Millions of people travel hundreds and thousands of miles to make United States their home. They come searching for a dream, to make a better life for themselves and their families. Florida alone has seen a vast increase in its multi-national population. While living and working to achieve that dream, people are constantly challenged by the circumstances surrounding them. A lot of them struggle when trying to live their lives incognito. In the majority of situations, their lack of proficiency with the English language as well as their fear of being deported results in immigrants enduring abuse and injuries simply because they are afraid of speaking out.
Regardless of where you come from, or your legal status in the United States, the courts in Florida recognize that every person has certain protected rights. In Florida, the law recognizes the right to resort to the judicial system when a person has been injured. Regardless of their migratory immigration status, Florida law will not restrict a person from seeking a fair trial to resolve a dispute. In fact, in the great majority of personal injury cases involving persons who are not in this country legally, Florida courts will restrict the insurance companies from communicating to the jury the injured person’s residency status.
Courts in Florida recognize that unless the injured person is attempting to make a claim for loss of future earnings, mentioning that a person is not a legal resident of the United States is of no relevance to the issues to be decided in trial. Furthermore, courts restrict the mentioning of a person’s legal status, as a jury may decide the outcome of the trial on the basis of their bias and not on the evidence presented that supports the merits of the person’s injury case. If you have been injured and need to seek legal redress, you should always speak to an attorney regarding the protection of your rights and the possibilities of seeking judicial assistance to resolve your claim.
In cases where a person has been injured at work, Florida Workers Compensation law is designed to cover all workers, regardless of their legal status in Florida. Eligibility to worker compensation benefits will greatly depend upon the employee’s truthfulness, responsiveness and completeness in the information they provide to their employer when applying for a job. You should note that specific rules apply to cases involving work injuries that should be discussed with an attorney specializing in that area of the law.
Lesser, Lesser, Landy & Smith, PLLC., has been serving the Palm Beach County community for over 82 years. We are glad to help you understand your case and discuss numerous issues that may relate to your claim of injuries. Please do not hesitate to contact our office to schedule a conference with an attorney that can help you understand your rights.
