In Georgia, the insurance company is responsible for providing injured workers with medical benefits such as trips to the emergency room, hospital stays, prescription medication, mileage, and visits with the doctor.  If the injured worker is unable to return back to work because of his or her work injury, then the injured employee may receive weekly income benefits up to $500 per week.   These weekly benefits will expire after some time or until the physician releases you to “full duty” work status.

If you have been injured on the job, please contact the Ramos Law Firm for a free consultation.

• 37,167 “new claims” were generated for weekly income benefits.
• Over $843 million dollars were paid in indemnity benefits. It is important to note that these payments included indemnity claims generated before 2010.
• Over 97,000 “medical only” claims were reported. In this situation, the injured worker required medical treatment but did not miss time from work (at least in theory).
• Over $94 million dollars were paid to medical facilities such as Concentra, Choicecare, occupational and industrial clinics, or various emergency rooms for these “medical only” claims.
• Over $674 million dollars were paid out to hospitals and medical facilities in 2010.

If you have been injured on the job, call the Ramos Law Firm now for your free consultation. Our workers’ compensation firm is headquartered in Atlanta, Fulton County, and we handle matters throughout Georgia.

Help with your Georgia workers’ compensation claim is only one step away.  Contact us at (404) 355-3431, via e-mail or our online chat.

The workers in the “service industry” appear to suffer more work accidents than other Georgia industries.   In 2009, approximately 66,500 service workers reported on-the-job injuries.   In contrast, the manufacturing industry recorded 13,500 reported cases.  These manufacturing jobs included workers in the food and beverage industry; textiles; apparel; printing; and paper industries.

When a worker is injured on the job, he or she has two basic benefits (1) medical care and (2) weekly income payments.  These benefits are dependent upon its relationship to the occupational accident.  There is no “pain and suffering” awarded in workers’ compensation cases.  However, the injured employee may be compensated for any permanent impairment he or she may receive based on the severity of the work injury.

If you have been hurt at work and believe you have the right to select your physician, please contact the Ramos Law Firm.

Nationally, approximately $183 billion dollars were spent on workers’ compensations claim in 2008 according to the National Safety Council.  These costs included payment for medical bills as well as lost work days.  In fact, it is estimated that 3.2 million claims were made in 2008.

As you can see, workers’ compensation is big business.  In fact, many insurance companies have teams of lawyers and “adjusters” on their payroll just in case someone files a claim.  These insurance companies have sophisticated systems designed to make it difficult for injured workers to receive benefits.  If you have been injured at work, it is important to realize that the insurance company will not have your best in interest in mind.  In fact, they have every reason to deny your case just to save a few dollars for their company stockholders.

Remember, they are in the business of denying your claim and benefits.  If you have a work injury, don’t try to handle your claim alone.  If you would like a free consultation about workers’ compensation, please contact Bryan Ramos at the Ramos Law Firm in Atlanta, Georgia, 404-355-3431.

If a worker is attacked by a customer, the resulting injuries should be covered under workers’ compensation. The State Board of Workers’ Compensation will ask whether the injuries arose out of and in the course of the worker’s employment. For example, if a nurse was attacked by a patient who had a bad reaction to his medication, his or her injuries are likely to be covered. This injured nurse would be entitled to medical and income benefits. If the attack results in the death of the employee, then the dependents of the employee would be the beneficiaries of the workers’ compensation benefits.

If you have been attacked or injured on the job, please call the Ramos Law Firm at 404-355-3431 for a free consultation.

If an employee suffers one of these accidents, he or she may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits regardless of who was at fault.  In a workers’ compensation claim, the primary question is whether the accident or injury arose out of and in the course of the worker’s employment.  In other words, was the accident or injury in the scope of your job?  If so, the employer is generally eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.

As illustrated earlier, if a restaurant hostess, cook, or waitress (who was on the clock) slipped on an icy patch near or at the restaurant, the accident would likely be covered under workers’ compensation.  It does not matter if the worker was “at fault” or if he or she was not wearing the proper shoes at the time.  There are exceptions to this general rule.  For example, if the employee was intoxicated or engaged in “horseplay”, the claim would likely be denied.

Additionally, if the worker just parked her car and she slipped on the ice in the parking lot, that accident would likely be covered under workers’ compensation. The same is true if the employee is walking to her car after her shift and slipped in the employer’s parking lot.  In these situations, the closer the injury occurred while still “on the clock” the more likely the claim will be accepted under workers’ compensation.

By the same token, if the employee was involved in a car or motor vehicle accident while delivering goods or services, the accident may be covered under workers’ compensation.  Again, this is regardless of whether the employee was at fault.  The exceptions to this rule are when the “accident” was intentionally or recklessly caused by the employee, or if the employee was intoxicated and the intoxication caused the accident.  For example, consider a pizza delivery person in route to a delivery.  He slides on an icy patch of the road and hits a telephone pole, or he is hit by another driver.  The pizza delivery person injures his back as result of the accident.  This injury would likely be covered under workers’ compensation, and he would be entitled to medical and income benefits.  Also, if he was not at fault, he may also have a claim against the other driver in addition to workers’ compensation.

If you have suffered a work injury during the ice storm in Georgia and would like a free consultation as to your workers’ compensation rights, please contact the Ramos Law Firm at 404-355-3431 or email us.

Essentially, the administrative law judge will review the admissible evidence regarding the specific issues in the case.  This includes testimony from the witnesses and parties, as well as documentary evidence.  The hearing will be recorded and an official transcript of the record will be filed with the State Board.

It is very rare that the judge will render a decision at the close of the hearing.  Instead, once the evidence has been properly submitted to the judge, he or she will take the matter under advisement and will allow the parties to submit “legal briefs” outlining their respective positions.   These briefs are aimed to advocate the parties’ positions, highlight evidence, and present the binding law governing the case.

After the briefs have been reviewed and the transcript has been filed, the judge will issue a written award outlining the specific facts of the case and the explanations of law for supporting a denial or granting of the benefits sought. For more information or for help with your case, call us today at (404) 355-3431 or email us.

At the Ramos Law Firm we are well versed in subrogation as well as maneuvering the multi-claim process involving workers’ compensation and a personal injury case.  For more information and your free consultation, please contact the Ramos Law Firm today at (404) 355-3431.

Presumably, the employer may have the regular defenses shielding it from accidents caused by the employee’s intoxication, horseplay, or other willful misconduct. It will be a very fact sensitive analysis that will determine whether the employee can recover benefits. If you’ve been injured and need your case evaluated, please call us now (404)355-3431.

In Georgia, the State Board of Workers’ Compensation cited that over 35,550 weekly benefit claims were made.  Over 121 thousand medical claims were made stemming from work-related accidents.  The workers’ compensation board also reported that almost $600 million dollars of weekly benefits were paid in 2007 and almost $700 million dollars were spent on medical benefits.

If you have been injured on the job, it is important that your claim be counted and proper compensation be allowed under the law.  Work place injuries may be the result of repetitive work  duties or they may arise from sudden traumatic experiences.  Proper reporting and representation are crucial in securing your claim and entitlement.  Call the Ramos Law Firm now for your free consultation (404) 355-3431.