Workers Compensation Benefits
Temporary Total Disability (TTD) Workers Compensation Benefits
This benefit is paid to an employee who is unable to work as determined by the authorized treating physician. If the treating physician determines that you are totally disabled for a period of time you will receive this weekly benefit. This amount paid each week is two-thirds of the injured workers’ average weekly wage at the time of the accident. This amount cannot exceed the maximum amount set by Georgia’s law, which is currently $500. If the injured worker is a high wage earner he or she can still only receive a maximum of $500 per week while totally disabled.
Temporary Partial Disability (TPD) Workers Compensation Benefits
TPD workers compensation benefits is paid to an employee after he/she has returned to work in a light duty position that pays less money than the pre-injury position. If the diminished income is due to the injury received on the job then you are entitled to temporary total disability. This benefit is paid for up to 350 weeks from the date of the accident on the job. The amount of the benefits is calculated by subtracting what the injured worker is making in the light duty position from the amount he or she was earning before the injury. The TPD workers compensation benefit is two-thirds of that figure. For example, if you were making $500 per week prior to the work-related accident and now you have returned to work in a light duty position earning $300 per week, your TPD benefit would be two-thirds of $200 or $133.33. The insurance company would supplement your light duty weekly wage by sending you a check for the TPD amount, in this example, $133.33 per week. You will receive the TPD benefit as long as you are in a light duty position as a result of the injury and you are earning less. Your diminished income after the accident must be due to the injuries you sustained.
Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) Workers Compensation Benefits
Permanent Partial Disability Workers Compensation Benefits are paid after you are no longer receiving either of the above benefits. The amount of the benefit owed is based on the impairment the injured worker sustained as a result of the injury. Once the injured worker nears the end of his or her treatment the authorized treating physician will evaluate and determine the percentage impairment by using the American Medical Association Guidelines 5th Edition. Once the percentage of impairment has been determined the amount of the PPD benefit is calculated by using the table in the Statute. For example, a 10% whole body impairment rating would entitle the injured worker to 30 additional weeks of weekly benefits at the TTD rate he or she was receiving. Those PPD benefits are only paid after the injured worker is no longer receiving either TTD or TPD.
The PPD workers compensation benefit is supposed to be paid on a weekly basis but your attorney can often persuade the insurance company to pay it in a lump sum check. I have found that because injured workers are not aware of this benefit they often never request an impairment rating from the doctor and consequently, never receive the PPD benefit. The insurance company is required by law to request the rating but they often do not if the injured worker is not represented by an attorney. The injured worker really needs an attorney to insure that the rating given by the doctor is fair and that the benefit is paid. The insurance company only benefits from an injured worker who is trying to navigate his or her claim on their own.
If you would like more clarity on the above workers compensation benefits or have a question about your claim contact Sunne Law for a free consultation. www.mysuperherolawyer.com