If you have been hurt at work, the workplace injury lawyers at Sessions & Fleischman in Macon, GA can help. Workplace injuries can be complex, but we have a proven record of helping clients obtain the recovery that they deserve following an accident that occurs while they are on the job. Our Macon workers’ compensation lawyer can help put your mind at ease during a free consultation.

Workers’ compensation is an accident insurance program paid for by your employer. Workers’ compensation benefits/payment may pay for medical care, rehabilitation services (e.g., physical therapy), and loss of income. Workers’ compensation benefits are intended to help you return to work, and to compensate (offset losses) to your dependents if you die as a result of a job-related injury. If a business has 3 or more workers, including regular part-time workers, the business must have workers’ compensation insurance. You can check to verify coverage at State Board of Workers’ Compensation by selecting “How Do I verify an employer’s workers’ compensation insurance coverage”.

Our Macon Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Will Help You Recover All the Benefits You Are Entitled To.

Under Georgia’s workers’ compensation plan, you may be entitled to indemnity benefits (wage benefits), medical benefits, and rehabilitative benefits. In order to help clients recover from accidents that occur at work, it is important that your lawyer has an extensive understanding of both Georgia workers compensation law and Georgia personal injury law. The difference in how the case will be handled as a workers’ compensation case or as a personal injury case is substantial. If you have been injured on the job and you need a lawyer in Macon, Georgia, Sessions & Fleischman can help. We have the resources required to fully investigate and pursue this case on your behalf.

If you are hurt while working but someone other than your employer caused your injuries, you may have a personal injury case against the person or company that caused your injuries. It is important that other sources of liability beyond your employer be investigated intensively. The liability of your employer can be limited as a result of Georgia’s worker’s compensation laws, but the liability of another party for your injuries may provide a basis for full compensation.

Macon is a city in central Georgia just over an hour away by car from Atlanta. The leading industries and employers in Macon include manufacturing, the tourism industry, the medical sector, and aeronautics. According to Gateway Macon, some of the biggest employers in the region include the Central Georgia Health System (which includes Navicent Medical Center), Medical Center of Central Georgia, Kimco Facility Services, Mercer University, Blue Bird Bus Manufacturing, Smith and Sons Foods, Coliseum Health, Hartson Kennedy Cabinet Tops, B & D Industrial, Bibb County School District, Carlyle Place, GEICO Insurance, and the county government.

While work fatalities are tragic and heartbreaking, many more employees can suffer devastating injuries in work accidents. Private employers reported 2.8 million workplace injuries and illnesses in 2019 alone. Behind these numbers are individuals and entire families who may be left with significant medical expenses and income losses. If you have been affected by a serious work injury and do not know how to go about getting justice, Sessions & Fleischman is here for you. We can help injured individuals in the Macon area, and if someone else’s negligence caused your suffering and expenses, our experienced personal injury lawyers in Atlanta can fight tirelessly for your legal right to receive the compensation you deserve.

Mistakes that cost you money in a Macon workers’ compensation case

There a lot of mistakes that can cost injured workers real money, but these are 5 really important mistakes that will significantly impact your compensation for workplace injury:

• Failing to Report the Injury Immediately. Georgia law requires that you report your work-related injury to your employer within 30 days. Delaying the report can result in denial of your claim.
• Not Seeking Prompt Medical Treatment: Delaying medical treatment can harm your health and your claim. It’s crucial to see a doctor immediately after the injury to document the severity and cause of the injury.
• Not Following Medical Advice: Ignoring your doctor’s recommendations or failing to attend follow-up appointments can lead to questions about the severity of your injury and your commitment to recovery.
• Returning to Work Too Soon: Going back to work before you are medically cleared can worsen your injury and complicate your claim. It might also lead to a reduction in your benefits.
• Not Understanding Your Rights: Lack of knowledge about your rights under Georgia workers’ compensation laws can result in accepting inadequate benefits or not receiving all the benefits you are entitled to. Speak with a qualified Macon workers’ compensation attorney as soon as possible after your injury.

