Atlanta Workers’ Compensation Lawyers

Fighting for the Rights of Injured Workers in Georgia

In Georgia, an injured employee’s primary recourse for recovery is sought under workers’ compensation law. Workers’ compensation is a complex area of the law and essentially can be broken down to the following benefits:

• Medical Treatment
• Temporary Total Disability Benefits (TTD)
• Temporary Partial Disability Benefits(TPD)
• Permanent Partial Disability Benefits (PPD)

What Is the Georgia Workers' Compensation Waiting Period?

Georgia has a seven day waiting period. This means that you will not receive benefits during the first week you miss work. You are entitled to weekly income benefits and the check should be mailed to you within 21 days after the first day you missed work. If you miss more than 21 consecutive days, you will be paid for the seven day waiting period.

Contact our office online or call us at (404) 995-1963 to discuss your case with a workers' compensation attorney in Atlanta at The Fowler Law Firm.

What Do I Do If I Am Injured At Work?

If you were injured in an accident in the workplace, you should take the following steps:

• Report the accident to your employer -- this means your manager and Human Resources
• Go to the doctor as soon as possible so your injuries may be checked
• Keep a written record of your injuries and symptoms -- these may change over time and any details for a potential case in the future will be helpful
• Take pictures of your injury
• File a workers' compensation claim with the help of an experienced lawyer near you

Types of Workers' Compensation Benefits

Medical Treatment

An injured employee covered by workers’ compensation is entitled to medical treatment at the employer’s expense. If your accident occurred on or after July 1, 2013 medical treatment shall be limited to a maximum period of 400 weeks from the accident date. If your injury is catastrophic in nature you may be entitled to lifetime medical benefits.

TTD: Temporary Total Disability Benefits

TTD benefits are due to an injured worker when his or her earning capacity has been “totally” impaired. TTD benefits are two-thirds of the average weekly wage, but no more than $525 per week for injuries occurring on or after July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2015. For injuries occurring on or after July 1, 2015, you will receive two-thirds of your average weekly wage not to exceed $550.00 per week. Unless an injury is determined to be “catastrophic,” you are only entitled to TTD benefits for a maximum period of 400 weeks from the date of injury.

You do not necessarily have to be 100% physically disabled to be disabled from work. If you are able to return to light duty work and your employer cannot or will not accept you back at work, you may still be entitled to TTD benefits.

TPD: Temporary Partial Disability Benefits

You are entitled to TPD benefits when your earning capacity is impaired but you are not totally disabled from work. This means if you are injured and are unable to earn a weekly wage equal to the wage you were earning, you are entitled to two-thirds the difference between your wage before and after the accident, but no more than $350 per week for injuries occurring on or after July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2015. For injuries occurring after July 1, 2015, this amount may not exceed $367.00 per week.

Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) Benefits

Unlike TTD and TPD, this benefit relates to your level of physical disability, not earning capacity. PPD is based entirely on a formula that takes into account your percentage of impairment, part of the body impaired, and compensation rate. These benefits do not start until after an employee stops receiving weekly TTD or TPD payments.

Penalties For Late Payments

If you are not paid your TTD, TPD, or PPD benefits on-time, your employer may owe you a 15% penalty in addition to the amounts they already owe you. This is true if your employer incorrectly denied you your benefits for a period of time, or if they are already paying you your weekly benefits and miss a payment or mail it to you late.

Each workers’ compensation case is different. Contact our office online or call us at (404) 995-1963 to discuss your case with an experienced workers' comp lawyer in Atlanta.