Georgia Workers' Compensation Lawyer Blog

Suppose you are a truck driver or delivery person and have a crash while at work and "on the clock." You could probably benefit from having access to your "crash report," right?

Georgia has a new online service, BuyCrash.com, that will allow just that for as little as $5. 

Using a number of search options, such as name, date of crash or road of occurrence, motorists can conduct a search for the report and pay $10 for an online copy. A copy also is available via U.S. mail for $5. The new service is offered through a partnership with Open Portal Solutions and Georgia DOT.

For other tools that will help with your workers' compensation claim in Georgia, please feel free to contact the Atlanta workers' compensation attorneys at Moebes Law.

Sadly, acts of violence in the workplace are not uncommon, and depending on the circumstances surrounding the attack, injuries sustained because of a coworker's or customer's violence can be covered under the Georgia Workers' Compensation Act.

One of my clients has attracted some local media attention because of the circumstances that precipitated her injury at work in Atlanta. Here is the first Fox 5 report regarding her story:

Another investigative reporter discussed the case with my office today, because he's seen an increase in attacks against women in the last year.  His continuing coverage of this event and this trend will be filmed early next week.

While I don't have any direct knowledge of this trend, a friend of mine created a blog last year that raises awareness regarding violence against women (and sometimes men) by acquaintances, spouses, and partners that I highly recommend visiting and supporting.  Its URL is violenceunsilenced.com.  I'm not the first person to opine that Maggie may be eligible for sainthood shortly.   

If you've been injured at work because of a coworker's or customer's act of violence, please contact the Atlanta workers' compensation attorney, Michael Moebes, for questions about compensability and your rights under the law.  As is referenced above, variables such as who the aggressor is, where the attack took place, and whether the attacker and victim had a relationship outside of the work environment can all affect whether the injury arose out of, and in the course of, employment. 
 

Several of the cases my workers' compensation law office in Atlanta is handling involve clients who have had injuries at work caused by another party's negligence. Thus, they have a workers' compensation claim and a personal injury lawsuit stemming from the same injury or injuries.

Injuries stemming from trucking or other motor vehicle accidents often present these issues if the victim drives a truck for a living or is traveling for his employment.  "Slip and fall" accidents can also lend themselves to negligence lawsuits on top of a workers' comp claim, assuming the injured party fell while working. 

If you've had a workplace injury in metro Atlanta and think there could be a personal injury lawsuit and a workers' comp claim, please contact my office, which handles workplace accidents in Georgia and partners with Atlanta personal injury lawyers. 

In my Atlanta workers' compensation practice, I often encounter injured workers who have developed pain in their wrists and hands.

While most of us have heard of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) as an ailment many administrative assistants can develop from years of typing, CTS can also be trauma induced and begin after a fall. Other risk factors for CTS include obesity, smoking, and (more obviously) repetitive motion job duties.

Please do not hesitate to contact my Atlanta workers' compensation law office if you have questions about wrist and hand pain, and you believe your painful symptoms could have originated at work.

Many of my clients, after suffering a physical injury at work, find themselves losing interest in activities they used to enjoy. They often want to sleep twice as many hours as they used to need to feel rested. They're anxious. They begin feeling hopeless.

Sometimes, an Atlanta attorney who handles workers' compensation cases can forget that not everyone knows that a physically injured worker can ask his doctor for a psychiatric referral, too. Under Georgia workers' compensation caselaw, if a psychiatric injury is preceded by a physical one, psychiatric care can also be part of the workers' compensation claim. 

Continue reading "Atlantans hurt at work physically often depressed, anxious" »

Under the Georgia Workers' Compensation Act, an injury is compensable if it occurs "by an accident that arises out of and in the course of" employment.  What does that mean? 
An accident arises out of employment when there's a causal connection between work circumstances and the injury.  Ask yourself, "Did my work duties cause me to get hurt?  Would I have injured myself if I were not performing work-related tasks?" when examining whether your injury is work-related or not. 

An accident arises in the course of employment when the time, place, and circumstances of the injury are related to employment.  Ask yourself, "Was I in a place that was work-related when I hurt myself?  Would I have hurt myself at this time and place if I didn't have my job?" when examining whether your injury is work-related or not.

While these definitions may seem fairly simple, unique circumstances can make them complicated.  Discuss your accident with a workers' compensation lawyer in Atlanta to find out whether your accident's circumstances are such that your injury is compensable.