While residents of Northern Georgia probably are aware that this state, like the other states, has a workers’ compensation system, they may not understand exactly what benefits this system offers injured employees or, in the case of a fatal workplace accident, a deceased employee’s family.
The biggest, and perhaps most important, expense workers’ compensation covers is the payment of an injured worker’s medical bills. While there are time limits cutting off how long medical treatment for some injuries can last and still be paid, there’s generally no cap on how expensive these bills can be.
The medical treatment obviously has to be reasonably and appropriate, but beyond that, a Georgia worker can expect the workers’ compensation to help him or her get back to health after a work-related illness or injury.
There are also benefits paid when a worker is either completely disabled because of a workplace injury or has suffered a partial disability, that is, some limitation on his or her ability to perform his or her job. There are time limits, caps and other restrictions on these types of benefits.
Likewise, following the death of a worker, workers’ compensation will offer a funeral benefit and weekly payments to an employee’s spouse or other eligible family member. However, there are caps on these benefits as well.
Still, while workers’ compensation will not always pay for everything, pursuing a claim for these benefits can be a huge help to victims and their families. Even the process is designed to get money to victims quickly and efficiently, there still may be complexities and legal obstacles involved with respect to filing and pursuing a claim. This is why many workers and their families rely on the help of an experienced attorney when navigating this state’s workers’ compensation system.