Michles & Booth’s Brian Carter Discusses Florida Workers’ Compensation Rights in 25th-Anniversary Interview

A Pensacola board-certified workers’ comp attorney, 25 years in practice, explains Florida’s no-fault system and common filing mistakes on Sonshine’s Corner.

PENSACOLA, FL, UNITED STATES, September 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Brian Carter of Michles & Booth, P.A. is, according to the firm, the only attorney actively practicing as a Florida Bar Board Certified Workers’ Compensation Specialist across Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties. As the firm marks its 25th anniversary and Carter his own 25th year as an attorney, he is drawing on an unusual background: he spent his first eight years representing employers and insurance carriers before switching to injured workers in 2008.

“I’d gotten that experience on the inside — how they operate, how they value claims, how they handle claims — and I thought I could make more of an impact by helping the individuals,” Carter said.

Speaking on the local program Sonshine’s Corner, Carter said many workers do not realize that workers’ compensation is a no-fault system, meaning an injured employee does not have to prove the employer did anything wrong. The most common and costly mistake, he said, is staying silent: under Florida law, a worker must report a workplace injury within 30 days and file a claim within two years, and he recommends putting the report in writing.

What the System Covers
The benefits are lost wages and medical care, not pain and suffering, Carter said, but unlike a typical policy, there is no coverage cap, and care can continue long-term once a claim is accepted. He also warned that some employers misclassify workers as independent contractors to avoid coverage, when a worker who is told how and when to do the job is often still entitled to benefits.

Why the Credential Matters
Board certification requires trying enough cases to earn judges’ endorsement, peer review on conduct and ethics, and a written exam that must be renewed every five years. Carter said the work is personal, recalling an early client whose family had lost power after an injury, a moment he said shaped his decision to represent injured workers.

“You got hurt — that’s victim one,” Carter said. “Don’t let the system victimize you twice.”

Carter, who has served more than a decade on a local school advisory council and lectures at the University of West Florida, said community involvement is part of the firm’s 25 years in the region. The full interview is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNuaBh19-mo.

Marcus J. Michles II
Michles & Booth, P.A.
+1 850-438-4848
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