Lord v. Santa Rosa Correctional Institute

In this workers’ compensation case, Claimant appeals an order of the Judge of Compensation Claims (JCC) on his motion for employer/carrier-paid (E/C-paid) attorney’s fees. The JCC awarded approximately half of the requested fees. We reverse the exclusion of the remainder of the requested fees, and hold that, because entitlement to fees is tied to the securing of a benefit, the amount of fee for securing any given benefit should include all attorney time reasonably necessary to secure that benefit.

As background, Claimant suffered a compensable injury on September 28, 1999, and the E/C accepted…