Benefits Available Under Workers’ Compensation

An employer’s workers’ compensation policy provides injured workers with benefits as outlined by state law. Georgia provides the following types of benefits: medical benefits, disability benefits, rehabilitation, and death benefits.

In this article, we explain who is eligible for these benefits and how much you can expect to receive. You can always reach out to an Atlanta workers’ compensation attorney for more information.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that Georgia’s private sector employers reported over 78,000 non-fatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2019, resulting in 2.5 cases per 100 full-time employees.

Medical Care:

Workers’ compensation coverage pays for treating workers in case they suffer an occupational disease or injury. The following expenses are included in this category:

  • Doctor’s visits
  • Hospitalization
  • Medication
  • Physical therapy
  • Necessary travel expenses

You may also be entitled to rehabilitation. Your company’s workers’ compensation insurance will pay for medical care.

You must see a doctor or medical provider approved by your employer. Employers must post information identifying approved providers. Employers have the option of a panel of physicians with a minimum of six doctors or a Workers’ Compensation Managed Care Organization.

Managed Care Explained by a Personal Injury Lawyer in Atlanta, GA

Employers can choose to offer managed care plans as part of their workers’ compensation insurance program.

Your Atlanta workers’ compensation attorney can share some insight into managed care plans that contain the following features:

Provider Network

There will always be a network of doctors and other healthcare providers with whom the insurer or employer has partnered in order to facilitate the injured victims and provide them with concessions. Some states require that injured workers receive treatment from within the group.

Management of Utility Resources:

This is the act of ensuring that workers are provided with medical care that is complete, vital, and cost-effective. Healthcare providers are required to obtain prior approval for certain treatments before they proceed any further.

Pharmaceutical Benefits Management:

A prescription drug program manager negotiates discounts with manufacturers, contracts with pharmacies, and pays prescription drug claims. A PBM monitors prescriptions and negotiates discounts with drug manufacturers.

workers' comp

Disability Payments:

There are four types of disability benefits available through workers’ compensation in Georgia. Our Atlanta workers’ compensation attorneys will know what benefits you can claim and ensure you get the full amount you deserve.

Temporary Total Disability Benefits:

TTD benefits are awarded when an employee can’t go back to work for at least seven days. If you miss more than 21 consequence days, you will be paid for the first week.

Temporary total disability benefits cover two-thirds of an employee’s salary for up to 400 weeks or until they reach maximum medical improvement. This is the point when the doctor determines the condition will not get any better.

Temporary Partial Disability Benefits:

An injured employee is eligible for temporary partial disability benefits in case they are not able to work full hours or have to get back to work in a lower-paying job as a result of their injury.

This compensation is calculated at the rate of two-thirds of the difference between the existing wage and the wage before the injury. These benefits are paid for a maximum of 350 weeks after the accident. The maximum is capped at $450 per week.

Permanent Total Disability Benefits:

This type of disability results in a complete loss of an employee’s capacity to work where they cannot work in the job they were working in previously as well as any other job the employer may offer. Examples of this kind of injury include paralysis, traumatic brain injury, or loss of limbs. The payments are provided for a lifetime and are the same amount as temporary total disability benefits.

Permanent Partial Disability:

An employee becomes eligible for permanent partial disability benefits once they stop receiving TPD or TTD benefits and a permanent partial impairment rating has been assigned by their physician. Different body parts are assigned different ratings.

For instance, an injury to the little finger is eligible for a maximum of 25 weeks whereas a foot injury is eligible for a maximum of 135 weeks. The rate calculation is the same as the temporary total disability benefits (two-thirds of the difference between the past and current earnings).

The extent of a worker’s impairment, loss of earning capacity, and loss of wages are considered when calculating disability benefits following a permanent partial injury that is not listed on a schedule.

Rehabilitation:

The benefits you receive from your workers’ compensation claim in Atlanta may cover training to find a new job after your injury, career counseling, retraining, on-the-job training, and placement costs.

Death:

If your loved one dies after a work injury, you may receive workers’ compensation known as death benefits. These benefits are awarded to surviving family members or dependents of the deceased like the spouse, children, stepchildren, or parents. Georgia allows up to $ 7,500 for funeral and burial costs.

Let Our Atlanta Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Help with Your Claims:

If you have been injured, our firm wants to help you seek justice. We can accept your case on a contingency basis, which means you pay nothing upfront or out of pocket. We only get paid if you win benefits. Contact a personal injury lawyer in Atlanta, GA today, and get a free consultation.