Category Archives:workers compensation
What to Do After a Georgia Workplace Injury
Most employers are required to purchase Workers’ Compensation Insurance. Injuries at the workplace are more common than most people may think. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that out of every 100 Georgia workers, 3.4 cases are reported every year. After a workplace injury, it can be very troubling and difficult. However, there are several things you must do.
- Report your injury to your supervisor immediately. It is best to report the injury as soon as possible. In Georgia, you must inform your employer within 30 days of the injury.
- If your injury is an emergency and you must go to the emergency room or hospital, make sure you report your injury as soon as possible and let them know at the hospital that you were injured at work. You should notify your Employer in writing, and make sure you keep a copy for yourself.
- Stay Calm and seek knowledgeable legal counsel. Workplace injuries in Georgia can be difficult and complex. It is a good idea to have a good workers compensation lawyer to counsel you about your options and represent you when dealing with the insurance company. Do not give a recorded statement to the insurance company without consulting a lawyer first.
- Make an appointment with a doctor that is approved by your employer. Don’t miss any appointments and do everything the doctor says. Be honest about your medical history and everything that happened leading up to the accident.
- Complete all necessary forms. You will have to fill out a form for the Workers’ Compensation Benefits. If you hire a workers’ compensation lawyer they will take care of all of these things for you and do their best to make your recovery as easy as possible, and will work to pursue the full compensation you deserve.
What Can You Do If You Are Not Happy With Your Lawyer
Do you find yourself in this situation? You have hired a lawyer to represent you in your work injury claim but you have grown frustrated with the lawyer and feel that he or she is not doing the best job possible for you. There are various reasons why people become disenchanted with their lawyer. Quite often it is because the lawyer does not return calls and does not keep the client abreast of what is going in his or her case. The workers’ compensation system is complicated and confusing for the injured worker. You hire a lawyer so that you will know your rights at each step of the way during your claim. Part of the service the lawyer is providing is advising the client about the process. If your lawyer will not speak with you and advise you of your rights and address your concerns then you are not getting the best representation.
Why A Big Law Firm Is Not Better – Four Tips For Finding The Best Workers Compensation Lawyer
Sometimes big is a good thing like when you can go to Walmart and meet all of your shopping needs, groceries, clothing, auto supplies, etc. However, big is not better when hiring a lawyer to represent you in an auto accident or workers compensation claim.
GA Workers Compensation Weekly Benefit – How It Is Calculated
Once you have been totally disabled by the authorized treating physician your GA workers compensation weekly benefits will begin. Your compensation rate is based on the average wage for the thirteen weeks prior to your date of injury. The insurance company sends a form to the employer (WC-6) and the employer inputs your gross wages for each of the thirteen weeks prior to the accident. For GA Workers’ Compensation Weekly Benefit, you will receive two-thirds of that average weekly wage. For example, if your average wage was $600 you would receive a weekly workers’ compensation benefits of $400.
The First Four Crucial Steps To Take After a Work Injury Georgia
1. Tell your supervisor immediately and ask for medical attention if you have had a work injury Georgia
One of the biggest mistakes an injured worker makes is to wait before telling the supervisor of the accident or work injury Georgia. Many people wait hoping that the injury is minor and that it will heal in a few days. While this may be true the accident and work injury Georgia should still be reported immediately! It creates suspicion by the employer if a week or two after your accident you then tell the supervisor of the incident. In fact most employer manuals or introductory material that is issued upon hire says that all accidents should be reported immediately. I know that many workers fear for their job and therefore wait before reporting a work injury Georgia. Waiting does not protect you. It protects your employer’s pocket. So, report your work injury shortly after it happens and if you need medical attention, ask for it.
Big Changes To Georgia Workers Compensation Mileage Law
My last blog discussed the changes in an injured workers’ medical benefits as of July 1, 2013. Other changes will affect the injured worker as well. One positive change is the workers’ compensation mileage reimbursement benefit. An injured worker has a right to be paid a mileage expense for his or her trips to and from authorized treatment providers. This expense includes mileage to and from authorized doctors, physical therapy, diagnostic testing centers, etc.
Workers' Comp Claim, How Long Do I Have To File?
Just like personal injury and wrongful death claims, employees who have been injured have a time limit within which to file for workers’ comp claim in GA. Not only should the time limit for filing a workers’ comp claim be adhered to, but the time frame for notifying the employer about the injury must also be observed. Failure to observe both time limits in filing a workers’ comp claim may result in the claim being denied and the injured employee, such as yourself, will lose valuable rights in recovering benefits you should be entitled to. Let’s talk about these time limits in more detail about your workers’ comp claim.
