The following is a summary of a recent decision of a Final Compensation Order (2/18/2026). 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 Broward County, Florida, with a final hearing held on February 3, 2026. The case involves a transportation company employee and their employer’s insurance/claims carrier.
Initial Injury
The employee was injured on March 29, 2024, while pulling a pallet full of wood at work. A piece of wood punctured his foot, causing him to fall backward and land flat on his back. His chief complaints following the accident were lower back pain and intermittent right leg pain, numbness, and tingling. An MRI confirmed disc herniations/protrusions at the L4-5 and L5-S1 levels of the lumbar spine.
Medical Treatment Summary
The employee was treated by an orthopedic spine surgeon and a pain management specialist. Treatment included physical therapy, injections, and ultimately a radiofrequency ablation (RFA) procedure performed on October 31, 2025. The treating spine surgeon initially declared the employee at Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) on July 1, 2025, with a 0% permanent impairment rating (PIR). However, the pain management specialist later determined the employee was not at MMI from a pain management perspective as of August 21, 2025. An independent medical examiner obtained by the employee disagreed with the MMI determination entirely, finding the work accident was the major contributing cause of the injuries and recommending sedentary work restrictions.
Through a mediation agreement on November 20, 2025, the employer/carrier accepted compensability of the low back condition and disc protrusions, and reinstated Temporary Partial Disability (TPD) benefits from August 21, 2025 through November 20, 2025.
Claims Sought
The employee sought two primary items: impairment benefits at a 7% permanent impairment rating (PIR) tied to the MMI date of July 1, 2025, and penalties, interest, costs, and attorney’s fees.
Final Compensation Outcome
Both petitions for benefits were denied and dismissed as premature:
1. The claim for impairment benefits (6–10% PIR) tied to the July 1, 2025 MMI date — Denied and Dismissed as Premature, because the judge found the employee had not yet reached overall MMI given ongoing pain management treatment.
2. The September 2025 petition (seeking 7% PIR and related fees) — Denied and Dismissed as Premature for the same reason.
In essence, no impairment benefit payments were awarded at this time. The only compensation already in place was the TPD benefits reinstated through mediation. The case remains open as the employee continues treatment and has not yet reached MMI.
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 Broward County (Ft. Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Davie, and other communities).
*Adam Baron Law was not associated with the injured party, this particular case or decision.