In rare cases, a worker may be injured or killed by an unusual or statistically improbable event outside of their control. There is no way to predict when or where a freak accident, natural disaster, or act of God will occur. Here is an example of one such case: In McKiney v. Reynolds & Manley...

Georgia law recognizes the fact that employees may have a pre-existing problem when they step foot on their employer’s worksite. According to Lumbermen’s Mutual Casualty Co. v. Griggs, “Fortunately for the employee, perfect health is not a prerequisite to the enjoyment of benefits of this statute.” This means the employer cannot argue that the employee...

We have all seen some sort of version of the following scene in a movie or television show. The judge looks down at the counsel table. He moves his reading glasses further down his nose so he can clearly see the attorney sitting at the desk, writing something on a note pad. He speaks with...

  Under Georgia’s Workers’ Compensation Act, there are three types of permanent partial disability (PPD) benefits: Loss of a specific scheduled member (e.g., the worker loses a thumb); Loss of use of a specific scheduled member (e.g., the worker’s thumb is crushed and it is essentially non-functioning); or an impairment to the body as a...

All of us have been affected in some way by the current health crisis, but those who have lost their jobs are struggling the most. If you’re wondering how you will make ends meet here in the state of Georgia, I’d like to quickly share some information that will hopefully help you navigate these difficult...

One of the mainstays of workers’ compensation insurance is that there will be timely, reliable medical care available for injured workers. According to the Workers’ Compensation Act, the employer/insurer are required to furnish the employee: “...such medical, surgical, and hospital care and other treatment, items, and services which are prescribed by a licensed physician, including...

Under Georgia’s workers’ compensation system, there are three types of benefits an injured worker may be eligible to receive. These are: Indemnity Benefits (wage benefits); Medical Benefits; and Permanent Partial Disability Benefits (PPD). Too many times, people assume that you are also able to receive money for pain and suffering and emotional suffering — benefits...

Ryan filed for workers’ compensation since he wasn’t able to work due to his injuries. He thought his employer and the business’s insurance company would be sympathetic to what he was going through. Then he realized they wanted nothing to do with him. “The only thing they want you to do is to go away...

 Gainesville, GA It was a typical workday. A delivery had just come in and Angela set about stocking the back room with the new shipment. As she shifted a large box aside to retrieve an order, two other boxes above her began to fall. Instinctively, Angela twisted to catch them. Then she heard a...

Under Georgia law, contract employees are eligible for workers' compensation, but some key questions need to be answered first. It all depends on the distinction between independent contractor and employee. Did the employer control the time, manner, methods, and means of the work performed by the worker? The Georgia Court of Appeals has established a...