Georgia Workers' Compensation Lawyer Blog

If you've been on workers' compensation benefits in Georgia and/or are treating with a workers' compensation doctor after your workplace injury, once you reach maximum medical improvement ("MMI"), your doctor may give you a permanent partial disability ("PPD") rating. This is a percentage based on the American Medical Association ("AMA") guidelines.

The Georgia Workers' Compensation Act provides formulas that give you amounts of compensation due when your doctor gives you a PPD rating, and it's based on where you were injured and your workers' compensation rate. OCGA 34-9-263 provides the breakdown.

If you are paid a PPD rating, it does not mean your case is settled. You can return to work if the doctor so releases you, and you can keep getting medical care from the workers' compensation insurance company doctors if necessary.

While receiving a lump sum may feel like a settlement, an offer of settlement will include a document that is several pages long called a "stipulation" that will clearly indicate you have resolved your workers' comp claim.

If you have questions about an offer to settle your workers' compensation claim in Georgia or about your PPD rating, feel free to call the Atlanta injury attorneys at Moebes Law.

Don't panic just yet. In the past few weeks, I've seen several WC-2 filings indicating a client's workers' compensation disability benefits were about to be suspended, but the insurance adjuster did something incorrectly, meaning benefits were immediately recommenced (along with some penalties and fees).

For example, if the adjuster filed a WC-240 commanding you to return to light duty work in Florida (and you live in Atlanta), that's not a reasonable offer, and the insurance company cannot cut off your benefits.

What if your doctor opined that you might be able to do regular duty in 2-3 months, and 2-3 months have passed, but you haven't seen your doctor in 60 days? They can't cut off your benefits.

What if you get a WC-2 indicating your benefits were cut off yesterday (meaning you did not get 10 days notice)? They can't cut off your benefits.

All 3 of these examples I've seen this month. Unfortunately, many workers' compensation adjusters handle hundreds of files in several different states, and they don't always comply correctly with the Georgia Workers' Compensation Act. Mistakes are made. That's why you need an experienced Atlanta workers' compensation attorney to be your advocate and guide you through your workers' comp claim as you recover from you injuries.