When a Florida worker is injured on the job, the injury may not be so severe that they have to discontinue working entirely. However, an injury could result in an employee needing to miss days of work in order to attend medical check-ups for the injury. Unfortunately, some employers may find it an inconvenience to have a worker that must miss days due to an injury, and a worker could potentially be a victim of retaliatory discharge.
A former worker for the Town of Lake Placid is currently seeking a lawsuit after he was terminated from his position. It was reported that the man had been injured in an industrial accident that resulted in his finger getting crushed. As a result of the injury, the man required multiple doctor appointments to have the injury examined. It was reported that the man was apparently fired days after having to miss work for one such appointment.
The man believes he was unjustly terminated and retaliated against for his injury and filing for workers' compensation. The man is currently seeking re-employment as well as compensation for other damages that he believes resulted from the incident. It was not reported whether any representation for the town had given any comment on the situation.
Facing retaliatory discharge can be difficult for employees to contend with. They may have to deal with hardships relating to the loss of their income and other damages that could result from such action. As this Florida worker prepares for his case, he may wish to become more knowledgeable on the process to ensure that he understands his legal options.
Source: highlandstoday.com, "Former employee sues LP", Marc Valero, Sept. 19, 2014