- January 14, 2020
When people get hurt at work, they’re typically entitled to workers compensation benefits. These benefits include both medical treatment as well as weekly benefits in the form of replacement wages. If you can’t work because you got hurt on the job, you should receive these things. Depending on how bad your injuries are, you could be out of work for weeks or even months. If this happens to you, you may wonder how long you’ll receive these benefits. You may also wonder at what point you can get off workers comp in Georgia.
In a lot of state, you can only receive medical treatment and weekly benefits until you reach something called maximum medical improvement. This is the point at which the doctors determine medical treatment can no longer improve your situation. For example, if you hurt your back, there’s only so many surgeries you can have. And, after a year or two of physical therapy, your doctor may determine that there’s nothing more they can do to help you. At this point, any remaining injuries will be considered permanent injuries. This means you’ll be declared, to a certain extent, permanently disabled.
When people hear this, they think it means they’ll have to go on disability for the rest of your life. While this could be the case, depending on how serious your disability it, it isn’t what they mean when it comes to workers comp. For example, if you injured your wrist at work, then your wrist is the only part of your body that matters for workers comp purposes. Once the doctors believe your wrist has fully healed, you will have reached your own maximum medical improvement (MMI). In Georgia, this means a few things.
What are Common Body Parts Involved in Your Georgia Workers Compensation Case?
When it comes to workers compensation claims, they tend to involve the same kinds of injuries. For example, a lot of workers comp claims are based on back and neck injuries. These are parts of the body that people can injure no matter what kind of work they do. Blue collar people can fall at construction sites and hurt their neck or back. Truck drivers and delivery people can hurt their backs lifting heavy packages and equipment. These are the kinds of injuries that can cause long-term problems. Most other body parts will eventually heal. For example, if you hurt your wrist or shoulder, they should be able to correct it with surgery and physical therapy. For back and neck injuries, they can stay pretty bad regardless of what kind of treatment you have.
What is Maximum Medical Improvement and What Does it Mean?
At a certain point, your doctors are going to determine that there’s nothing more they can do for you. If you injure your shoulder, once you achieve 80% range of motion, the doctor may say that’s the best it’s ever going to get. Or, if you have to get carpal tunnel surgery, there is a chance the surgeon will say that you can no longer work as a card dealer. It really depends on the type of injury you suffer and the kind of work you do. But, the point at which your doctor determines that you can no longer improve with treatment is called maximum medical improvement (MMI).
Thankfully, in Georgia, you can continue to receive both medical treatment and weekly benefits once you’ve reached MMI. This can continue for up to 400 weeks. As long as you aren’t able to return to work full-time, you can be eligible to receive your benefits. However, once the 400 weeks is over, your coverage ends.
Call and Talk to an Experienced Workers Compensation Lawyer in Atlanta, Georgia
If you’re hurt at work or get sick on the job, you may be entitled to workers comp benefits in Georgia. You do have to meet certain criteria to be eligible, but as long as you qualify, you’ll receive certain benefits. One way to make sure you get all the benefits you’re entitled to is to call and talk to a skilled workers comp lawyers in Atlanta. They know how to determine if you’ve reached MMI. They also know how to negotiate a settlement that will cover your long-term, permanent injuries. Call and ask to schedule a free consultation. This way, you can talk to someone who has your best interests at heart.
