Did the Florida Reforms Reduce Attorney Involvement?

The study reported that a significant proportion of Florida workers injured in workplace accidents were able to hire attorneys to represent them in workers’ compensation cases following the enactment in 2003 of a series of reforms in the state’s workers’ compensation system, even in many cases that would generate small attorney fees. However, slightly fewer workers retained attorneys after the reforms than prior to their passage.

This study is relevant to the debate in Florida about the decisions by the courts, legislature and governor on legislation to reverse a Florida Supreme Court ruling in Emma Murray v. Mariner Health and Ace USA. In that case, the petitioners argued that the 2003 reforms made it very difficult for workers to hire attorneys, especially in cases that would generate small attorney fees.