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$1.53 An Hour For Lawyer Fees? Not In Florida, Court Says

The Supreme Court of the United States. Photo: Jeff Kubina/Flickr
The Supreme Court of the United States. Photo: Jeff Kubina/Flickr

TALLAHASSEE — The Supreme Court says a law limiting lawyer fees in workers' compensation cases is unconstitutional after considering a case in which an attorney was paid $1.53 per hour for his work.

The court said in its ruling Thursday that it's absurd that a highly skilled lawyer would be paid $164.54 for more than 100 hours of work.

But that was the case after a worker successfully sued a Miami door manufacturer after an on-the-job accident.

That's because in 2003, then Gov. Jeb Bush signed attorney fee limits into law as his solution to skyrocketing workers' compensation insurance rates. Those limits now can't be enforced because of the court's 5-2 ruling.

The Associated Press is a wire service to which WUFT News subscribes.