Ricardo Cagnoli, employed by Tandem Staffing, hurt his back and right knee when he fell through a hole in the floor in March 2003. He applied for workers' compensation benefits, but this application was returned because it did not include a Social Security number. He appealed to 1st District Court of Appeal, arguing Florida law violated the 1974 federal Privacy Act. Cagnoli also argued the law impinged on his rights to not incriminate himself and to equal access to the courts. The 1st District Court of Appeal agreed that the state law violated federal law.