Welcome to the Workers' Compensation Section Home Page.
Your Executive Council has created this site in an effort to encourage and facilitate communication and exchange of ideas among the members of our Section. Enjoy! The purpose of the Workers' Compensation Section is to provide an organization within The Florida Bar open to all members in good standing who have a common interest in workers' compensation law. The Section provides a forum for discussion and exchange of ideas leading to the improvement of individual trial abilities in workers' compensation cases.
Send mail with questions or comments about this web site to:
Richard J Manno, Esq. Workers Compensation Section Technology Chair 4767 New Broad Street, Orlando, FL., 32814 (407) 484-0666 rmanno@orlandoworkerscomplaw.com
Please use the social media links below to stay well informed about the section's events and information regarding the practice of workers’ compensation within the state.
Legal Fuel (Please identify yourself as a section member)
ORLANDO, FLORIDA – Florida Judge of Compensation Claims, Robert L. Dietz, recently received the 2018 David Hammond Professionalism Award of the Judge William Wieland Workers’ Compensation Inns of Court of Central Florida. Dietz is assigned to the Sebastian/Melbourne District office, hearing workers’ compensation cases for Brevard, Indian River and Okeechobee counties, as well as statewide cases as needed.
The Judge William Wieland Workers’ Compensation Inns of Court of Central Florida presents the annual David Hammond Professionalism Award based on the criteria of professionalism, preparation, legal knowledge, ethics, respect by all parties, honesty, conduct and longevity. The winner is selected by the inn’s professionalism committee, comprised of judges, state and private mediators and attorneys. The award is named for David Hammond, a well-respected claimant attorney in Orlando who died in 2001 at the age of 51 and who was known for all of the qualities listed.
Dietz, an attorney with over 30 years of experience, is a Florida Bar Board Certified Workers’ Compensation Lawyer, since 1992, and an adjunct professor at Barry University College of Law. In addition, he is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Civil Mediator, mediating more than 1,300 cases. Throughout his career, Dietz has focused his practice in the area of workers' compensation law.
A national and statewide leader in the legal profession, Dietz has formerly served as President of both the Professional Mediation Institute and the Florida Defense Lawyers Association and is the former National Chair of the American Bar Association’s Workers’ Compensation and Employers’ Liability Committee. In 2013, Dietz was awarded one of only two prestigious international awards presented at the Civitan International Convention, the International Honor Key for outstanding service to the community and the organization. Dietz holds a B.A. degree from Eckerd College (1979), and his J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School (1982).
Notice has been posted regarding the Statewide Judicial Nominating Commission meeting in August 2018 (https://www.fljcc.org/JCC/sjnc/VRA/20180820ReApptHearing.pdf). The meeting will be August 20, 2018 at 1:00, in conjunction with the WCI Educational Conference in Orlando. There will be reappointment interviews for Judges Holley, Humphries and Winn. There will also be interviews to fill vacancies in Tampa (Judges Lorenzen and Spangler) and Ft. Lauderdale (Judge Hogan) resulting from announced retirements. Please spread the word of these vacancies. Application forms are available on the OJCC website https://www.fljcc.org/JCC/sjnc/
Panama City Office Relocating
Effective July 16, 2018, the Panama City District Office will relocate to: 600 Grand Panama Blvd, Suite 201 Panama City Beach, FL 32407 (850) 708-6250 Mark your records and remind your clients.
Petition for Benefit Issue
We are changing some programming. That has resulted in some petitions being directed to “pending,” and requiring clerk approval. We know of the issue, and recognize it is inconvenient. That programming is being worked upon and we hope to rectify this very soon. I am sorry for the inconvenience.
Florida Bar/OJCC Survey Published
Each spring, the Office of Judges of Compensation Claims and Florida Bar Workers’ Compensation Section produces a survey regarding judges and mediators. This is open to all attorneys that practice before the OJCC. This year’s results are available on the OJCC Website.
Mediation Rescheduling – Confirm Before Notice
The mediation rescheduling tool is available to allow counsel to locate times for their mediation appointments. However, you MAY NOT simply find an open time and then generate a notice. Once you locate a convenient appointment, you MUST CONTACT that mediator and confirm the time. Once you have confirmed, then the mediator can mark the database, and you may generate a notice. Remember, there could be many people simultaneously looking at the same appointment time you are considering. The first to confirm it with the mediator gets that time. Failure to confirm that appointment will likely result in wasted time and effort.
Ask OJCC
The email address for our central e-filing assistance is askojcc@doah.state.fl.us. Questions about using e-JCC, about e-filing, appellate records, etc. can be sent to this address. They are not able to give legal advice. They cannot help you with your computer issues or internet issues. But they are the experts on the e-filing process.
There are some attorneys whose firms or email providers are filtering out the link emails we send when documents are filed. We are responsible to send, but we cannot control you receiving. The best way to avoid errors and problems is for your office to check filings every day. There is a “daily filings” tab in e-JCC. Please use it regularly.
Tools for the Effective Workers’ Compensation Litigator
E-JCC tools, tips and reminders of which to be aware.
At the Southern Association of Workers’ Compensation Administrators in July, in Middleburg, Virginia, Judge Sojourner (ORL). At the WCI360 Attorney Breakout in August, you can see Judges Anderson (DAY), Beck (SAR), Forte (FTL), Holley (JAX), Pitts (ORL), and Rosen (SPT). At the WCI360 First Responder program in August, you can see Judges Pitts (ORL) and Sculco (ORL). At the Professional Mediation Institute at WCI360, Judge Robert Deitz (MEL) and Mediators John Brooks (DAY) and AnnaMarie Kim-Miller (ORL).
Thanks to our Judges speaking at the NAWCJ Judiciary College (not open to the public), Judges Anderson (DAY), Humphries (JAX), Pitts (ORL). Thanks to the Judges that spoke at the Florida Workers’ Advocates in June Judges Almeyda (MIA), Owens (PSL), and Stephenson (WPB). Thanks to the judges who spoke at the Workers Compensation Section Workers’ Compensation Forum in April Judges Jeffrey Jacobs (MIA), Gregory Johnsen (WPB), Meg Kerr (MIA), Mark Massey (TPA), Sylvia Medina-Shore (MIA), Neal Pitts (ORL), and mediator Anna Marie Kim (ORL). Thanks to the Judges that spoke at the Workers’ Compensation Institute Forum in April, Judges Diane Beck (SAR), Iliana Forte (FTL), Thomas Hedler (WPB), and Raymond Holley (JAX).
The Florida Bar Continuing Legal Education Committee and the Workers' Compensation Section present: Workers' Compensation Appeals for the Workers' Compensation Practitioner on May 9, 2018.
Please see the link below for full details and registration information.
Attached is the latest edition of the News & 440 Report. The legislature is in full swing and you will want to read with interest the message from our Chair, Paul Anderson, who takes some of us old folks down "memory lane." This issue contains technical articles from members of the Zenith Staff Counsel team, which (hopefully) are even handed and unbiased summaries of where our ever changing law stands with respect to some highly litigated issues. Enjoy, and you might even learn something!
