Orlando Lost Wages and Disability Benefits Lawyer Immediately

This is the most essential step. An Orlando lost wages benefits attorney will immediately review the denial, verify your correct Average Weekly Wage, and begin preparing the appeal.

File a Petition for Benefits (PFB) for Indemnity

Your attorney will formally initiate the legal appeal by filing a Petition for Benefits (PFB) demanding the specific overdue wage or disability payments. This action officially challenges the insurer's decision and schedules a hearing before a Judge of Compensation Claims.

Never assume a denial is the final word. While the insurance company hopes you will accept the denial, filing a PFB is the only mechanism that forces them to account for your lost income in court. Act quickly to prevent financial hardship and to ensure you do not miss the strict legal deadlines.

What Is the Deadline to Challenge a Workers’ Comp Lost Wages or Disability Benefits Delay or Denial in Orlando?

The statute of limitations is the single most dangerous element for an injured worker seeking financial benefits in Florida. If this deadline expires, your right to all future income replacement and disability payments is permanently barred by law. Our Orlando lost wages and disability benefits lawyers act decisively to ensure you never fall victim to this rule.

These two deadlines govern your ability to file a Petition for Benefits (PFB) to recover lost wages:

  • The Initial Two-Year SOL: Your claim is forever closed unless you file the initial Petition for Benefits within two years of the date you were injured on the job (or the date you reasonably discovered the injury was work-related).
  • The One-Year SOL (Extension): Once the carrier has accepted your claim, the two-year clock is paused. It restarts, giving you one year from the date of the last lost wage check (indemnity payment) or the last authorized medical visit to file for any additional denied or overdue benefits.

The insurance company is legally permitted to stop sending you checks and authorizing care, deliberately waiting for this one-year period to expire. This tactic automatically ends your financial claim. If your checks stop for any reason, you must contact a specialized workers’ compensation lost wages benefits attorney in Orlando at Van Dingenen Law immediately to file the necessary PFB and protect your right to compensation.

A man is working on a machine in a factory.

Discuss Your Case with an Orlando Workers’ Compensation Lost Wages Benefits Lawyer Now!

Protecting your paycheck when the insurance carrier cuts off benefits requires specialized legal intervention, not generic personal injury experience. At Van Dingenen Law, workers' compensation is all we do. With over 60 years of combined legal practice focused exclusively on this area, we offer you an unmatched advantage in Orlando. We understand that your financial claim, whether it involves lost wages, long-term disability, etc., covers all aspects of your work injury. If your income has been denied or delayed, contact us today! We will use our experience to compel the carrier to resume payments and safeguard your financial recovery.

We're dedicated to protecting injured workers. Schedule a free case evaluation now!

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Orlando Lost Wages and Disability Benefits Under Workers’ Compensation: Frequently Asked Questions

Understanding the complex rules governing your paycheck after a work injury in Orlando is difficult, especially when the insurance company disputes your earnings or cuts off checks. Our Orlando lost wages and disability benefits lawyers answer key questions we often receive from our clients.

  • When Should I Expect My First Lost Wage Check After Reporting My Orlando Injury?

    The carrier must begin sending your first Temporary Total Disability (TTD) check within 21 days of receiving notice of your injury, provided you are out of work for more than seven days. If the check is late, your Orlando lost wages benefits lawyer will immediately file a Petition for Benefits to compel prompt payment.


  • How Is my Average Weekly Wage Maximized If I Worked a Seasonal or Second Job in Orlando?

    The AWW calculation is the foundation of all your checks. We investigate 13 weeks of earning records from all employment sources, including overtime and tips, to ensure the carrier calculates the highest possible AWW, which your lost wages benefits lawyer in Orlando will use to maximize your weekly rate.


  • Can the Insurer Force Me to Repay the Benefits I Received If My Claim Is Later Denied in Orlando?

    No, generally not if the insurer paid benefits under Florida's 120-day "pay and investigate" rule. If the carrier attempts to recover funds, contact your Orlando lost wages benefits attorney immediately, as they have strict rules about when they can assert this demand.


  • What Happens to My Lost Wages If I Am Out of Work for Exactly 21 Days or More?

    If your disability extends beyond 21 days, you are eligible for retroactive payment for the first seven days you were off work (the waiting period). Your lost wages and disability benefits lawyer in Orlando ensures this retroactive payment is included in your checks and settlement.


  • Will My Lost Wages or Disability Benefit Checks in Orlando be Taxed as Income?

    No. The weekly checks for Temporary Total Disability (TTD) and long-term Impairment Income Benefits (IIB) are generally exempt from both federal and state income tax. As your dedicated Orlando lost wages and disability benefits lawyer, Van Dingenen Law ensures you understand that this tax-free status substantially increases the real-world value of your final recovery and settlement, providing maximum financial relief for your household.


  • If I Reach Maximum Medical Improvement, Do All My Lost Wage Checks Stop Forever?

    Your entitlement to Temporary Disability checks ceases when you reach Maximum Medical Improvement or exhaust the 104-week limit. However, reaching triggers a claim for Permanent Impairment Benefits, calculated from your physician's impairment rating. Your lost wages and disability benefits attorney at Van Dingenen Law immediately files the legal demand to secure this PIB payment, ensuring you receive this crucial compensation to cover the residual economic impact of your injury.