When an employee is injured on the job in Florida, employers have legal obligations that begin immediately — from providing first aid access to reporting the claim to your workers comp carrier. Failing to follow Florida's workers comp claim procedures can result in penalties, bad faith claims, and uncovered losses. Here's exactly what Florida small business employers need to do when a workplace injury occurs.
Within minutes: (1) Ensure the injured employee receives appropriate first aid or emergency care. (2) Document the incident — take photos, record witness statements, note conditions at the scene. (3) Provide the employee with the name and contact information for your workers comp insurance carrier. Florida law requires employers to post the name and phone number of the carrier in the workplace (DWC-13 notice). Within 24 hours: Notify your insurance carrier of the incident — do not wait to determine severity.
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Florida Statutes §440.185 requires employers to report workplace injuries to their workers comp insurance carrier within 7 days of knowledge of the injury. The carrier then has 3 days to either pay benefits or deny the claim. Missing the 7-day reporting window can result in employer penalties and complicate the claim. For injuries requiring more than 7 days of missed work, the injury must be reported to the Florida Division of Workers Compensation via the First Report of Injury or Illness (DWC-1 form).
Florida's workers comp system requires injured employees to receive treatment from an 'authorized treating physician' — a provider within your insurer's network. Sending an employee to a non-network provider (without carrier authorization) can result in the employer paying out-of-pocket for treatment. In emergencies, the employee may go to any ER; for non-emergency treatment, direct them to your carrier's authorized provider list immediately. Violation of this process is a common and expensive error for small business employers.
The First Report of Injury or Illness (DWC-1) is the official Florida workers comp claim form. Your carrier typically files this on your behalf upon notification. You'll need: employee's name, address, SSN; date, time, and location of injury; description of how the injury occurred; nature of injury and body part affected; treating physician information; wage information for benefit calculation. Keep a copy for your records — audit trail documentation is essential if disputes arise.
Florida encourages modified duty return-to-work programs — transitional work arrangements that allow injured employees to return to work in a limited capacity while recovering. Employees on modified duty stop receiving temporary total disability (TTD) benefits, reducing your claims cost and EMR impact. Develop a written modified duty program in advance — when an injury happens is not the time to design one. Light-duty roles should be documented as real job functions, not make-work positions.
We help Florida small business owners get workers comp coverage that meets state requirements and keeps claims manageable.
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