If you sustained a severe workplace injury, you may feel overwhelmed about navigating the complex laws while trying to heal. Luckily, a Rome catastrophic injury lawyer from Bader Scott Injury Lawyers can assist you in recovering all the benefits you deserve.
The personal injury team at Bader Scott Injury Lawyers is familiar with the provisions of Georgia workers’ compensation law and can offer guidance through the claims filing process.
What Injuries Are Considered Catastrophic?
Per O.C.G.A. § 34-9-200.1(g), a catastrophic injury is severe enough to affect your ability to perform the functions of your job. This definition includes injuries that prevent you from transferring into a suitable position of equal pay or causes you to suffer financially due to your inability to perform job-related functions.
Some examples of catastrophic injuries include the following:
- Partial or complete paralysis due to spinal cord injury
- Amputation of a limb
- Head injuries and traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
- Burns of second or third-degree over 25 percent of the body
- Third-degree burns to five percent of the face or hands
- Blindness, including industrial blindness
If you have questions about whether your injury qualifies as catastrophic, consulting with our Rome catastrophic injury lawyer can be beneficial.
For a free legal consultation with a catastrophic injury lawyer serving Rome, call (404) 888-8888
When You Suffer a Catastrophic Work Injury
You will probably begin the workers’ compensation filing process before seeking legal assistance. To help you file, you should do the following:
- Gather all the documentation about your injury
- Collect evidence about your accident
- Read and understand the entire application
A workers’ compensation attorney at our firm can help ensure that you don’t miss any vital information and help answer your questions about your benefits.
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Compensation for Catastrophic Injuries
The Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation offers a downloadable employee handbook describing workers’ compensation benefits. Your primary benefits include medical coverage and reimbursement of lost wages.
Medical Benefits
This coverage includes medical expenses required for your treatment and recovery. Usually, it only extends to authorized physicians. Your employer or the insurance company managing the claim can supply you with a list of them.
Medical benefits include reimbursements for costs of surgery, hospitalization, physical and occupational therapy, medications, and doctor appointments.
Disability Benefits
This benefit begins after you have missed more than seven days of work. If you miss more than 21 days of work, you will receive payment for the first seven days and subsequent missed days. Generally, benefits are capped at two-thirds of your regular weekly pay for at most 400 weeks. All disability benefits cease when you return to work unless your injury is classified as catastrophic.
Vocational Rehabilitation/Job Training Benefits
If your injuries keep you from returning to your previous job, but you can perform other work at the same pay level, you can receive vocational training to give you the knowledge and skills necessary to change careers.
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A Rome Catastrophic Injury Lawyer From Our Team Can Help You
When you want legal representation for a workers’ compensation claim, a Rome catastrophic injury lawyer at our firm can help you with tasks, such as:
- Gathering necessary evidence to support your claim
- Collecting and organizing your medical records
- Handling communication with insurance adjusters and your employer
- Ensuring timely filing of all required forms and documentation
- Fighting a denial
- Pursuing additional legal remedies in civil court in some instances
Our workers’ compensation team has experience with workplace injuries, and our results showcase that. We treat our clients as a priority, not an afterthought. Your needs come first. When dealing with a catastrophic injury, you already have enough on your mind. Our team will advocate on your behalf with your best interests in mind.
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Workers’ Compensation Coverage for a Catastrophic Injury
You must complete a specific process to gain coverage for a catastrophic injury. Our team knows how it goes and can guide you through it, filing the necessary paperwork to request a catastrophic determination.
Once your injuries have received classification as catastrophic, you qualify for lifetime benefits. In that case, your medical care, rehabilitation, and wage benefits will continue beyond the 400-week limit.
Understanding the Filing Deadlines for Catastrophic Injury Claims
In Georgia, there are filing deadlines for workers’ compensation claims. It is crucial to meet these deadlines to ensure the timely processing of your claim. Missing a deadline can result in the denial of your claim.
Notify Your Employer
The first statute of limitations is the notification to your employer. The deadline to notify your employer is within 30 days of your injury. Typically, you would file an incident report with your employer at the time of your initial injury. However, some injuries may not be immediately apparent.
All-Issues Statute of Limitations
This deadline refers to the initial claim for benefits, which you must file within one year of the injury resulting in a disability. If the employer provides medical treatment, you must file a claim one year from the last day of treatment. In cases where the injury was not immediately noticed but worsened over time, the deadline is within one year of the last date you worked.
Change of Conditions Notification
If your condition becomes worse after filing a claim, you need to file a change of conditions notice. The deadline for this notification is within two years of the last payment of temporary partial disability. This form is helpful to reinstate benefits if you returned to work but your condition worsened, causing you to discontinue work again.
Permanent Partial Disability Deadline
If your workplace injury is deemed permanent, you must apply for permanent partial disability within four years of your last temporary disability payment.
Death Benefits Statute of Limitations
If your family lost a loved one due to a workplace accident or a health condition caused by the workplace, the family must apply for death benefits within one year of the worker’s death.
Work With Our Rome Catastrophic Injury Lawyer Today
If you have questions or need assistance with a workers’ compensation claim, a Rome catastrophic injury lawyer from Bader Scott Injury Lawyers can help. Contact us for a free consultation. We will fight to get you the benefits you deserve.
Call or text (404) 888-8888 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form