No one expects to suffer an injury while performing their job. This is the last thing an employee hopes for as they clock in for the day or night. Work injuries can completely ruin your career, costing thousands in medical expenses and lost income.
If you sustain an injury while on the job, you may be entitled to compensation benefits. You may receive partial or total disability benefits for catastrophic injuries. Workers’ compensation insurance exists to cover your damages in the event of a workplace accident in Rex, Georgia.
Our Rex workers’ compensation lawyers can help you pursue your compensation benefits. This is your right after a work injury. You shouldn’t have to cover your medical bills after a work injury. Let our experienced legal team help you secure the best settlement for your work injury.
Contact the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition today at 470-518-5026 for a free case review. We can help you avoid common mistakes and boost your chances for maximum compensation. Get started now to know your rights as an employee.
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What Is Workers Compensation?
Workers’ compensation is a type of business insurance that protects employees who become injured or ill as a result of their jobs. This insurance policy provides medical benefits and wage replacement after an injury. All employers in Georgia are required to have workers’ compensation insurance. It applies from the first day of an employee’s job.
What Should I Do If I’m Hurt on the Job?
You should take the necessary steps to file your claim after a work injury. By following the proper steps, you might be eligible to receive benefits for medical expenses and lost income.
Here’s what to do after a work injury:
- Report your injury to your employer as soon as possible. You have 30 days to notify your employer about your workplace accident.
- Seek medical treatment from an authorized doctor. Remember to keep up with all medications and treatments.
- Keep track of all your symptoms and expenses related to your workplace accident
- Take photographic evidence of your visible injuries as well as any hazards that may have caused your work injury
- Contact a Rex workers’ compensation lawyer to help you file your workers’ compensation claim. Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition will help you throughout this process.
- Rest and recover from your work injury
What Are the Most Common Workplace Accident Injuries?
Your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance policy should cover any injuries you suffer while performing your job. Anyone at the workplace can sustain injuries. However, workers in industries such as mining, construction, transportation, and manufacturing are more prone to work-related injuries. Here are the typical injuries employees face:
- Slip and fall accidents
- Falling objects
- Hearing loss
- Machine-related injuries
- Crashes and explosions
- Cuts, bruises, and lacerations
- Bone fractures
- Back and neck injuries
If you sustain any of these injuries, seek medical care from an authorized physician. Your health and wellbeing are critical. Don’t listen to your coworkers’ assurances that you are okay. Always seek the medical assistance of a doctor.
Why Should I Hire a Rex Workers’ Compensation Lawyer?
After a work injury, it is advisable to speak to a Rex workers’ compensation lawyer. Workers’ compensation lawyers are complicated. Most nurses, accountants, inventory analysts, and IT associates won’t understand the ins and outs of these laws in a week, let alone a day. You require the legal assistance of a reliable workers’ compensation law firm in Rex to get the compensation you deserve.
Our team at the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition can help you:
- File your worker’ comp claim
- Appeal a claim denial
- Handle pressure to return to work
- Negotiate with the insurance company
- Handle any threats, harassment, or intimidation by your employer or the insurance company
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Rex Workers’ Compensation Lawyer?
In Georgia, law firms are required to have any agreements exceeding $100.00 for attorney fees approved by the State Board of Workers’ Compensation (SBWC). Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition doesn’t charge any upfront fees for work injury cases in Rex. Instead, we operate on a contingency fee basis. You will only pay us once we win your workers’ comp case.
What Should I Do if My Workers Compensation Claim Is Denied?
If your claim has been denied, reach out to a workers’ compensation lawyer near Rex, Georgia, immediately. Our legal team will look into the facts of your case and advise you accordingly. We will file a WC-14 form to request a hearing with the SBWC and appeal the insurer’s decision.
What Responsibility Does the Employee Have in Filing a Workers Comp Claim?
There are certain responsibilities that an employee has to follow to receive maximum compensation benefits in Georgia. They include:
- Informing your supervisor about your injury as soon as possible
- Following your physician’s orders
- Filing a workers’ compensation claim in Georgia before the deadline
- Following safety procedures recommended by your employer and the Occupational Safety & Health Administration
- Accepting a drug test if requested by your employer
What Responsibility Does the Employer Have in the Workers Compensation Process?
It is the responsibility of the employer to protect employees in the workplace by providing safe machines, safety gear, and resolving any hazards as quickly as possible.
In the event of a workplace accident, an employer should:
- Offer emergency medical care if needed
- Provide a panel of physicians authorized by the insurance company for you to choose from
- Notify their insurance carrier about your work injury
- Conduct an internal investigation into your workplace accident
- Furnish the SBWC and the insurance company with any additional documents/information they require
Can I be Fired for Filing a Workers’ Comp Claim?
No, it’s illegal for your employer to terminate your employment contract for filing a workers’ compensation claim. If your employer is harassing, intimidating, or harassing you, contact a seasoned Rex workers’ compensation lawyer immediately. Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition can also help you if you are having a hard time returning to work after your doctor has given you a clean bill of health.
Is There a Time Limit to File a Workers’ Comp Claim in Rex, Georgia?
You have one year from the date of your work injury in Rex to file a workers’ compensation claim. Your dependents also have one year to file a claim to receive death benefits. If your employer stops paying for your medical treatment after a particular time, you have one year from the last payment to file a claim. You also have two years from your last disability benefit to file a workers’ comp claim in Rex, GA.
Can I Sue My Employer?
When workers’ comp insurance covers you, you waive your right to sue your employer for your work injury. You cannot sue your employer if you are hurt while on the job.
If you realize there is no workers’ compensation policy covering you as an employee, you can sue your employer for compensation benefits. You may also sue your employer on grounds such as negligent hiring or a physical altercation with them that led to your work injury.
Can an Independent Contractor File a Workers’ Comp Claim?
Consultants, freelancers, and other independent contractors aren’t considered employees in Georgia. They are responsible for their own income taxes. If an independent contractor is injured at the workplace, they won’t be able to file a workers’ compensation claim to receive benefits for their medical bills and lost wages.
What Is My Rex Workers’ Compensation Claim Worth?
After a work injury, you may qualify for compensation benefits in Rex, Georgia.
You may receive various payments, including:
- Compensation for medical costs: These benefits may cover your doctor appointments, medications, diagnostic procedures, surgeries, and physical therapy. The insurance company must pay 100% of your injury-related medical bills.
- Travel expenses related to your work injury: Expenses such as parking fees, gas costs, hospital visits, and ambulance rides must be cleared by the workers’ comp insurance policy.
- Vocational rehabilitation expenses to help you return to work, including retraining
- Disability payments for your time away from work. They are paid every week up to a cap of $675 per week. You can receive these benefits for up to 400 weeks. They are paid through direct deposit, check, or cash.
These disability benefits mainly fall into four categories:
- Temporary total disability: When an employee can’t get back to work for seven days
- Temporary partial disability: When an employee can return to perform light work duties or a modified version of their job
- Permanent partial disability: When a worker sustains a permanent injury but can still perform some work
- Permanent total disability: When one attains maximum medical improvement, and the authorized physician can do nothing else to correct the damage
Talk to a Rex Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Today for Free
Employees have rights and responsibilities after getting hurt in the workplace. Never assume you are okay after a work injury. Don’t listen to your coworkers telling you everything is alright. You may end up suffering a severe or catastrophic injury after a workplace accident.
You should report your accident immediately, seek medical treatment, and reach out to an experienced Rex workers’ compensation lawyer. The Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition offers a free, no-risk consultation for work injury cases in Georgia. Call 470-518-5026 now to find out if you have a case.