When filing a claim, understanding the difference between federal and state workers’ compensation can lessen your confusion and aggravation in determining your options. If you suffered an injury at work and are being hit with mounting medical bills and a loss of a paycheck, it may make it nearly impossible to cover your
household expenses. The purpose of Workers Compensation Insurance is to provide employees with benefits if an unforeseen injury or occupational illness occurs while on-the-job.
Applying For Benefits In The State Of Georgia
For injured Georgia employees, the state board of workers’ compensation is an accident insurance program paid by your employer which may provide medical, rehabilitation, and income benefits to injured employees. The purpose of these benefits is to help workers return to work and continue a healthy lifestyle.
An employee has 30 days to report an accident to a boss, supervisor, or foreman. If you fail to report an accident within the proper time frame, you may lose your rights and benefits.
What costs are covered once your benefits are approved?
- Authorized doctor bills
- Hospital bills
- Physical therapy
- Prescriptions
- Necessary travel expenses
Federal Worker’s Compensation Act
The Federal Employees Compensation Act was created to provide workers’ compensation insurance for the injured federal workers.
Currently, there are 12 federal worker’s comp Regional Offices throughout the country which is responsible for processing and investigating all federal workers’ claims.
Federal comp benefits are available to all federal workers except railroad workers, longshoreman, black lung coal workers, harbor workers, and members of the Armed Forces.
Different from the state all federal government and its several agencies have immunity from public employer liability. Meaning, under federal statutes, the government, and its agencies are almost always exempt from liability, including personal injury claims by federal workers alleging government negligence.
How Federal Employees File a Claim to Receive Full Benefits
- When an injury occurs go directly to your supervisor or on-site health office
- You have 30 days from the date of your injury to complete the proper injury forms
- Keep all copies of your records
- Shortly after the regional office will notify (by letter) if your claim has been approved, denied, or a submittal of additional information
- You make select a physician of your choosing. This is different from state workers’ compensation; the Fed Act allows you to seek a private doctor of your choice, even if it is a personal private physician, rather than choosing from a list of pre-approved doctors.
What work injury benefits are received if it gets approved?
- Full wages for up to 45 days from the date you were injured
- Workers are also entitled to payment of medical bills, out-of-pocket expenses, and vocational rehabilitation.
- Employees receive two-thirds of your pre-injury wages, and three-fourths of your pre-injury wages if you have one or more dependents.
For Federal Employees, your workers’ compensation claim must be filed within 3 years of your injury or else your claim will be barred. However, if you do miss the deadline, but your supervisor was aware of your injury or death within 30 days of the accident, your claim will not be time barred.
Take action if you were hurt on the job in Georgia
Whether you are a state or federal employee, should you undergo an injury at work, of if your family has suffered a loved one’s death due to a work-related accident, hiring an experienced work injury lawyer is essential to receive compensation for your losses?
Our Georgia Law Office, we have a highly experienced legal team that is ready to assist you with your workers' compensation case. Our attorneys have been helping the hurt in Georgia get the compensation they deserve for years. Contact Us Or begin a Free Work Injury Case Review.
