With any injury or illness, it is common for a primary treating physician to find it necessary to refer the patient to another doctor for specialized care. Obviously, in a workers’ compensation setting, this is also possible. The question then arises, how does the Workers’ Compensation Act provide for such referrals? Bookmark It Hide Sites [...]
Posts Tagged ‘work related injury’
Can I receive disability benefits and workers compensation benefits at the same time?
No, pursuant to Board Rule 200 (c), “an injured employee who receives regular wages during disability shall not be entitled to weekly benefits for the same period.” Assuming that an employee has a wage-continuation plan or sick leave policy, the employer should offer the employee the choice to receive either Bookmark It Hide Sites $$(‘div.d796′).each( [...]
Can my unborn child receive workers compensation benefits?
Let’s imagine for a moment that an employee is injured on the job on March 25, 2003. At that time, the employee’s wife was pregnant. The child was born on August 5, 2003. The injured employee dies on September 1, 2003. Would the newborn child be entitled to dependency benefits? Yes. While an employer will [...]
What can I do if my employer ignores my request for treatment authorization?
After an employee is injured on the job, they are permitted to seek treatment with one of many authorized physicians on a panel. In some situations, that particular authorized physician may recommend additional treatment or testing from another physician. When this happens, Bookmark It Hide Sites $$(‘div.d804′).each( function(e) { e.visualEffect(‘slide_up’,{duration:0.5}) });
Can my personal health condition prevent me from obtaining workers compensation benefits?
In a recent case, a court was asked to decide whether an employee’s obesity was the primary cause of a work injury which would have prevented the employee from receiving benefits. The court announced that the determining factor was whether the employee was injured while performing an activity that was part of his/her job. If [...]
What Happens to My Health Insurance if I Settle My Claim?
One of the major concerns any person has when leaving a job, either voluntarily or involuntarily, is what to do about health insurance. If the employee had health benefits with the employer, there is continuing coverage available through COBRA. This coverage is typically Bookmark It Hide Sites $$(‘div.d779′).each( function(e) { e.visualEffect(‘slide_up’,{duration:0.5}) });
Does the Panel of Physicians Affect the Type of Medical Treatment I Will Receive?
Employers who are subject to the Georgia Workers’ Compensation Act are required to post a panel of physicians. The employer’s panel of physicians consists of medical facilities or individual physicians who are authorized to render treatment to employees injured on the job. There are three types of panels employers may elect to post: Bookmark It [...]
Will my failure to wear my seat belt harm my workers comp claim?
There are many Americans that drive commercial vehicles as part of their daily job. Since their jobs include driving, they must face the hazards of the roads and highways. What happens if an employee is involved in a car accident while working, and he is not wearing a seat belt at the time of the [...]
Can an employee injured on his way home from working out of town get compensation?
Let’s assume the following facts: An employee works for a construction company based in Atlanta, Georgia; he is assigned to a construction project in Alabama; his employer is not reimbursing the employee for time and travel in the employee’s personal car to the remote location; on his way home to Atlanta on a Friday afternoon [...]
Changes to the workers’ compensation law – House Bill 330
On March 20, 2009, the Georgia Senate passed and adopted House Bill 330 without opposition. This appears to be the bill recommended by the SBWC Chairperson’s Advisory Committee. Click here for the current version of the Bill. Notably among the proposed legislative changes, there is a significant modification with regard to the form medical releases (WC-207). [...]
