Workers' Compensation in Georgia

How much is your workers' compensation claim worth?

Knowing the value of your workers' compensation is critical. It gives you a settlement goal. Hiring the top rated workers' compensation lawyers at the Griffin Law Firm is the way to reach that goal.

Use our Workers' Compensation Settlement Calculator to find out the settlement value of your work injury claim for free.

What are the challenges in Georgia Workers' Comp Claims?

Workers' compensation claims in Georgia allow injured workers to receive medical treatment, weekly income benefits, and permanent partial disability benefits,

There is always a risk of injury at work, regardless of your job type. Of course, some positions are prone to more accidents than others, like jobs where you have to operate heavy manufacturing machinery. If you are hurt on the job while doing your job duties, you probably have a compensable workers' compensation claim. Even though you can't recover for pain and suffering in a workers' compensation claim, the workers' comp Insurer does have to pay for your authorized medical treatment, your lost wages, and your permanent impairment rating if one is assigned. Since insurance companies want to save money, they often delay or even deny your workers' compensation claim. The best way to protect yourself is to hire a seasoned workers' compensation lawyer to fight for your medical benefits, weekly income benefits, and ultimately a fair settlement that fully compensates you for your claim.

Do you need to hire a workers' compensation attorney?

Yes. The Workers' Compensation laws and rules are very complex, and the insurance company is not there to help you with your claim. Rather their adjusters are trained to delay and deny workers' compensation claims to save the insurance company, who is their employer, money at your expense. It is important to hire our top-rated workers' compensation lawyers because we will fight to protect your workers' compensation rights and will ultimately negotiate a workers' compensation settlement that will help you put your life back together. Without an attorney, you will struggle because the insurance adjusters will sooner or later close your case without paying you a fair workers' compensation settlement.

How do you know if the Griffin Law Firm is a great law firm?

You can review the firm's awards, reviews, and case results to find out for yourself:

Free Workers' Compensation Consultation:

Our workplace accident lawyer at the Griffin Law Firm will guide you through the process. We take the time to learn all about the accident, injuries, and the impact of the latter on quality of life. We consider the facts and circumstances when determining all your legal rights and options. Contact us today at 877-PAIN-LAW or use our Contact Us form to schedule a free initial consultation and learn more about how to obtain optimal protection for an injury you suffered while working.

What workers' compensation benefits are available to injured workers in Georgia?

• Medical Benefits: The workers' compensation insurance company must pay for authorized medical treatment from the authorized treating physician who is selected from the Employer's Posted Panel of Physicians. Emergency room treatment is also covered if it is for a medical emergency.
• Income Benefits: Injured workers are entitled to receive weekly income benefits from the workers' compensation insurance company if the Authorized Treating Physician takes them off work due to their injuries. They are sometimes eligible for weekly income benefits if they are on light duty and the Employer does not have any suitable light-duty work to offer.
  • The two types of income benefits are:
    • Temporary Total Disability Benefits are paid when the injured worker is unable to work due to their injuries.
    • Temporary Partial Disability Benefits are paid when the injured worker is working with light duty restrictions but is earning less money each week.
• Permanent Partial Disability Benefits: Workers' compensation claimants are paid permanent partial disability benefits when the Authorized Treating Physician assigns a permanent partial disability rating for their permanent loss of use of part of their body.  The permanent partial disability rating cannot be assigned until the claimant is at maximum medical improvement, which means that no more treatment is needed.
  • What is the formula in the Georgia Workers' Compensation Act for calculating a permanent partial disability benefit?
    • Permanent Partial Disability Rating x income benefit comp rate x # of weeks assigned to the injured body part

Why should you hire our experienced workers' compensation attorneys at the Griffin Law Firm?

• You should hire our firm because we have a track record of winning great workers' compensation settlements for our clients:

• Another reason to hire our firm is because our clients love us:

Workers' Compensation - Client Testimonial for the Griffin Law Firm - R. Phillips

What are some scenarios that often fall outside the scope of workers' compensation in Georgia? 

• Traveling to and from work
• On a break outside of the workplace 
• Attending an offsite event (depending on the circumstances of the event)
• Under the influence of drugs or alcohol at work
• Joking around or play fighting at work
• At a work social event

Whether workers' compensation is available turns on the specific facts of a case, and there are always exceptions to the above exclusions. If you've been injured during the course of your work, you should speak to a workers' compensation attorney in Atlanta to find out if you are eligible for workers' compensation. 

Common Workplace Accidents in Atlanta

Common workplace accidents include:

• Falls, trips, or slips
• Vehicle-related accidents
• Machinery-related accidents
• Falling objects
• Explosions or fire
• Electric shocks or electrocution
• Exposure to hazardous materials
• Overexertion
• Repetitive stress 

The injuries caused by these common workplace accidents can range from temporary, minor ailments to severe, long-term conditions. 

Common Work Injuries in Atlanta

Examples of common workplace injuries include:

• Sprains
• Broken bones or fractures
• Head, neck, and back injuries
• Crushed limbs
• Burns
• Cuts
• Carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive stress injuries

Can you recover a personal injury settlement and a workers' compensation settlement from the same accident?

• Yes, you can have both a personal injury claim and a workers' compensation claim from the same accident in the following circumstances:
  • You are injured in an on-the-job accident due to the negligence of someone other than a co-worker.  An example would be a truck driver that is driving his commercial truck when a negligent driver causes a truck accident. You have a workers' compensation claim because you were hurt while doing your job duties and a personal injury claim against the negligent driver.

• In the below video, Attorney Richard Griffin describes a truck accident case in which the client had a workers' compensation claim against his employer since he was on the job when the collision occurred, and he had a personal injury claim against the third party negligent driver.

What should you do after a workplace injury in Georgia? 

What to do after a workplace injury in Georgia depends on the circumstances, but generally, you should:

1. Report the accident and/or injury or illness immediately to a supervisor – reporting it in writing is preferable so that you can start a paper trail.
2. If the injury or illness requires it, you should seek medical attention immediately – even when the injury is minor, seeking medical care is important because it continues the documentation process of the accident that you may need when you file a claim to recover compensation.
3. Follow any doctor's orders or medical care plan – if you do not, then this creates vulnerabilities and may result in a denial of a claim.
4. Keep any evidence you may have, like names of eye witnesses, statements, pictures, video, etc. – in fact, if the circumstances allow it, take your own pictures of the scene of the accident, the injuries you sustained, and any other details that may be important.
5. Contact legal counsel as soon as possible – you may not think you need a personal injury or workers' comp attorney, but it never hurts to speak to one, especially when there are statutes of limitations limiting the time you have to file a claim.

Contact The Griffin Law Firm For A Free Consultation

We have advocated for our Georgia clients for decades. There's no need to handle these difficult matters of law all alone. Call us today at 877-PAIN-LAW or use our Contact Us form below for your free consultation and claim evaluation.

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