Sustaining injuries while performing your duties at work can be stressful, overwhelming, devastating, and inconvenient for both you and your family.
The countless visits to the doctor, pain, mounting bills, shock, and the stress of battling your employer for benefits can leave you feeling overwhelmed. Trying to handle everything by yourself as an injured worker can be a daunting task that could cause you even more stress when you should be resting and recuperating.
You need a good Norcross workers’ compensation lawyer to help you in this matter. If you are currently thinking of pursuing a workers’ comp claim in Norcross, then consider getting in touch with the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition for professional legal counsel and representation.
As a law firm that exclusively handles workers’ comp claims, we have the experience and skills required to handle any type of workers’ compensation claim in Norcross, Georgia, and can help you receive the benefits you deserve.
Call 470-518-5026 now to book a meeting with our workers’ compensation attorneys and have your case reviewed at no cost.
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What’s Workers’ Compensation?
Workers’ comp is a type of insurance that offers benefits to employees who’ve sustained injuries at work or have gotten ill due to the nature of their work. Workers’ compensation insurance in the U.S. is state-mandated, and as such, varies from one state to the other.
In Georgia, employees who qualify for workers’ compensation are entitled to receive:
- Lost Wages: Payments are determined by an injured worker’s ability to work and how much they were earning before getting injured.
- Medical Benefits: This includes treatment costs, hospital stay, medical travel expenses, physical therapy, prescriptions, etc.
- Temporary Total Disability Benefits: These benefits only apply when a doctor declares that you aren’t fit to return to work yet.
- Death Benefits: Paid to the spouse of a deceased worker to cover burial costs and other benefits.
- Vocational Rehabilitation: If you can’t return to the same job after a workplace injury, vocational rehabilitation services can help you find a new job.
Since workers’ compensation laws vary from state to state, it’s best that you get in touch with a workers’ comp attorney that specializes in Georgia’s workers’ comp laws for a better shot at receiving the benefits you deserve. Get in touch with us at the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition today for legal counsel and representation you can trust.
What Should I Do If I’m Hurt While at Work?
When it comes to workplace injury claims, you are your best advocate. What you do immediately after sustaining a work-related injury will determine how your claim works out in the long run. To increase your chances of receiving the benefits you deserve, make sure you:
Report the Matter
Report the matter to your superiors as soon as you can. The first, and most important step to ensuring that your claim is successful is making sure that your employer knows that you got injured while performing your duties. Taking too long before reporting your accident could jeopardize your chances of receiving benefits for injuries sustained
Seek Treatment Right Away & Keep Records
Visit an emergency room for treatment and make sure you follow all the instructions given to you by the doctor.
If possible, make sure you take photos of your injuries for evidence and do your best to keep a record of all your injuries and any medical reports you might receive.
File a Workers’ Compensation Claim
To start the claims process in Georgia, you have to fill out and submit a WC-14 or Notice of Claim form with the State Board of Workers’ Compensation. For assistance filing your claim, consider hiring the services of an experienced Norcross workers’ comp attorney from the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition.
What Are Some of the Common Workplace Injuries?
Employees in almost all lines of work are always at risk of sustaining injuries considering that each occupation, regardless of the industry, presents its fair share of risks. The type of injury(s) a worker will sustain and their severity usually depends on the risks his or her job presents. Common injuries employees sustain in Norcross include:
- Slip and fall injuries
- Knee injuries
- Brain injuries
- Hip injuries
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Burns
- Amputations
- Fractures
- Construction accidents
- Occupational illnesses
- Hearing Loss
Why Hire a Norcross Workers’ Compensation Lawyer?
Here are some of the many ways we help with your workers’ comp claim in Norcross, Georgia.
Legal Counsel
Our workers’ compensation firm offers free initial consultation services, presenting injured workers with an opportunity to have their case reviewed for free while offering them the chance to learn more about how the workers’ comp claims process works in the state.
Improved Chances of Getting Your Claim Approved
A workers’ comp attorney that handles compensation claims all the time understands what needs to be done to ensure that a claim is successful and can help lower the chances of your claim getting denied.
As an injured worker, you have a better chance of receiving the benefits you deserve working with a WC attorney than pursuing the matter on your own.
Claim Filing
Filing the WC-14 Form can be complicated and rather frustrating when you are injured. However, with an attorney by your side, you need not stress yourself over it. Once you hire an attorney, he or she will take up the responsibility of handling all your legal documentation, including the filing of your workers’ comp claim.
Appealing Denied Claims
There are many reasons why an employer or insurance company may dispute your claim. We can help you file an appeal and aggressively represent you.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Norcross Workers’ Comp Attorney?
