All workers in the United States have the legal right to a reasonably safe working environment. That said, some working environments carry more risk than others. For example, if you are a construction worker who needs to work from height regularly, or if you work in a factory with heavy machinery, you will have a higher risk of injury than a worker in an office.
If you’re injured at work, your first priority should be to seek the appropriate medical attention, since your safety and wellbeing should always come first. After you have done this, you may then want to look into the possibility of gaining workers’ compensation. While most injured workers in the United States are able to claim compensation for the financial damages that they were subject to as a result of the injury, there are some exceptions. The following is a basic overview of what you need to know about workers’ compensation eligibility in Georgia.
Not all workers are covered by the Georgia Workers’ Compensation Act
The Georgia Workers’ Compensation Act enables workers who are injuries when engaging in work-related activities to claim compensation. However, unfortunately, not all workers are covered by this act. Workers who are categorized as domestic servants, railroad employees, U.S. government employees and independent contractors are not covered under the act. In addition, employees of an employer with fewer than three regular employees are not covered.
If you believe that you fit into one of these excluded categories, you should still look into your possibilities for claiming compensation. Your employer may carry insurance that covers you in the event of an injury, so make sure that you inquire.
Almost any injury can be covered by workers’ compensation
If an injury was caused when you were engaging in work-related activities, it’s likely that you’ll be able to claim damages. This could be something as minor as an arm sprain that prevents you from doing your work to something as severe as a spinal cord injury or brain injury.
If you were injured while at work in Georgia, make sure that you have a full understanding of how the law applies to you.