The following is a summary of a recent decision of a Final Compensation Order (2/19/2026). This decision can be found on the Office of the Judges of Compensation Claims website.
Case Overview
This is a Florida Workers’ Compensation case heard in Polk County, Florida, with a final hearing held on January 27, 2026. The case involves a municipal employee and his employer’s insurance/claims carrier.
Initial Injury
The employee injured his left knee on September 5, 2024, when he stepped into a hole while pushing a wheelbarrow at work. He was initially treated at a city employee health clinic for approximately one month before being referred to an orthopedic physician. It is worth noting the employee had a significant prior history with the same knee, including an ACL repair roughly 20 years prior, a follow-up surgery shortly after, and a meniscectomy in 2014.
Medical Findings
The treating orthopedic physician diagnosed the employee with post-traumatic osteoarthritis of the left knee with a recent exacerbation. All three physicians who reviewed the case agreed the employee needed left knee surgery. However, two of the three doctors concluded that 75% of the need for surgery was attributable to the employee’s pre-existing conditions and prior surgeries, with only 25% attributable to the work accident. The judge sided with those two physicians over the third.
Final Compensation Outcome
The monetary outcome here is essentially zero — both primary claims were denied:
1. Left knee surgery — Denied. The judge found that the major contributing cause of the need for surgery was the employee’s pre-existing injuries and prior surgeries, not the workplace accident.
2. Attorney’s fees — Denied.
The only concession from the employer/carrier was a stipulation to reimburse filing costs associated with the Petition for Benefits, though an itemized cost statement was required for that reimbursement. No dollar amount was specified in the order.
In short, the employee was not awarded surgery coverage or fees — the claim was denied in full based on the finding that pre-existing conditions were the primary driver of the need for surgical intervention.
Florida Workers’ Compensation Attorney, Adam Baron
At Adam Baron Law, we offer free consultations to discuss your workplace injury. We’ll review what happened, explain your rights, and help you understand your options. We don’t get paid unless we recover benefits for you, so there’s no financial risk in calling us.
Florida workers deserve safe workplaces and fair treatment when they’re injured on the job. Contact Adam Baron Law today at 954-247-HURT to learn how we can help you get the workers’ compensation benefits you need and deserve. Your recovery and your family’s financial security are too important to leave to chance.
Adam Baron Law is based in Coral Springs, but works with injured workers across the State of Florida – including those in Polk County (Lakeland, Winter Haven, and other communities).
*Adam Baron Law was not associated with the injured party, this particular case or decision.