One of the biggest concerns of workers who get hurt on the job is how they will support their families if they are unable to work as a result of their injuries. In Georgia, most employers who have three or more employees are required to pay for workers’ compensation insurance.
This insurance pays a medical benefit and an income benefit to an injured worker whose injuries prevent him/her from working for more than seven days.
If you were injured on the job, this income benefit supports you while you are recovering. Sometimes the insurance company might push back on the claim if they determine that your injuries were not work-related. In those cases, you should contact us at the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition in Norcross, GA.
Our Norcross workers’ compensation attorneys have extensive experience dealing with insurance companies that challenge workers’ compensation claims. We can represent you in your case and help you get the income benefits that you justly deserve. We can also help you file your claim so you avoid a denial.
Call us at 470-518-5026 and let us help you get your workers’ compensation benefits in Norcross.
Table of Contents
Georgia Workers’ Compensation Income Limits
In Georgia, workers’ compensation income benefits are typically two-thirds of your average weekly wage. However, the maximum weekly benefit you can get is $675. If two-thirds of your regular weekly wages is more than $675, this cap on your income benefits might be a challenge for you to live on while you are disabled.
Types of Workers’ Compensation Benefits in Norcross, Georgia
There are four categories of workers’ compensation income benefits that are determined by how much your average weekly salary is and what the workers’ compensation rate is at the time when you got injured or became ill on the job.
Temporary Total Disability Benefits in Georgia Workers’ Compensation (TTD)
This type of income benefits applies when the employer-authorized doctor determines that you are not able to work at all. You must be out of work for more than a week. After a week from the date of your injury, your weekly income benefits will start. The amount of the weekly benefit is two-thirds of your average weekly salary, but no higher than $675.
If you end up unable to work for more three weeks or more, then your weekly benefits will cover the first seven days as well. If your injuries are considered non-catastrophic (e.g. did not result in serious burns, loss of limb, paralysis, etc.), you can get this benefit for up to 400 weeks as long as you remain physically unable to work.
If your injury is catastrophic, this benefit will last for as long as you live.
Temporary Partial Disability Benefits in Georgia Workers’ Compensation (TPD)
This income benefit applies when the company-authorized doctor determines that you are able to return to work, but with restrictions, and these restrictions resulted in a reduction of your regular wages. This reduction in your regular wages might result from a reduction in your work hours or a decrease in your job responsibilities.
You also might need to continue with your medical treatment, physical therapy, etc., and you have to take time off work to do so.
TPD will cover that part of your lost wages. The amount of the benefit is two-thirds of the difference between your original weekly salary (what you were making before you got injured) and your reduced salary. The maximum weekly payment is $450. You can get this benefit for up to 350 weeks.
Permanent Partial Disability Benefits in Georgia Workers’ Compensation (PPD)
This income benefit applies when your work-related injury resulted in a partial loss of a part of your body or the use of a part of your body, and the loss is permanent. The loss is deemed permanent by the doctor when he determines that maximum medical improvement, or MMI, has been reached after a course of treatment and therapy.
That means he determines that the body part that was injured can no longer improve.
The amount of PPD benefit is calculated by a formula. First, the company-authorized doctor uses guidelines from the American Medical Association to determine the percentage rating of the part of your body that has lost its use. This rating is multiplied by the number of weeks allowed for PPD based on Georgia’s workers’ compensation laws for that body part.
The calculation can get quite complex. Because the rating determined by the doctor is subjective to judgement, the calculation is often an area of dispute. If you feel that your permanent injuries deserve a higher level of PPD compensation, contact us for a consultation.
Our attorneys are experts in defending the rights of injured workers so they can get fair compensation for their permanent work-related injuries.
Permanent Total Disability Benefits in Georgia Workers’ Compensation (PTD)
Georgia’s workers’ compensation laws do not include an official category for Permanent Total Disability. However, if your injury was catastrophic, the 400-week limit of benefits that you would get under Temporary Total Disability can be lifted so that the benefits are paid out throughout your lifetime.
Catastrophic injuries include the loss of both arms or legs, a total loss of vision in both eyes, and similar severe injuries.
Death Benefits
If your work-related injuries resulted in your death, your dependents are entitled to receive benefits. Your dependents include your spouse and your minor children. The benefit is two-thirds of your average weekly salary at the time of your death up to a weekly maximum of $675.
Are Georgia Workers’ Compensation Benefits Taxed?
Under the IRS code, workers’ compensation benefits in Norcross, GA are provided to compensate workers for their work-related injuries, and therefore, they are not considered taxable income under federal or state tax laws. You do not report this as income when you file your taxes.
Let Our Attorneys Help You Get The Maximum Benefits
While some cases of workers’ compensation can be straightforward, there are cases that can get quite complex. Our experienced attorneys at the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition in Norcross, GA, can help you maximize the amount of benefits that you are entitled to.
Let us fight for you and get you the compensation that you deserve. Call 470-518-5026 or use our contact to schedule your free consultation.