Hiring A Lawyer For Your Personal Injury or Workers’ Compensation Claim: Myths by Insurance Adjusters
Many people are often skeptic when it comes to hiring a lawyer for your personal injury or workers’ compensation claim. They are often of the view that hiring a lawyer will only take a large piece of their pie and leave them with a lesser monetary amount from their claim than if they had done the claim on their own. Sunne Law is here to tell you that is just a myth. This myth has been long fueled by insurance adjusters. Can you think of the reason why?
Catastrophic Injury Georgia
A Catastrophic Injury Can Be Life-Changing and Permanent
On a daily basis, many workers are faced with working with dangerous heavy equipment and raw materials. This within itself creates an unsafe working environment. Even though employers take the necessary precautions required by law to protect employees from workplace injuries, they unfortunately still occur. Being injured on the job can be frightening and devastating. Some workplace injuries can be more serious than others. Georgia’s law divides workplace injuries into two categories, those that are catastrophic and those that are non-catastrophic. Non-catastrophic injuries are injuries that will heal to some degree and the worker will return to gainful employment. Catastrophic injuries are life-changing and permanent. And are injuries which are so severe that they prevent the worker from returning to work.
Injuries That are Automatically Deemed Catastrophic
Certain injuries are automatically deemed catastrophic such as an amputation of an arm, a hand, a foot or a leg and a spinal cord injury involving paralysis of an arm, a leg, or the trunk. Other injuries must be deemed catastrophic by the Board of Worker’s Compensation. Those injuries must be of a nature and severity that prevents the employee from being able to perform his or her prior work and any work available in substantial numbers within the national economy for which such worker is otherwise qualified. If your injury falls into this latter category then you will most likely need to retain a workers’ compensation attorney in order to obtain a catastrophic designation from the Board of Worker’s Compensation.
Life Time Benefits For A Catastrophic Injury in Georgia
If an injury is catastrophic the worker will be entitled to lifetime weekly benefits of two-thirds of the worker’s average weekly wage but no more than $500 per week. The injured worker will also have 100% of his medical covered for the work-related injury and rehabilitation services. Rehabilitation serviced could include re-training and education. A workers’ compensation lawyer at Sunne Law can explain this to you in further detail.
The catastrophically injured worker may also be entitled to modifications to his or her home and/or a vehicle that can accommodate a wheelchair or a scooter. The insurance company must provide items that the treating physician deems medically necessary for the catastrophically injured worker.
Head Trauma Injuries Can Be Catastrophic
Head trauma relates to closed head and traumatic brain injuries. A closed head injury such as a concussion from falls or other related workplace accidents are very common but a lot of times, head injuries are not noticeable at the time of the accident and the injury only becomes detectable when symptoms arise such as short-term memory loss, headaches and behavioral changes of the injured employee.
A competent workplace injury attorney specializing in head injuries has a good working relationship with neuropsychologists who conduct various tests to decipher the root of the head injuries and to determine whether it is a catastrophic injury as defined in the Statute. Sunne Law, workers compensation attorney will help you in proving that the head injury you received on the job was a catastrophic injury, thus requiring lifetime benefits.
Traumatic Brain Injuries and Catastrophic
Traumatic Brain Injuries or TBIs as they are commonly called in the legal profession are head injuries that result in brain damage, comas or the employee being in a vegetative state. There is no question that a TBI should result in a catastrophic designation and therefore permanent benefits to the injured worker. These benefits should include home care payments as well as payments to spouses who often times act as the primary home caregivers.
Sunne Law, takes your interests into consideration when fighting to ensure that you receive your permanent Workers’ Compensation benefits due to your catastrophic injury.
Unfortunately, because the expenditure of paying for benefits related to catastrophic injuries are so high, many employers try to downplay the seriousness of the injury received by the employee which is why you need a workplace injury attorney at Sunne Law, who specializes in catastrophic injury in Georgia. We will help you so that your receive all of the benefits you deserve. Don’t waste time thinking that you can handle the claim on your own. The insurance company does not have your best interest at heart and will not work on your behalf to make sure you receive all of the benefits you deserve after suffering a catastrophic injury in Georgia. If you think you have a catastrophic injury and would like to talk to an attorney about it, contact Sunne Law. www.sunnelawpc.com