Pursing Lost Wages After An Accident Or Illness
If you have recently been injured on the job and have filed a claim for benefits, you may be entitled to receive compensation for lost wages if your harm is severe enough to prevent you from returning to work. This is a determination that will be made by your doctor after evaluating the condition of your injury, what caused it, and how it might be aggravated.
If you are found to be temporarily unable to work, or temporarily disabled, Georgia law allows you to receive two-thirds of your normal pay as compensation. However, the State limits the total amount you may receive to $500 per week. Thus, even if your normal salary would entitle you to receive more than that amount, your payments will be capped at $500. These installments will be provided for a maximum of 400 weeks while you recover from your injury.
When determining two-thirds of your normal pay, your salary or hourly wage will be evaluated, as well as tips you may receive and the reasonable value of other benefits your employer may provide, like housing or transportation.
It is also important to note that compensation for lost wages typically requires that you could not be employed in any form by your employer. This means that if you are prevented from working your current job but could hold another, less demanding position, such as light office work, your employer may be able to provide you this alternative. However, under Georgia law, you may still be entitled to temporary partial disability payments to cover any financial losses you may suffer from this change in position.
If your injury is permanently disabling, or if after a period of temporary disability it is medically determined that you are unable to work, you may be entitled to lifetime benefits in the form of a Workers’ Compensation Pension. This type of financial assistance is only offered when a person’s harm is deemed catastrophic and thus totally disabling. This means that he or she is permanently unable to return to any type of work due to the job-related accident or illness.
Seek Our Guidance
When you are facing a medical crisis due to harm that you suffered at your workplace, payment for your lost wages can be the difference between a successful recovery and a process fraught with anxiety. The Work Injury Attorneys at Julie A. Rice, Attorney at Law, & Affiliates, have worked with numerous employees throughout Atlanta and the surrounding communities, such as Decatur, Lawrenceville, Marietta and beyond.
We have over 50 years of experience helping injured individuals and their families fight for Workers’ Compensation Benefits, locate physicians who will accurately and thoroughly detail their conditions and claims and advocate for full compensation. Whether you are in Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton, Cobb, or Gwinnett Counties, or you are located anywhere else in the State of Georgia, you can contact us for a free initial consultation at 770-865-8654, or juliericelaw@icloud.com, or by using our online form. We look forward to hearing from you soon.