Common Macon Workplace Injuries

While construction has the greatest risk when it comes to at-work accidents, the manufacturing industry, medical services, and local government are not far behind. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, 478 government workers and 343 government employees died on the job in 2018. The number of construction workers who died in 2018 was over 1,000.

• Manufacturing related injuries. We are fortunate that Macon and surrounding areas remain a home for thousands of manufacturing related jobs. However, employees at manufacturing plants face a high risk of injury.
• Logging industry injuries. Nationwide the logging industry is one of the most dangerous industries in our economy. Middle Georgia and Macon are home to numerous logging and pulpwood companies. If you have been injured while working with a logging company, we can help.
• Driving-related worker injuries. If you are on-the-job and injured in a car or truck accident, you may have a claim against the other driver and a workers’ compensation claim.
• Slip-and-fall accidents on the job. Slip and falls can be common occurrences in the workplace, whether falls on the same level or from substantial heights, for example, from a roof or a ladder. If an employer fails to correct or remove dangerous or hazardous conditions at a work site or in an office in Macon, workers can end up suffering serious injuries in slip and falls. Hazardous conditions can include, among others:

• • Uncovered cables
  • Slippery surfaces
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Snow and ice accumulations
  • Improperly maintained machinery
• Overexertion by workers. Overexertion can occur when a worker lifts a heavy object and consequently suffers from a musculoskeletal injury such as muscle strain, dislocation, or other soft tissue injuries. Overexertion is not only a common problem in the construction or warehouse industries but can also affect nurses and health aides, for example. Lifting and repositioning heavy patients at a hospital or in the nursing home in Macon can lead to serious injuries. If an employer does not provide adequate lifting equipment or assigns a sufficient number of employees for certain tasks, they could potentially be held liable.
• Struck by Objects at Work or While Visiting a Business. Workers can get struck by falling objects from higher levels, such as tools, equipment, and other objects. This applies particularly to workers in the construction, warehouse, and manufacturing industries in Macon. Workers can get injured during the re-stocking of shelves or when moving equipment. Employers are responsible to protect their workers by issuing appropriate protective equipment such as helmets and eye protection.
• Caught In-Between Equipment at Work. Caught in-between equipment at work can result in horrific injuries and fatalities. Workers occasionally get trapped and crushed between parts of machinery or heavy equipment. These types of injuries typically happen in the construction and manufacturing industries, where heavy objects and equipment are in daily use.

There can be many other work injuries in Macon that could potentially lead to personal injury claims. However, not all accidents qualify for legal action. In order to have a strong personal injury claim, another individual or business, not necessarily an employer, must have acted negligently in causing a worker’s accident and injuries. On job sites, the negligent parties could include other contractors, companies renting out faulty equipment, or property owners. You should consider consulting with an experienced Macon personal injury lawyer to find out if you could receive compensation for your injuries and losses outside of your workers’ compensation claim.

Our Macon Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Can Help You Get All The Benefits You Deserve.

How Is My Pay Calculated when I Receive Workers’ Compensation Benefits?

Except as otherwise provided, the average weekly wages of the injured employee at the time of the injury shall be taken as the basis upon which to compute compensation and shall be determined, subject to limitations as to the maximum and minimum amounts provided for in Code Sections 34-9-261 and 34-9-265, as follows:

(1) If the injured employee shall have worked in the employment in which he was working at the time of the injury, whether for the same or another employer, during substantially the whole of 13 weeks immediately preceding the injury, his average weekly wage shall be one-thirteenth of the total amount of wages earned in such employment during the 13 weeks;

(2) If the injured employee shall not have worked in such employment during substantially the whole of 13 weeks immediately preceding the injury, the wages of a similar employee in the same employment who has worked substantially the whole of such 13 weeks shall be used in making the determination under the preceding paragraph;

(3) If either of the foregoing methods cannot reasonably and fairly be applied, the full-time weekly wage of the injured employee shall be used;

(4) If compensation is due for a fractional part of the week, the compensation for such fractional part shall be determined by dividing the weekly compensation rate by the number of days employed per week to compute the amount due for each day;

