Workers’ Compensation FAQs: Part Two, Receiving Your Benefits

In The Khaki Law Firm’s newest blog series, we are answering the questions we frequently receive about Workers’ Compensation Law in Georgia. More specifically, what exactly is workers compensation, when should you file a claim, and how The Khaki Law Firm can take the burden of the claims process of your shoulders.

Last month, we discussed what workers compensation benefits are, when coverage begins, and when to report an accident. In this blog, we are focusing on when you are entitled to benefits, for how long, and what happens if you do not receive those benefits.

1. I was injured while at work, and my employer carries workers compensation insurance. When should I receive my workers’ compensation benefits? Once you have reported the accident to your boss and have sought medical treatment, you are entitled to weekly income benefits if you are unable to work for more than seven days. Your check should be mailed to you within 21 days after the first day you missed work.

2. How much will my weekly benefits be? You are entitled to receive 2/3 of your average weekly salary, but not more than $575.00 per week (for an accident that occurred on/after July 1, 2016).

3. How long am I entitled to receive weekly benefits? If your workplace accident happened on/after July 1, 1992, you are entitled to benefits for as long as 400 weeks (which is a little more than seven and a half years). If your workplace accident resulted in catastrophic injury, you may be entitled to lifetime benefits. In some situations, a person’s benefits may be reduced after he or she is released to return to work on a limited or restricted basis.

4. What if I reported my workplace accident to my boss, but I did not receive my workers’ compensation benefits? You must file a benefits claim within one year of the date of your accident, in order to protect your rights to workers compensation.

If you were injured or became sick at work, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Unfortunately, many employers and insurance companies routinely deny workers’ compensation claims, leaving employees to face a complex legal system of hearings and appeals on their own.

Stay tuned for our next Workers’ Compensation FAQs blog, in which we will further discuss the claims process, and how a workers’ compensation attorney can help with your case.