Benefits You Can Receive Through Workers' Compensation

Our law firm has been helping injured workers since 1993

After an injury that takes place on the job, you are likely eligible for workers' compensation benefits. These are benefits paid by your employers' workers' compensation insurance company that cover the financial costs associated with the injury.

In order to collect these benefits, you must prove several important elements of your claim. You also need to follow certain rules and procedures established by Georgia law. That's where Gary Martin Hays & Associates can help. We'll handle the workers' compensation insurance company and make sure the benefits you receive cover the full cost of your injury.

The workers' compensation benefits you may be eligible to receive include:

• Wage Benefits - These benefits cover two-thirds of your average weekly wages, based on your pay in the 13 weeks immediately before the accident. Wage benefits provide you with replacement income while you are unable to work.
• Disability Benefits - Once you have reached "maximum medical improvement" (MMI), you will be evaluated to determine your percentage of disability. Depending on the nature of your disability, you may receive benefits for temporary total disability, temporary partial disability or permanent partial disability.
• Medical Benefits - Workers' compensation pays for medical treatment for your work injury or illness, including doctors' bills, hospital bills, physical therapy and prescription medications. There are certain requirements that must be followed in order to receive covered treatment.

Notably, workers' compensation does not include some of the damages that can be sought in a personal injury case, such as pain and suffering or loss of quality of life. However, the advantage of workers' compensation is that it is essentially a no-fault system - as long as the injury happened at work, your employer is required to provide benefits, even if the accident was your fault.

If your injury was caused by a third party rather than your employer or co-worker, you may be able to file a personal injury claim in addition to your workers' compensation claim. This might apply if, for instance, you were hurt by a contractor or injured in a crash while driving for work. In such cases, you may be able to recover financial compensation above and beyond what workers' compensation will pay.

Remember, benefits are often miscalculated, and the process to collect them can be tricky. That's why you need an experienced attorney on your side. Contact us today to see what Gary Martin Hays can do for you.