SUMMARY OF GEORGIA WORKERS’ COMPENSATION BENEFITS

Workers’ compensation provides a vital financial safety net for those who have been hurt on the job. However, the way in which benefits are calculated is rather complex and can vary significantly from state to state.

Under Georgia law, there are three types of income benefits that you can receive following a work injury:

• Temporary Total Disability (TTD) benefits are intended to replace lost income if you’re unable to work at all because of your injury. These benefits pay two-thirds of your average weekly wage prior to your accident and are subject to a 400-week maximum.

• Temporary Partial Disability (TPD) benefits are designed to replace lost income if you are under light duty restrictions and are working fewer hours or returned to work in a lower-paying position due to your injury. These benefits will pay you two-thirds of the difference between your previous wage and the amount you are earning working light duty. TPD benefits are payable up to 350 weeks following your accident.

• Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) benefits are payable after you are no longer receiving TTD or TPD benefits, and have been assigned a permanent partial impairment rating by your treating physician. You will receive a number of weeks at the same rate as TTD benefits, which is determined by the percentage loss of use of the specific body part that was injured. 

Use the tables below to determine the maximum workers' compensation benefit rate based on your date of accident.

Temporary Total Disability Benefits (TTD)

For accidents on and after the Accident Dates above, a disabled worker is entitled 2/3 of their average weekly wage (AWW) up to the Max Weekly Rate listed.  For accidents prior to 7/1/92, there is no cap on the number of benefit weeks.  For accidents after that date, only cases designated as catastrophic are entitled to lifetime income benefits.  Non-catastrophic claims have TTD benefits capped at 400 weeks following the accident date.  Claims  previously deemed catastrophic under O.C.G.A. Section 34-9-201(g)(6) with accident dates after 7/1/05 are also subject to a rebuttable presumption that the claim is no longer catastrophic upon the injured worker’s eligibility for social security retirement benefits.

Temporary Partial Disability Benefits (TPD)

Temporary partial disability benefits are capped at 350 weeks following the injured worker’s accident.

Schedule of Benefits for Permament Partial Disability (PPD)

Permanent partial disability benefits are paid at the same rate and have the same statutory maximum as TTD benefits. The number of benefit weeks to be paid is calculated by multiplying the percentage rating given by the treating physician by the maximum number of weeks for that body part in the Schedule of Benefits above. To figure out exactly how much money you will receive in permanent partial disability benefits, you can use our PPD calculator. 

Medical Benefits: For accidents occurring prior to 7/1/13, all Georgia work injuries had no cap on medical benefits.  Beginning with accidents occurring on 7/1/13, non-catastrophic claims have been subject to a 400 cap on medical benefits.  However, the 400 week cap does not apply to the maintenance, repair, revision, or removal of the following items as long as they were originally furnished within 400 weeks of the date of injury: prosthetic devices, spinal cord stimulators, intrathecal pump devices, durable medical equipment, orthotics, corrective eyeglasses, and hearing aids.  Catastrophic claims are still entitled to lifetime medical benefits. 

Rechtman & Spevak is committed to advocating for the needs of Georgia residents who have been injured on-the-job. If you have any questions about the benefits that you are entitled to, please complete our online contact form or call 404-355-2688 to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.