- July 5, 2022
- Workers' Compensation
If you suffer a work-related injury, you should be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. As long as you meet the minimum criteria, there’s no reason to think your claim will be denied. The question you probably have is – what kind of benefits will I receive? It’s only natural to wonder. In fact, that’s one of the first questions our clients as us. It’s probably the first question you’ll ask your personal injury attorney in Atlanta.
While every employer is different, the benefits Georgia workers receive under workers comp are the same. Even part-time employees are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. Here, we’ll discuss the 4 types of benefits you may receive if you’re hurt on the job. We’ll also briefly touch on medical care and career training.
Of course, if you have any questions after reading this article, all you have to do is call our office. One of our Georgia injury attorneys can sit down and listen to your story. They’ll give you an idea of what kind of benefits you’ll receive. They can also review your case to see if it’s worth pursuing.
You can call our office and speak to one of our helpful staff. Let them know what day and time work for you and they’ll make an appointment for you. Since the initial consultation is free, you don’t have anything to lose.
In Georgia, You’re Entitled to 4 Types of Workers Compensation Benefits
If your Georgia workers comp claim is approved, you’ll receive a variety of workers’ compensation benefits. Aside from medical care and career training, you’ll be entitled to replacement wages as well. The amount of your weekly benefits varies depending on several things. First, it depends on how much you make every week. It also depends on whether you’re able to work light duty or if you’re out of work with serious injuries.
The four main types of workers’ compensation benefits you can expect to receive in Atlanta include:
- Temporary Total Disability
- Temporary Partial Disability
- Permanent Partial Disability
- Permanent Total Disability
These may all sound like the same thing to you. That’s okay. Here, we’ll break down the four types of benefits and explain them each in detail. Most people only receive temporary workers compensation benefits. Once they return to work, their life goes back to normal and so do their wages. However, if you suffer serious injuries, you may be entitled to collect benefits for quite some time.
Temporary Total Disability (TTD) Benefits
These are the most common type of benefits under workers’ compensation. If you suffer a work-related injury and can’t work, this is the type of benefit you’ll receive. They start once you’ve been out of work for at least 7 days. (If you’re out of work for more than 21 consecutive days, you’ll receive retroactive pay or the first 7 days.)
While out on workers comp, you’ll receive weekly checks equal to 2/3 of your average weekly wages. So, if you were making $500 per week, you’ll collect $333 per week while out on workers’ compensation. The most you can receive in any given week is $675. If you happen to earn approximately $1,000 per week, this is the average amount you’ll receive.
You can only collect TTD benefits for 400 weeks. Once the 400 weeks are up, your benefits will start. Very few people manage to collect TTD benefits for the whole 400 weeks. You’ll likely go back to work a long time before these benefits expire.
TPD – Temporary Partial Disability Benefits
These are benefits for people who can still work after their injury but cannot work the same job as before. Or, if they can still do the same kind of work, they can only work part-time.
If you’re put on light duty, this is the kind of benefits you’ll receive. The most you can receive is 2/3 of your average weekly wages. There is a weekly cap of $450. Unlike TTD benefits, you can only receive these benefits for 350 weeks.
You May End Up Collecting Permanent Partial Disability Benefits (PPD)
For people who sustain serious injuries, it’s not unusual to receive permanent partial disability benefits. For example, if you end up losing hearing in one ear due to your work accident, you’ll likely qualify for these PPD benefits. These benefits take over when your TTD or TPD benefits expire. The amount of money you receive per week will be the same – 2/3 of your average weekly benefits.
As for how long you’ll receive PPD benefits, it all depends on the body part you injured. There is a schedule released by the American Medical Association that spells out exactly how many weeks each body part is worth. For example, if you lose a finger, you’ll be entitled to 25 weeks’ worth of benefits. If, however, you suffer a lost limb, you’ll be able to collect PPD benefits for 225 weeks (which is a little over 4 years).
You May Qualify for Permanent Total Disability
It is very rare for someone to qualify for permanent total disability (PTD) benefits. In order to be eligible for these, your doctor will have to declare that you’re 100% disabled. The requirements for these benefits are similar to those for state disability benefits. Since more than 70% of all disability applicants are denied the first time they apply, expect your Georgia injury attorney to have to fight to get you these benefits.
If you are approved for PTD, you can expect to receive weekly benefits for the rest of your life. They’ll be equal to whatever you collected while receiving temporary benefits.
Call and Speak With One of Our Experienced Georgia Injury Attorneys
There’s no law stating that you must hire a Georgia injury attorney to handle your workers’ compensation claim. However, sometimes, it’s a good idea to have a legal professional by your side. The workers’ compensation system can be complicated, to say the least. Having a lawyer can make it a lot easier.
We recommend that you call our office as soon as possible after your workplace accident. We’ll make sure your claim is filed so that it’s handled properly from the start. When your employer and their insurance company learn that you’re represented by a personal injury attorney in Atlanta, they’ll take your claim a bit more seriously.
Call today and schedule your free, initial consultation.
