When you suffer injuries on the job in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s important to reach out to Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers for help. You have certain legal protections as an employee, which can include the right to pursue workers’ compensation benefits through your employer. However, getting benefits is often more of a challenge than it should be. Our Atlanta worker’s compensation lawyers can help you stand up to the insurance company and fight for the maximum payout you deserve.
For almost a decade, Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers has been a leading advocate for injured workers and families in Atlanta. As nationally recognized Georgia trial attorneys with over 50 years of combined experience, we’ve helped clients win tens of millions in benefits packages, private settlements, and jury verdicts.
Don’t settle for less than your workers’ compensation claim is worth. Demand full benefits by trusting our experienced legal team to fight for you. We offer a complimentary case evaluation, so contact our Atlanta law office to get started today at (770) 900-9000.
How Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You Maximize Your Workers’ Compensation Benefits After an Accident in Atlanta, GA
Work-related injuries can be painful and limit your ability to do your job. As a result, it can be difficult to pay for your medical care and keep up with your day-to-day expenses. Fortunately, as a worker in the state of Georgia, you may qualify to recover workers’ compensation benefits to help you navigate this stressful time.
Claims for workers’ compensation benefits are different from other types of personal injury claims. They’re subject to different rules, regulations, and procedures. Simple missteps can derail your ability to get the money you need to move forward with your life. Working with an experienced Atlanta personal injury lawyer can make your fight for benefits much more straightforward and successful.
Choosing Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers puts award-winning litigators with over 50 years of combined experience in your corner. We’re known for our relentless pursuit of justice and ability to secure top-dollar financial awards for clients like you. We’re also known for providing compassionate, full-service legal representation so that our clients can focus on the road ahead of them.
Concentrate on your recovery and trust us to handle the rest, including:
- Help you understand your legal rights and obligations
- Ensure your work-related injury is subject to a thorough independent investigation
- Gather evidence and documentation to support your claim for benefits
- Determine if you might also have the right to file a workplace accident lawsuit
- Enlist expert witnesses to provide critical insight as we build your claim and pursue benefits
- Help you seek an independent medical examination (IME) if you disagree with your healthcare provider’s assessment
- Actively seek the maximum benefits to which you’re entitled during negotiations with the insurance company
- Appeal the insurance company’s decision to the State Board of Workers’ Compensation Appellate Division, if necessary
Workers’ compensation can be a lifeline when you get hurt on the job. Our Georgia personal injury attorneys want to help you get every cent you deserve. We’ll handle your claim on a contingency fee basis, so you’ll pay nothing for our help unless we win compensation for you.
Contact our Atlanta, GA, law office today to learn more. Your initial case evaluation is free.
Understanding Georgia’s Workers’ Compensation System
Workers’ compensation is a no-fault insurance system. In Georgia, employers with at least three employees are legally required to carry a workers’ compensation insurance policy.
When an employee gets hurt or becomes ill in the course of their employment, they can typically qualify to file a claim for benefits to help offset related medical bills and lost income.
Who Qualifies For Workers’ Compensation Benefits?
Workers’ compensation benefits can be awarded if you:
- Work for an employer who is required to carry workers’ compensation insurance
- Suffer injuries or get sick in the course of your employment, and
- Are classified as a full-time, part-time, or seasonal employee
Benefits are only paid for work-related injuries. For an injury to be work-related, it must happen while you’re performing job-related tasks or responsibilities. Injuries sustained in a truck accident while transporting materials for your employer would likely qualify for benefits, whereas injuries sustained in a car accident on your way to work would not.
Can I Get Benefits If I’m Partly to Blame For My Workplace Injury?
Yes. While Georgia’s modified comparative negligence statute applies to most civil personal injury cases, it does not impact claims for workers’ compensation benefits. Workers’ compensation is a no-fault system, which means that benefits can be paid even if an employee’s own negligence won’t limit or prevent a successful claim for benefits.
The no-fault system also means that a worker cannot sue their employer if they recover benefits. This right is exchanged for an accelerated path to compensation. However, you may reserve the right to sue another third party–such as a motorist, a property owner, or a manufacturer–for work-related injuries. In that case, you would be subject to Georgia’s comparative fault rules.
What Benefits Can Workers’ Compensation Pay?
Workers’ compensation offers limited economic benefits to workers who get hurt on the job. The primary purpose is to help workers cover the costs of medical care and offset some of the income they lose if they’re unable to work for a period of time. These economic benefits might include:
Medical Expenses
Workers’ compensation will cover all costs associated with reasonable and necessary medical treatment, such as:
- Hospitalization
- Medication
- Surgery
- Medical equipment
- Medical devices
- Rehabilitation
- Chiropractic care
However, medical bills are only covered for care sought from a pre-approved provider. As a result, your ability to control your medical team and medical treatment can be limited.
Temporary Total Disability (TTD)
If your work-related injury or illness prevents you from working for a week or more, you can qualify to receive Temporary Total Disability (TTD) benefits. TTD benefits equal two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to $800 per week. In Georgia, TTD benefits can be paid for a maximum of 400 weeks or until you’re cleared to go back to work, whichever occurs sooner.
Temporary Partial Disability (TPD)
Temporary Partial Disability (TPD) benefits can help to bridge the gap between your pre-injury wages and the wages you’re capable of earning when you’re cleared to go back to work. Benefits total two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to $533 per week. TTD benefits can be paid for up to 350 weeks.
Permanent Partial Disability (PPD)
When an injury permanently impairs your ability to work but doesn’t prevent you from working altogether, you can qualify for Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) benefits. PPD benefits equal two-thirds of your average wage, up to $800. The duration for which you can receive PPD benefits is based on your impairment rating (as determined by your healthcare provider) and the part of your body that’s affected.
Death Benefits
Death benefits can be awarded when a workplace accident or occupational disease is fatal. A surviving spouse or child may qualify for Total Disability benefits and burial expenses.
Non-economic damages for pain and suffering cannot be awarded through workers’ compensation. In order to get these types of damages, you’ll have to explore your right to file a civil personal injury lawsuit.
Our workers’ compensation lawyers in Atlanta will help you exhaust your rights and fight for all of the compensation to which you’re entitled under Georgia state law.
How Long Do I Have to Request Workers’ Compensation Benefits in Georgia?
Georgia law gives injured workers one year from the date of their injury or illness to file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits with their employer. However, the right to seek benefits is only preserved if the worker’s employer is notified of a work-related injury within 30 days of occurrence. If you miss the notification deadline or statute of limitations, you will forfeit the right to recover benefits for your medical bills and lost wages.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Atlanta Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Call Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers if you have been injured while working in Atlanta, Georgia. Whether you got hurt in a slip and fall, in a construction accident, or were diagnosed with an occupational disease, you may have the right to recover workers’ compensation insurance benefits.
Our Atlanta workers’ compensation lawyers are the experienced legal advocates you’ll want to help you navigate this process. We’re ready to stand up to your employer’s insurance company and force them to make things right.
We have over 50 years of collective experience and a proven ability to win top awards. Our case results include tens of millions in damages for our clients. Discover the positive impact we can have on your claim for benefits by calling our Atlanta, GA, law office today. Your first consultation is free.
