When you get injured on the job, you may be entitled to income benefits. So what are income benefits and how do you know if your employer provides them for you?
When you are injured at work, you are required to notify your employer immediately. You are also required to seek medical care if you want to get income benefits. This is where it gets tricky. To qualify for income benefits, you must be taken completely out of work for more than seven days by what is called an authorized treating physician.
What are income benefits? They are not lost wages. Workers’ Comp pay looks back thirteen weeks prior to your injury, and they average out your pay. This is called your average weekly wage and then they pay you two-thirds of that wage and they cap it.
Currently, the cap rate has recently been increased. The current maximum comp rate in Georgia changes from time to time. That’s why it’s so important that you speak with a Georgia Workers’ Compensation attorney or you contact the Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation and inquire about the maximum rate.
Once you are qualified for income benefits, the checks will begin to come in promptly after you are removed for more than seven days. It does require some conversation with the insurance adjuster. Worker’s Comp is a type of insurance so you want to keep detailed records of everything that happens, your conversations and doctor appointments. We also recommend that you keep copies of your medical records. If you receive a doctor’s notice of when you are able to return to work or how long you must be out of work, make sure you keep a clear, readable copy of that. It is your proof that you may be entitled to benefits now and in the future depending on your situation.
If you have been injured on the job and need our assistance, please contact us. We can provide a consultation review for you at no cost to determine if we are the firm for you.
Ty has years of experience working with worker’s comp claims. He knows the ways the process works, the way it should work and how to protect his clients. Contact us here to get in touch.
