By Arina Smith
Accidents and injuries can happen when a worker is least expecting them. A broken back from lifting heavy weights, vehicle crash during deliveries, or a broken rib from falling off a ladder. Many companies in Atlanta have worker’s compensation packages to make sure that the workers are enjoying employee benefits while they are recuperating. You can read more about this type of compensation here.
The claims process can be straight forward in theory. However, there are companies that will deny the claims because they stated that the claims are invalid. There are specific guidelines that need to be followed. If you know your packages and full compensation well, then this would not be a problem. However, if you are fighting a losing battle with your employer, it might be time for a worker compensation attorney to step in.
What a Law Firm Attorney Can Help You With:
The main goal of the attorney is to make sure that injured workers can get the full compensation for payment of their medical bills, lost wages, and recuperate in peace. There are a lot of benefits that a worker is expected to get. Some of them are the following: medical, wage reimbursement, permanent total, permanent partial, temporary partial and vocational rehabilitation benefits.
The Laws for Worker Compensation:
There are several federal laws and Georgia law practices that govern workers’ compensation acts. These laws provide fixed amounts and benefits to the employees and to their dependents in the event of accidents and employment-related diseases. Generally, these benefits are awarded to the employee without the need for the worker to take any legal action against the employer. There are a lot of state acts and each of them can differ from one state to another. If you are living in Atlanta, it is essential to know the laws regarding your benefit claims.
Most laws exist in order to make sure that the employer is liable to its employees whenever there is an injury during the course of the employment. The laws state that employees should have a solid employee-employer relationship, and the injury happened during the course of employment.
Responsibilities of the Employer:
In most states, it is very common for companies to provide their workers with a kind of insurance for workers’ compensation. If they fail to do so, it might result in civil liabilities, fines, and even prosecution in some rare circumstances.
Returning to Work after the Accident:
Under the compensation system, most workers are entitled with the following benefits:
Medical Coverage:
The injured employee has the right to have treatment and cure to relieve any injuries he might have gotten during a workday. All the prescriptions, medical bills, and even the fare to the hospital should be shouldered by the company. The patient can get help from the company’s medical doctor but he has the right to get a second opinion. The treatment from the company doctor can only usually last for 30 days but it can vary from one state to another. A written request must be submitted in order to choose a different medical practitioner if the employee wishes.
Temporary Disability:
This is a kind of payment that workers get if they have lost any wages due to absence because of the injury. This is often coined as “temporary disability payments. There are companies that specify a minimum and the maximum limit of the rate of pay. But generally, companies pay about two-thirds of the gross pay average and it is given out fortnightly. After a legitimate doctor states that the employee is unable to work, a check should arrive containing the temporary disability payment within a few weeks.
Permanent Disability:
This is a kind of monetary award when the employee will not be able to completely recover from the injury. If he has lost an ability that enables him to work, then this is considered a permanent disability. It usually depends on how serious an injury is, and the skill that the employee has lost. Other elements that are taken into consideration include earnings, occupation, and the age of the worker during the time of the accident. This usually involves thousands of dollars in compensation.
Vocational Rehabilitation:
This is a form of compensation that a worker receives when he can no longer return to his former work. However, in this case, he may be able to get his paycheck through other jobs. The partial income is received by the worker and this compensation has often a maximum limit. There can be a replacement of the original offer of the same company or different work to a different employer.
These compensations are very important for the employee. They will not be able to provide food and pay their bills for some time due to their inability to work. In this case, they are entitled to full compensation and if it is denied, then an attorney can definitely help them.
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