Georgia Workers’ Compensation
In Georgia, the State Board of Workers’ Compensation is the state agency responsible for workers’ comp. The SBWC handles claims, dispute resolution, enforcement, managed care, settlements, claim resolution, and insurance. The main office is in Atlanta. There are satellite offices in Albany, Columbus, Covington, Dalton, Macon, and Savannah.
Estimating the Value of a Workers’ Comp Claim in Georgia
Workers’ Comp Benefits in GA are, truthfully, not as generous for claimants as many other parts of the country. Benefits information can be found on the GA SBWC website. Click here to view via download. Also, please note: Despite this current page being published in 2011, GA comp benefit figures were current only through 2007.
In summary, benefits are as follows:
Temporary total disability is available at a rate of 2/3 of your average weekly wage (AWW). AWW is calculated by the 13 prior weeks of salary plus. The TTD cap, however, was, in 2007, only $500. Temporary partial disability is available as well. The calculation is on a percentage of salary.
Medical benefits, as in most states, are unlimited for compensable work related injuries.
Permanent partial disability is available as well. Compensation is limited to 2/3 of the average weekly wage. The number of weeks of compensation is laid out in a specific schedule of injuries. Fingers, toes, arms, and legs have fairly standard number of weeks attached to injuries. However, whole body injuries are only compensable at 300 weeks. This is relatively low.
Death benefits are relatively standard, but compensable only to a surviving spouse after one year.
Workers’ Compensation Lawyers and the Value of a Georgia Comp Claim
A good workers’ compensation lawyer in Georgia should be able to give a rough estimate of the value of a workers’ compensation claim in Georgia. A good comp lawyer can do this because the attorney has good experience with Georgia workers’ comp. He or she, via their knowledge that comes from experience.
Remember the estimate of a workers’ compensation claim is just that – an estimate. Many factors can make a GA comp claim worth more or less. But ask a GA workers’ comp lawyer, “What is the estimate of the value of my GA workers’ comp claim?”
