In the United States, thousands of workers get injured on the job each day. This occurs across all types of occupations. Work-related injuries can take on many forms, from physical trauma caused by impact to diseases brought on by workplace environmental issues. A worker who was injured on the job is covered by the employer’s workers’ compensation insurance.
In Georgia, almost all employers are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. When a worker gets hurt on the job, workers’ compensation provides medical benefits that cover the cost of treatment for the workplace injuries, and monetary compensation to cover part of the wages lost from the injured worker’s inability to work.
If a worker was totally disabled, it can cover for the future inability to work. Sometimes a claim can get complicated when the employer or insurance company challenges the claim over whether the injury is compensable. This is where hiring a Jeffersonville workers’ compensation lawyer can make a difference in the outcome.
The Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition in Jeffersonville, GA, has assisted countless injured workers in their workers’ compensation claims so they were able to get all of the benefits that they deserved. So if you’re filing for compensable work injuries in Jeffersonville, GA, call us at 470-518-5026 for a free case review!
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What Are Compensable Work Injuries in Jeffersonville, GA?
In Georgia, any injury or illness that happened as a result of performing work-related tasks is compensable. This includes a broad range of injuries. The list below includes some common examples:
- A worker slips on a wet floor or trips over an object at work, falls down, and injures his back.
- Equipment or machinery in a manufacturing plant malfunctioned and injured the equipment operator.
- Toxic fumes at a factory caused respiratory illnesses.
- Exposure to chemicals caused burns to the skin, face, and eyes.
- A worker sustained lacerations when using sharp tools.
- An office worker was moving a heavy box of paper and sprained his back.
- Extended exposure to carcinogens at work led to long-term health problems.
- Boxes of merchandise on the top shelf in a warehouse fell on a worker on the floor who suffered a concussion and bruises.
- An employee driving a company vehicle during a delivery got into a car accident and was hurt.
- An office worker spent hours in front of the computer typing and suffered muscle strain on the wrists, neck, and back.
The list can go on and on. Basically, when a worker sustained any type of injury while performing his assigned duties during his regular work shift, the injury would be compensable.
You May Still Have a Claim If You Have Preexisting Conditions
What if you had a preexisting condition and performing a job task made it worse? For example, you have a weak back due to a previous back injury and sometimes it feels kind of stiff. One day, you had to unload a pallet of merchandise from the delivery truck. Heavy lifting aggravated your back pain to the point that, at the end of the day, you could no longer bend at the waist without feeling a sharp pain.
In this case, workers’ compensation would cover your medical treatment of your back until you can bend without that sharp pain. The treatment will not make your back totally pain-free because moderate stiffness was the original state of your back before the pain was aggravated by the lifting.
So, even if you had a preexisting condition, you might still get coverage under workers’ compensation. If you are not sure, you should consult with a workers’ compensation lawyer.
Injuries Not Covered by Workers’ Comp
There are times when injuries at work are not covered:
- You tripped, fell, and hurt yourself on the work premises, but it was not during your regular work hours, and you were doing something else that was not related to your regular job.
- You were playing a practical joke on someone. It backfired and you got hurt.
- You got into a physical fight with someone at work.
- You were driving to work and you got into a car accident and sustained injuries.
- You were intoxicated by alcohol or drugs.
- You willfully engaged in activities that can be construed as misconduct.
Even the above have exceptions. For example, lunch hours are not covered, but if your supervisor asked you to run a work-related errand during lunch because it was along the way to your lunch venue, and you got into a car accident en route during your errand, those injuries may be covered.
If you commuted to work and just got out of your car in the company parking lot, and you tripped and fell, those injuries might be covered.
What Kinds of Compensation Can You Claim?
When you are hurt at work, you might be able to claim compensation for your medical expenses, the wages that you lost from being absent from work, and other types of losses.
Medical treatments are covered only if you get them from a doctor who is approved by your employer or the insurance carrier. The cost of any hospital stays, therapies, lab tests, and medications prescribed by the approved doctor are also covered.
If your injuries caused you to miss more than seven calendar days of work, you can receive Temporary Total Disability benefits starting on the eighth day of your disability. If your injuries cause you to miss more than 21 days in a row, then your benefits will include the first seven days.
The weekly payment is two-thirds of your regular average weekly wages, up to the maximum rate set by the Georgia Workers’ Compensation laws.
What Is the Deadline for Filing for Workers’ Compensation in Georgia?
When you are hurt on the job, you need to report the injury to your employer right away. The reporting time limit is 30 days, but you should not wait that long. After your injuries are reported, you have one year from the date of your injury to file a workers’ compensation claim.
Let Our Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Protect Your Rights
Sometimes workers’ compensation claims are not clear-cut. You might need to fight for your rights to compensation while trying to recover. The Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition in Jeffersonville, GA, can help you through this complicated process and fight for your rights to the compensation that is rightfully yours under the law.
Call 470-518-5026 or use our online form to schedule your free consultation today.
