If you have been injured at work, chances are you have filed a claim with the workers’ compensation board for benefits while you recover.  You should start receiving your benefits within 21 days of filing your claim.  Your workers’ comp pay checks can be deposited directly into your checking account. Your weekly benefits will pay for medical expenses, income benefits, and possibly other kinds of benefits.  One of the questions that you may be asking yourself is, does workers’ comp pay for lost wages?

How Are Lost Wage Benefits Calculated?

Under Georgia Law, there is a calculation performed to figure out how much weekly lost income benefits you will receive as part of your workers’ compensation benefits.  Here are the steps that you should take to figure out what your benefit would be under the Temporary Total Disability Benefits plan.

  • What is my average weekly wage? – Look at copies of your pay stubs for the 13 weeks before your injuries.  If you don’t have your past pay stubs, you should be able to obtain them from your human resources department.  If you worked for the majority of those 13 weeks, add the pre-tax weekly wages and divide that number by 13.  That is your weekly wage.  Divide that number by 3 and multiply that number by 2.  That will be your weekly benefit.
  • What happens if I didn’t work a majority of the 13 weeks? – If you fall into this category, you should look at the average weekly wage of a similarly situated employee and follow the steps above.
  • What if there isn’t a similarly situated employee? – In this situation, you will be entitled to your full-time pay to determine the average weekly wage.

It is important to note that the maximum weekly benefit is $800 per week if the accident occurred after July 1, 2023.  This amount may change annually, so you should check with the Georgia Workers’ Compensation Board for any updated maximum rate.  Also, the maximum amount of time that you are entitled to benefits is 400 weeks, but it may be lower depending on your injuries and recovery.

What Is Temporary Partial Disability, and Does It Pay For Lost Wages?

Temporary Partial Disability benefits will kick in if you were injured on the job and you are able to perform a different set of jobs than before, because of your injury.  Under TPD benefits, you will be earning less than what you had earned before you were injured.

In order to calculate your TPD benefits, take your average weekly wage before your injury and subtract your average weekly wage after your injury.  You will be entitled to two-thirds of that number.  The maximum amount you can receive in TPD benefits is $533, and the benefits are limited to 350 weeks from the date of the injury.

What is Permanent Partial Disability, and Does It Pay For Lost Wages?

If you are injured at work and have some type of permanent loss, you will receive Permanent Partial Disability benefits.  If you qualify for PPD, you may receive two-thirds of your average weekly rate. The maximum amount allowed under Georgia law for PPD is $800 per week.

The length of time that an injured person can get PPD benefits depends on the type of injury.  For example, if you lose a thumb in a work-related accident, you will get benefits for a maximum of 60 weeks.  If you lose a foot in your work-related accident, you will receive benefits up to 135 weeks.

Do Workers’ Comp Benefits for Lost Wages Get Taxed?

This is an important question to ask because you are going to want to get the full benefit of your workers’ compensation pay for lost wages.  The good news is that under both federal and Georgia law, benefits that you receive as part of your workers’ compensation claim are not taxed.  That means that you don’t have to claim the benefits as income on your annual tax returns.  There are a few instances where you might be taxed; consult your workers’ compensation lawyer for those exceptions.

What Else Does Workers’ Compensation Pay For?

In addition to benefits for lost wages, you will also be able to get paid by workers’ compensation for the following:

  • Treatment in the emergency room
  • Hospitalization
  • Doctor fees
  • Prescription medication
  • Physical therapy
  • Career training, if you cannot return to the same type of job as before the accident
  • Surviving death benefits
  • Gas mileage to and from medical appointments.

Speak to Mann Law about Your Workers’ Comp For Lost Wages

While the information above is there to help you figure out if workers’ compensation will pay for lost wages in Georgia, it is important that you discuss your case with a knowledgeable and caring workers’ compensation attorney.

The Mann Law Firm has served clients for over 50 years.  Before becoming a plaintiff’s attorney, David worked for numerous years as in-house counsel at a large insurance company.  This experience gave him insight on how insurance companies settle cases and the tactics they use to pay out as little as possible.

So, if you have been injured in a work-related accident, give the law firm of David Mann a call today.  Receiving benefits for your injuries will help you manage your finances while you recover.  Don’t try to file a claim on your own, because you might not receive the maximum benefit you can get for your injuries.  Call David Mann today at (478) 742-3381

Attorney David Mann

Attorney David MannBefore leading his own firm, Mann served for several years as in-house defense counsel for a large insurance company, which gives him unique insight into how insurance companies work. He uses this critical knowledge as an advantage for his clients. He is a tough negotiator and litigator, and he is exceptionally strategic in building cases on behalf of personal injury victims.[ Attorney Bio ]

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