Workers’ Compensation Benefits in Georgia

Insight from Our Atlanta Workers’ Compensation Attorneys

If you have been injured on the job, you may be wondering what’s next. The good news is that you are likely covered under workers’ compensation. When you make a claim for workers’ comp, there are three types of benefits that may be available to you: medical benefits, wage benefits, and permanent disability benefits.

Since Georgia’s workers’ compensation is a no-fault system, that means it doesn’t matter if your employer’s or your own negligence resulted in the accident that caused your injuries or disability. Our Atlanta workers’ compensation lawyers can explain what benefits you are eligible for you and help you ensure you are given appropriate compensation for your injuries.

Set up a free consultation today—call (770) 922-3660 to begin.

Types of Workers’ Comp Benefits Available

At Hansford McDaniel – Workers’ Compensation Attorneys, we are passionate about advocating for injured workers. With our over 60 years of collective experience—including experience working as insurance and employer defense—we are well-versed in the laws surrounding these cases and know how to make sure our clients are treated fairly. Whenever an employer has three or more employees, they are required to have workers’ compensation benefits available for their workers.

Outside of a third party claim, we help clients pursue the following benefits:

• Medical benefits – The employer or its workers’ compensation insurance provider is responsible for paying the full cost of the medical care that the injured employee receives, including prescriptions, doctor visits, hospital visits, treatments, and any other related expenses.
• Income benefits – These cover people who are unable to work during a period of injury but need to continue to receive their wages or salary. An injured employee is entitled to receive wage benefits at an amount equal to two-thirds of their weekly wage before being hurt. The maximum benefit that any worker may receive is $800 per week.
• Permanent disability benefits – Workers who experience injuries that are permanent in nature are also entitled to receive permanent disability benefits. The exact amount that an individual can receive for disability depends on guidelines set forth by Georgia law, as well as the precise nature of your disability.
• Death benefits – These are benefits given to any survivors of workers who have been killed while on the job or performing job-related duties. Under these benefits, a spouse or minor child will receive two thirds of the deceased workers’ weekly wage (average), reaching a maximum of $800 a week. Spouses without any minor / dependent children may be able to obtain up to $270,000 in compensation. Minor children are eligible for benefits until the age of 18 or 22 if they attended college. Funeral expenses may also be compensated for up to $7,500.

Understanding Your Medical Coverage

Under workers’ compensation laws, your employer must pay for any treatment, medical appointments, medicine, surgery, rehabilitation, and transportation expenses related to your medical care. Your employer has the right to provide you with a list of doctors—also known as the panel of physicians—to select from.

Your employer is required to have six independent facilities listed on the panel, including one minority and an orthopedic physician in order for the list to be considered valid. If the panel cannot be considered valid under workers’ comp laws, you may have the right to select another physician. You can also receive the second opinion of an Independent Medical Exam doctor of your choice if you desire one.