Like in most states, workers’ comp attorneys in Georgia work on a contingency fee basis. In short, it means that you won’t be charged a single cent unless your attorney wins the case and has you compensated for your injuries. In the event they win the case for you, they receive a portion of your settlement as payment for services rendered.
According to Georgia law, attorneys can’t charge more than 25 percent of the benefits their clients receive as settlement – and that’s not including medical benefits. Furthermore, payments can’t exceed 400 weeks of disability benefits.
My Workers’ Compensation Claim Just Got Denied. What Do I Do?
Georgia workers’ compensation laws dictate that you reserve the right to find out why your claim got denied. Apart from that, you also reserve the right to appeal your case and have it heard by Georgia’s State Board of Workers Compensation. Appealed workers’ comp cases in the state are heard and ruled by Administrative Law Judges.
What Are the Employee’s Responsibilities in Filing a Workers’ Comp Claim in Georgia?
As an injured worker in Georgia, you are required by law to:
- Report any injuries to your employer immediately they happen, and if that’s not possible, within thirty days of getting injured
- Follow reasonable employer procedures and policies and adhere to all workplace safety rules
- Agree to receive medical treatment and rehabilitation from recommended healthcare providers when ordered by the State Board of Workers’ Compensation.
- Prove that your injuries were not a result of willful misconduct on your part.
- File your workers’ comp claim within one year of getting injured
- Take a drug test after your injuries. If not, you must provide evidence as to why you refused.
- Avoid making false or misleading statements.
What Are the Employer’s Responsibilities in the Workers’ Comp Process?
In Georgia, if a company has more than three people under its payroll, it’s required by law to carry workers’ compensation insurance for its employees. While the insurance is designed to protect both the employee and the employer, it’s the employer’s responsibility to ensure that he/she:
- Posts a notice of compliance as is required by Georgia’s Workers’ Comp Laws.
- Fills and submits the injury report.
- Offers injured workers immediate treatment options.
- Complies with any request for more information by his insurance carrier regarding an injured worker.
- Reports all workplace accidents that result in occupational illnesses or injuries that cause loss of life or require further treatment.
Can I Be Fired for Filing a Workers’ Compensation Claim?
While it’s illegal for an employer to retaliate against an injured worker who filed a workers’ comp claim in most states, there’s no law in Georgia that categorically forbids employers from retaliating. The state of Georgia is an at-will employment state, which means that employers can fire workers without employment contracts.
If your boss is threatening to fire you for filing a workers’ comp claim, call our Norcross workers’ compensation lawyers to receive the legal counsel and representation you deserve. We are here to protect your rights.
Is There a Time Limit to File a Workers’ Compensation Claim in Georgia?
Yes. In Georgia, you have one year from the day you got injured or diagnosed with a work-related ailment to file your claim with Georgia’s State Board of Workers’ Compensation, failure to which you lose your rights to pursue a claim for benefits.
Can I Sue My Employer?
No, you cannot since workers’ compensation is designed to protect employers from being sued. As long as you are covered by workers’ compensation you cannot take legal action against your employer for any work-related illnesses or injuries, regardless of whether they were negligent or not.
Can Independent Contractors in Georgia Pursue a Workers’ Compensation Claim?
In Georgia, independent contractors, consultants, and freelancers don’t qualify for workers’ compensation. Georgia’s Department of Labor defines independent contractors as anyone who:
- Works under a contract that allows them to work independently
- Has control over the manner of work they do, how they do it, and when they do it
- Gets paid a set price for a particular job rather than a weekly or hourly salary
What’s My Georgia Workers’ Compensation Claim Worth?
While calculating the exact worth of a workers’ comp claim is almost impossible, some factors will influence the amount you’ll receive as compensation for your injuries and damages. In Georgia, your income benefit will be two-thirds (2/3) of your weekly income (average). The maximum weekly limit is $575.
This will pay for:
- Medical expenses
- Rehabilitation expenses
- Travel expenses
- Prescription
- Permanent partial disability
- Income loss replacement benefit
Get in Touch With Our Norcross Workers’ Compensation Lawyers
If you’ve been injured at work, we strongly advise you to get in touch with the experienced workers’ comp attorneys at the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition for the legal help you need. The attorneys at our WCL Norcross office are highly skilled and competent professionals with the experience and knowledge required to pursue a workers’ comp claim in Georgia.
To learn more about workers’ compensation claims in Norcross or to have your case reviewed for free, get in touch with us today and schedule a free consultation with our legal team.
At the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition, our mission is to help you fight for your rights and ensure that you get well compensated for your injuries. Call 470-518-5026 now to speak to an attorney.
