Claimants' Attorneys Leading Downward Trend in Legal Fees

By Michael Whiteley, Eastern Bureau ChiefThe fees paid to Florida claimants' attorneys have steadily declined since a series of reforms took effect on Oct. 1, 2003, and now comprise a little more than a third of all legal fees paid in the state workers' compensation system, the state Office of Judges of Compensation Claims reported in its latest annual report.Adjusted for inflation, the fees paid to claimants' lawyers declined by $110.9 million between fiscal 2002-2003 and fiscal 2011-2012 and finished the most recent fiscal year at $152,848,003 – 36.67% of the total $416.8 m...