Did you get hurt while on the job? If yes, then you are entitled to income benefits. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Not all injuries at the workplace warrant compensation. For a workplace injury to be compensable, it must first satisfy specific criteria then entitlements will be due.
At the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition in Georgia, we help you understand what compensable work injuries in Powder Springs are and the benefits that are due. Since our attorneys have successfully handled numerous workers’ compensation cases, you can trust us to provide the best representation.
Call us at 470-518-5026 to talk to our Powder Springs workers’ compensation attorneys.
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What Are Compensable Work Injuries in Powder Springs?
Georgia employees who sustain injuries or illnesses while on the job deserve workers’ compensation benefits. However, not all workplace injuries or illnesses are compensable work injuries in Powder Springs, GA. For an injury to be compensable, it must satisfy the following criteria.
- Compensable injuries must arise out of employment: This means that for compensation to be due, there must be a causal connection between the employment conditions and the injuries or illnesses that result from it.
- Compensable injuries must also occur in the course of employment: This means that the accident must happen within the period and location of work while the employee is performing their duties.
In Georgia, compensable injuries include:
Preexisting Conditions that Worsen After Workplace Injuries
As long as you have proof that your workplace injury made a preexisting condition worse, you can claim compensation benefits. However, there is a limit on the benefits you get when it comes to preexisting conditions.
Workers’ compensation will only pay for medical treatment to get you to the pre-aggravation point. Once the aggravation subsides and you return to your previous level of health, you will stop receiving benefits.
Physical Trauma
Injuries resulting from physical trauma are straightforward because they arise from an apparent workplace accident or incident. When an apparent bodily injury is connected to a specific workplace event, the injured worker is entitled to compensation. Physical trauma injuries may result from slip and fall accidents, construction site accidents, or generally any on-the-job accident that inflicts a bodily injury like a broken bone or a back injury.
Occupational Illnesses and Injuries
Georgia workers who sustain injuries that are a specific risk of their employment may be entitled to claim compensation. Occupational injuries arise from a worker’s employment conditions. When a worker is exposed to conditions like hazardous fumes and chemicals or constant loud noises for too long, they may develop injuries or illnesses that may compromise their body’s internal systems.
Cumulative or Repetitive Stress Injuries
These compensable injuries tend to develop gradually in a series of events or injuries at the workplace. Over time, they contribute to the degradation of the employee’s ability to fulfill their job duties. Back injury resulting from repeated heavy lifting is an excellent example of a repetitive stress injury.
Physical Injuries Compounded by Mental Conditions
Workers can claim compensation benefits for physical injuries intensified by mental expressions such as anxiety and depression as long as there is sufficient medical evidence to link the injury to the mental condition.
Mental Injuries
These types of injuries may arise when a worker experiences high levels of job-related stress, workplace violence, or any other traumatic incidents at work. However, you must have worked under your employer for at least six months for you to claim benefits for mental injuries in Powder Springs, GA. In addition, 51% of workplace accident liability must lie with the employer to be held responsible. Workers cannot claim benefits for witnessing traumatic incidents at work.
What Types of Compensation Can You Claim in Powder Springs, Georgia?
Workers in Georgia can claim several types of benefits from their employer or their insurer after an injury-causing accident at work. Typically these benefits pay for the injured worker’s medical expenses and reimburse a portion of their lost wages. The following types of workers’ compensation benefits are recoverable in Powder Springs:
Indemnity Benefits (Lost Wages Benefits)
Georgia recognizes four categories of indemnity benefits:
- Temporary Total Disability: If an injury at work prevents you from working, TTD benefits will replace a percentage of your lost wages for a limited time.
- Temporary Partial Disability: TPD benefits will help you recover a percentage of the lost income should your workplace malady or illness force you to work light-duty or fewer hours.
- Permanent Partial Disability: If you don’t get better and the timeline for TPD and TTD benefits expires, PPD benefits will take over. But, to receive PPD benefits, a physician must declare permanent partial impairment.
- Permanent Total Disability: You will receive PTD benefits if your WC physician declares permanent total impairment.
Medical Benefits
Suppose you get hurt while at work in Powder Springs, GA; in that case, workers’ compensation will pay for all the necessary medical expenses related to treating your injuries. However, workers’ compensation will only pay for medical benefits provided you get treatment from an authorized physician.
Mileage Reimbursement
Workers’ compensation benefits also include reimbursement for all necessary travel expenses like back and forth trips to doctors or other medical specialists.
Vocational Rehabilitation
Suppose you suffer a permanent workplace injury or illness that prevents you from resuming your previous job. In that case, workers’ compensation can pay for vocational training to help you get new skills for a different job or work in a different capacity.
Death Benefits
If a worker dies of a workplace injury or illness, their surviving family can receive death benefits on behalf of the deceased worker. For deaths that occurred on July 1, 2019, or later, dependents will receive two-thirds of the worker’s average weekly wage or a maximum of $675.00 per week.
How Long Do You Have to File for Workers’ Compensation in Georgia?
Injured employees in Powder Springs, Georgia must file a workers’ compensation claim before the end of one year from the date of the on-the-job accident or one year after the latest payment for authorized treatment by their employer or their insurer. If the employee is on workers’ compensation benefits, the deadline is two years from the latest payment of these benefits.
Contact Our Powder Springs Workers’ Comp Lawyers
If you suffer any kind of injury or occupational illness at work in Powder Springs, Georgia, you are entitled to income benefits. An experienced Powder Springs workers’ comp lawyer from the Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Coalition can help you understand compensable work injuries and if you qualify for compensation benefits.
Contact us today at 470-518-5026 to arrange a free case evaluation.
