Appellate Practice

Our attorneys represent clients at all appellate levels and frequently has cases pending in multiple districts throughout Florida and our Florida Attorneys occasionally are involved in cases before the Supreme Court of Florida. The firm’s appellate practice can involve almost any legal issue, but most cases we handle have some relationship to the Workers’ Compensation Act. Some significant cases the firm has handled in the past include:

Slora v. Sun ‘N Fun, 2015 Fla. App. LEXIS 12708 (Fla. 2nd DCA 2015) — an important case regarding the definition of “contractor” as it relates to workers’ compensation immunity in Florida.

Hinzman v. Winter Haven Facility Operations, LLC, 109 So.3d 256 (Fla. 1st DCA 2013). A workers’ compensation decision on the calculation of time for a carrier to provide a change in physician which challenged the conventional wisdom of the calculation of claims handling deadlines.

Staffmark v. Merrell, 43 So.3d 792 (Fla. 1st DCA 2010). An important and frequently cited workers’ compensation case involving apportionment of medical and indemnity benefits prior to MMI.

King v. Parker Hannifin Corporation, 34 Fla. L. Weekly D 1624 (Fla. 2nd DCA 2009). A signficant case involving the issue of when Florida’s Circuit Courts have jurisdiction to enforce orders of workers’ compensation judges.

Lebance v. Dawsey, as Sherriff of Citrus County, 34 Fla. L. Weekly D 1362 (Fla. 5th DCA 2009). An important case on the issue of sovereign immunity and when law enforcement owes a duty to protect the public during police actions.

Ferrellgas v. Childers, 928 So.2d 36, (Fla. 1st DCA 2008). Interpreted the PTD standard as enacted in the 2003 workers’ compensation reform bill.

Goodman v. BFI of Florida, 755 So.2d 191, (Fla. 1st DCA 2000) This case helped clarify the standard for compensability of psychiatric conditions in Florida Workers’ Compensation claims after the 1994 statutory amendments.

GTE v. Hall, 676 So.2d 996 (Fla. 1st DCA 1996) A case defining the standard of judicial review for appropriate notice of an accident under the Florida Workers’ Compensation Statute.

Freeman v. IMC-Agrico, 678 So.2d 1349 (Fla. 1st DCA 1996) Established that a physician of one specialty may give an opinion that is accepted over the opinion of another physician in a different specialty, if the witness has experience in the area. For example, the opinion of a neurosurgeon may “trump” the opinion testimony of a chiropractor.

Gadson v. Florida Tile Industries, 647 So.2d 907 (Fla. 1st DCA 1996) Successfully argued that a JCC may limit a hearing to one date of accident and that a denial of late amendment of pretrial stipulations was not an abuse of discretion.