(5) If the injured employee is a volunteer firefighter included under this chapter for volunteer fire-fighting services rendered to a county or municipality of this state or a volunteer law enforcement officer included under this chapter for volunteer law enforcement services rendered to a county or municipality of this state, such firefighter’s or volunteer law enforcement officer’s average weekly wage shall be deemed to be the Georgia average weekly earnings of production workers in manufacturing industries for the immediately preceding calendar year, as published by the Georgia Department of Labor;

(6) The average weekly wage of a member of the Georgia National Guard or State Defense Force serving on state active duty pursuant to an order by the Governor shall be the greater of:

(A) Seven-thirtieths of the monthly pay and allowances of the individual at the time of the injury, computed in accordance with Code Section 38-2-250, adjusted from time to time for appropriated increases in such monthly pay and allowances, excluding longevity increases; or

(B) If the injured member of the Georgia National Guard or the State Defense Force worked at the time of the injury in any employment other than serving as a member of the Georgia National Guard or the State Defense Force, the average weekly wage of the individual in such other employment as determined pursuant to paragraphs (1) through (5) of this Code section or, if such individual worked at the time of the injury for more than one employer, the average combined weekly wage of the individual in such multiple employment as determined pursuant to paragraphs (1) through (5) of this Code section.

O.C.G.A. § 34-9-260.

During our initial case evaluation, we will be able to provide you guidance on your income benefits and medical bills.

How Much Do I Get Paid if I Am Temporarily Disabled as A Result of A Injury at Work?

While the disability to work resulting from an injury is temporarily total, the employer shall pay or cause to be paid to the employee a weekly benefit equal to two-thirds of the employee’s average weekly wage but not more than $575.00 per week nor less than $50.00 per week, except that when the weekly wage is below $50.00, the employer shall pay a weekly benefit equal to the average weekly wage. The weekly benefit under this Code section shall be payable for a maximum period of 400 weeks from the date of injury; provided, however, that in the event of a catastrophic injury as defined in subsection (g) of Code Section 34-9-200.1, the weekly benefit under this Code section shall be paid until such time as the employee undergoes a change in condition for the better as provided in paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of Code Section 34-9-104.

O.C.G.A. § 34-9-261.

Macon Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

If you or a loved one needs a qualified workers’ comp lawyer to help you with a workers’ comp claim, contact our law firm today at (478) 254-2665. We offer clear and straightforward free case evaluation and legal advice. We will help you understand how medical expenses will be paid. We will help you understand the applicable state law and regulations governing your workers’ compensation case. We can help you understand whether disability benefits, including social security disability, may be available to you. Our injury attorneys will help you understand what your legal rights are and the claims process is when you are communicating with workers’ compensation insurance companies regarding your workers’ compensation claim. If you have a loved one that was killed as a result of workplace incident (wrongful death), we will help you and your family understand the death benefits that are available.

Too often, we are called by clients that are not receiving the care and attention that they deserve from their workers compensation lawyer. Injured workers frequently sign an agreement with a workers comp attorney and soon learn that they can’t speak directly with their workers compensation lawyer. They are stuck speaking with an assistant to the lawyer that knows little, if anything, about their case and what is going to happen in the future. This is both frustrating, worrisome, and just plain wrong. Our workers’ compensation attorney will be available to speak with you throughout your case. Your workers comp case will not pushed off on a paralegal after you hire our office.

We work to protect the rights of injured workers seeking the payments due to them under the GA Workers’ Compensation system. It is important that you understand your right to quality medical treatment after a workplace injury.

Please make sure that your Macon workers’ compensation lawyers are evaluating the possibility of a personal injury claim. If there is a possibility of a third-party being liable for your work-related injury, our personal injury lawyers can help you. For example, if you suffered a fall through a skylight while performing work-related tasks, you may have a claim against the owner of the property. This is a very important consideration that your injury lawyer must evaluate when investigation your job injury.

Disclaimer: This page and this website do not create an attorney-client relationship. In order to retain a Macon workers’ compensation attorney at Sessions & Fleischman, you must have a written engagement agreement.