When a severe injury sidelines you from performing your job duties, you shouldn’t have to worry about losing income or finding the money to cover your expenses. You don’t have to wait for the physical therapy or doctor appointments to be over so you can get out of the house. The workers’ compensation system requires employers to pay for medical bills and related daily living expenses for Georgia residents who have suffered traumatic injuries due to unsafe work conditions.
If you’re hurt at your workplace and looking to obtain workers’ compensation benefits, connect with the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm. Our competent attorneys can help you determine eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits and guide you through your claim. Reach out to us at (470) 323-8779 or contact us online to set up an appointment to discuss your case.
Types of Lost Wage Benefits
A lot is at stake when you are hurt on the job. Protecting your future quality of life means getting back to work as quickly as possible. To accommodate varying injury levels, workers’ compensation in Georgia offers four different types of wage benefits:
- Temporary Total Disability (TTD): The worker cannot work in any capacity during their recovery, but it is expected they will recover. Payments are 2/3 of the worker’s average weekly wage, subject to a cap set by state law. It is paid when you miss more than seven calendar days from employment due to a work-related injury or illness.
- Temporary Partial Disability (TPD): The worker can return to work after the injury but earns less than pre-injury due to a change in job duties or hours. Payments are 66% of the difference between the injured worker’s average weekly wage before and after the injury, subject to a cap set by state law.
- Permanent Partial Disability (PPD): This can be either scheduled or unscheduled. Scheduled PPD is for workers who have suffered injuries to designated body parts like eyes, hands, and feet. Unscheduled PPD is for injuries that do not fit into a scheduled classification and usually involve neurological injuries or neck and back injuries. Payments are 66% of the injured worker’s average weekly wage, subject to a cap set by state law. It is paid when you’ve suffered a permanent impairment that prevents you from doing your job as it was performed before the injury.
- Permanent Total Disability (PTD): The worker has suffered an injury that prevents them from working or earning money in any job. This amount may continue for the rest of the injured worker’s life.
To qualify for workers’ compensation benefits, you need to prove that your injury at work caused your inability to return to work. You can provide your medical records and testimony from your doctors and witnesses to establish this. Suppose you cannot work due to your injury. In that case, benefits will be provided until you are ready to return to work, or for a maximum of 400 weeks in non-catastrophic injuries and life-long for catastrophic injuries.
Essential Things You Must Know About Workers’ Compensation
- The law mandates that any business owner who employs three or more workers, including part-time employees, must have workers’ compensation insurance.
- In the event of an accident, immediately notify your employer. Waiting longer than 30 days may result in you not receiving the lost wage benefits.
- You can receive weekly benefits for up to 225 weeks if you cannot perform your job because you lost an arm, leg, or any other body part that restricts you from performing your job.
- If you die due to a work injury, your spouse, children, or stepchildren will receive two-thirds of your average weekly wage or $675.00 per week, whichever is less.
How Are Lost Wage Benefits Calculated?
If you have a workers’ comp disability claim, the amount of lost wage benefits you receive depends on your income and compliance with workers’ comp rules. Losing wages due to a work injury can be financially detrimental, so you may want to assess your options carefully. You need to know how benefits are calculated in Georgia to better understand how much money you could receive. Currently, Georgia has a weekly maximum cap of $675. This amount is also the statewide minimum. So, if an injured victim’s income is less than the minimum amount for lost wages, they will receive at least that amount.
Based on your average weekly wage, you can calculate how much lost wage workers’ compensation benefits you are entitled to. You do this by dividing your gross pay, pre-tax, by the number of weeks you worked 13 weeks before your injury. It will give you your average weekly earnings. You might be able to use the weekly wage of a comparable employee or your annual salary divided by 52 weeks to calculate your benefits if you had not worked for the whole 13 weeks before you were injured.
In Georgia, workers’ compensation pays injured workers 2/3 of their average weekly wages. To determine how much you will receive, divide your wages by three and then multiply the result by two. This is the amount to which you will be entitled. If the total is higher than Georgia’s current maximum weekly benefit, you will be capped at the maximum.
Seek Professional Help from the CEO Lawyer for Your Workers’ Comp Claim
It can be devastating when you cannot work because of an occupational injury. If your injury is severe, you may need to miss a lot of time from work, and you may be entitled to disability payments. The process of filing a workers’ compensation claim can be complicated and time-consuming, so you must work with an experienced lawyer who can help you get the benefits you need.
At the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm, our Atlanta injury and accident attorneys have decades of experience behind them, and we are aware of the technical know-how of the system. We also know that when employers do not provide a safe working environment, they are violating your rights as an employee and need to be held accountable. We are here to make sure that happens for you so that you can focus on healing from your injuries. We are happy to provide you with a free case evaluation. Give us a call at (470) 323-8779 or fill out this online contact form.
