If you have been injured on the job in Georgia, then you are entitled to payments under workers’ compensation. Your employer must carry this insurance if it employs more than three people, according to State Board of Workers’ Compensation. This insurance will provide you with payments for medical-related expenses and for wage compensation while you are unable to work due to your injury or illness. In the event of your death, benefits are paid to your spouse and/or children.
The rule for payments made to compensate for lost wages states that you must be unable to work for seven days. Do note that you are not paid for the first seven days that you missed unless you miss a total of more than 21 days in a row. The first payment you will receive will be around 21 days after your first missed work day.
There are time limits on how long you can receive payments under workers’ compensation. The cap is 350 to 400 weeks, depending on the type of injury. If you have experienced a catastrophic injury which makes it impossible for you to return to work of any kind, you may be able to collect payments for longer.
The amount of payment that you may receive is set at a standard two-thirds of your regular pay. However, in some cases, if you do return to work but are not able to work to your full potential and have to take a cut in wages, you may get partial payments while working until you can return to your normal duties and pay rate.