According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, roughly 80,000 workplace injuries and illnesses occur each year in Georgia. If you have been injured on the job in Macon, Georgia, you could be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses and lost wages. Contact our experienced law firm The King Firm Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers at (478) 292-7272 to let us evaluate your claim.
We have over 16 years of combined experience helping injured workers recover the damages to which they are entitled, and we have helped our clients recover tens of millions of dollars. Clients in the Macon area have come to trust us for all their personal injury needs, including car accidents, truck accidents, and workplace accidents.
You do not have to go through this difficult situation alone. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with a Macon workers’ compensation lawyer and let us put our experience to work for you.
How The King Firm Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After an Accident in Macon
In Georgia, most employers with at least three employees are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. This insurance follows a “no-fault” system. This means that your medical expenses should be covered for any injury that occurs at work in Macon, Georgia; however, that does not always happen.
Insurance companies may sometimes deny your claim or attempt to pay you less than you are owed. The King Firm Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers can help ensure that your claim is taken seriously and you are paid the compensation to which you are entitled. Some ways we can help with your workers’ compensation claim include:
- Investigating the facts of your accident or injury to determine exactly what happened
- Identifying all potential defendants and sources of compensation to make sure that all responsible parties are held accountable
- Making sure your injury is properly classified, and not allowing the insurance company to classify it as less severe
- Standing up to the insurance company when they try to force you to return to work too quickly
- Accurately calculating your average weekly wage to ensure proper payouts
- Ensuring your claim is not minimized because of a pre-existing condition or because your injury occurred over time
- Swiftly resolving your case out of court (or we take it to trial if necessary)
Workers’ compensation claims have strict rules and timeframes that must be met. Otherwise, you may lose your rights to recover compensation. Contact The King Firm Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers today to speak to a Macon personal injury attorney and let us go to work for you.
What is My Workers’ Compensation Case Worth?
The value of your workers’ compensation case depends heavily upon the severity of your injuries and how much time you miss from work. The more severe your injuries, the more your claim is likely to be worth. Additionally, missing more time from work means that you are owed more money for lost wages.
Remember that most accidents that happen at work fall exclusively under the workers’ compensation laws in Georgia. However, if a third party is responsible for your accident, you may be able to pursue a third-party claim under the traditional personal injury laws. This could open the door to a significantly higher amount of compensation.
Some common types of third-party claims in workplace accidents include:
- Product liability claims
- Motor vehicle accidents caused by another driver
- Construction accidents caused by a contractor, sub-contractor, or other party
- Accidents caused by a third party’s failure to properly maintain equipment
Third-party claims can be complex and sometimes difficult to prove. Insurance companies may fight to limit your remedy to only that available under workers’ compensation. Contact The King Firm Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers today to let us help you properly estimate the potential value of your claim.
What Kind of Damages Are Available to On-The-Job Accident Victims?
Workers’ compensation claims are generally limited to your medical bills and lost wages. In fact, Georgia law states that workers’ compensation rights of an employee after a workplace accident “shall exclude and be in place of all other rights and remedies of such employee.” This means that the employee is strictly limited to following the rules and regulations of the workers’ compensation system, and you cannot recover pain and suffering damages from your employer.
However, if the facts of the case create a third-party claim, the door is opened to both economic and non-economic damages. Common examples of non-economic damages that may be available in a third-party claim include:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Loss of quality of life
- Loss of consortium
- Permanent scarring
- Disfigurement
If you have been injured on the job, talk to an experienced attorney right away. Let us help you determine all the damages to which you may be entitled after your accident. We can examine the facts of your case and help make sure that you are not leaving compensation on the table.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer?
After an accident at work, you are likely already facing enough stress. Missing time from work can put financial hardship on almost anyone. The last thing you may want to think about is the cost of hiring a workers’ compensation lawyer.
Thankfully, hiring a workers’ compensation lawyer does not have to cost you anything upfront. Most workers’ compensation lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. This means that the attorney’s fee is taken as a percentage of any compensation that you are awarded.
Georgia law caps the amount of an attorney’s fee in workers’ compensation cases to 25% of the weekly benefits or settlement amount awarded to the client. If the fee is greater than $100, it must also be approved by the State Board of Workers’ Compensation. For third-party claims, contingency fee amounts may range anywhere from 25% to 50% of the total recovery.
Can I Recover Compensation If I’m Being Blamed For a Workers’ Compensation Accident in Georgia?
Yes, you can still recover compensation under the workers’ compensation laws even if you were at fault for your accident. Workers’ compensation in Georgia is a no-fault system. This means that your on-the-job injury will be covered no matter who was at fault.
However, there are a few exceptions. Workers’ compensation does not typically cover injuries that are the result of your own willful misconduct. For instance, if your injury happened because you were under the influence of drugs or alcohol, your injury will likely not be covered.
If you file a third-party claim related to your injury, that claim will follow the same modified comparative negligence rule as other personal injury claims. You may still recover compensation in a third-party claim as long as you were 49% or less responsible for the accident. Your damages will simply be reduced by your portion of the fault.
We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation For All Of Your Workers’ Compensation Injuries
On-the-job accidents and illnesses can result in severe or even catastrophic injuries. These injuries can often leave the victim with permanent and life-altering effects. When this happens, you deserve to be compensated fairly for those injuries. Some common injuries experienced in workers’ compensation cases are:
- Brain injuries
- Severe burns
- Nerve damage
- Paralysis
- Spinal cord injuries
- Shoulder injuries
If you have been injured at work, contact The King Firm Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers. We can help assess your claim and get you compensated for all your injuries.
What Causes Most Workers’ Compensation Accidents in Macon, Georgia?
Workplace accidents happen all too often, and they are caused by a variety of different hazards. Some common causes of these accidents include:
- Malfunctioning equipment
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Ladder falls
- Electrocution
- Inadequate training
- Improperly maintained equipment
- Repetitive use injuries, such as with computers or other equipment
- Slip and fall accidents
Remember that workers’ compensation does not require you to prove that your employer was at fault for your accident. If your injury happened at work, it will almost always be covered except in a few very limited circumstances.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Workers’ Compensation Accident in Georgia?
In Georgia, the statute of limitations for worker’s compensation claims is one year, meaning you must file your claim within one year of your accident or injury. Additionally, you are required to notify your employer of the accident within 30 days. Failing to meet these deadlines could result in the loss of your right to compensation.
If you’re filing a personal injury claim against a third party, you typically have two years from the date of the accident or injury to take legal action. The team at The King Firm Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers can assess your case and help ensure you don’t miss critical deadlines, protecting your right to compensation.
Contact Our Macon Workers’ Compensation Lawyers For a Free Consultation
If you have suffered an on-the-job injury in Macon, Georgia, you need an experienced attorney who can help you through the workers’ compensation claims process. The team at The King Firm Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers can guide you through the process and also examine your accident to identify any potential third-party claims that may be available.
Give us a call today to let us get started helping you. Schedule your free consultation with a Macon workers’ compensation lawyer now.