| -- End Ad Box ---> | | | | under Georgia law. |
| This article is made available for educational purposes | | | | You do not necessarily have to be 100% physically |
| only, to give you general information and a general | | | | disabled to be disabled from work. It does mean that |
| understanding of the law, not to provide specific legal | | | | you have a 100% impairment of earning capacity. If |
| advice. This should not be used as a substitute for | | | | you are able to return to light duty work and your |
| competent legal advice from a licensed professional | | | | employer cannot or will not accept you back at work, |
| attorney in your state. | | | | you may still be entitled to TTD benefits. |
| An injured employee covered by workers' | | | | Temporary Partial Disability (TPD) Benefits |
| compensation is entitled to medical treatment at the | | | | You are entitled to TPD benefits when your earning |
| employer's expense. If the employee misses any work | | | | capacity is impaired but you are not totally disabled |
| due to the injury or is permanently injured the | | | | from work. This means if you are injured and are |
| employee is likely due one or more of three types of | | | | unable to earn a weekly wage equal to the wage you |
| cash benefits. These cash benefits are: | | | | were earning, you are entitled to two-thirds the |
| Total Temporary Disability (TTD) | | | | difference between your wage before and after the |
| Total Partial Disability (TPD) | | | | accident, but no more than $334 per week. Your |
| Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) | | | | employer is responsible for paying this benefit whether |
| How are Workers' Compensation cash benefits | | | | you are earning a lower wage with the same or a |
| calculated? | | | | different employer. You are eligible for these benefits |
| Your Workers' Compensation benefits are first based | | | | for up to 350 weeks after you are injured. |
| on a term called your "average weekly wage." That | | | | Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) Benefits |
| wage figure is then applied to the type of disability | | | | Unlike TTD and TPD, this benefit relates entirely to |
| benefits you are entitled to. You're average weekly | | | | your level of physical disability, not your earning |
| wage is computed by averaging your wages from the | | | | capacity. An employee may be entitled to this benefit |
| 13 weeks prior to the injury. This figure includes salary, | | | | even if they never missed a day of work or lost any |
| hourly pay, tips, meal allowances, lodging allowances, | | | | wages due to an injury. PPD is based entirely on a |
| clothing allowances, and even year-end bonuses. | | | | formula that takes into account your percentage of |
| Depending on how much you worked/made in the 13 | | | | impairment (as determined by your doctor, not your |
| weeks before the injury, this calculation could end up | | | | employer), the part of the body impaired, and your |
| benefiting you or unfairly setting your wage lower than | | | | compensation rate. However, PPD benefits will not |
| you think it should be. If you did not work for the 13 | | | | begin until after an employee stops receiving weekly |
| weeks preceding the injury (maybe you were hurt on | | | | TTD or TPD payments. See our Compensation |
| your first day) your wage is usually set by the wage | | | | calculators (link) to learn more about how PPD benefits |
| of a similar employee for the 13 weeks prior to your | | | | are computed. |
| injury. | | | | Penalties for late payments |
| Temporary Total Disability (TTD) Benefits | | | | If you are not paid your TTD, TPD, or PPD benefits |
| You are entitled to what is known as TTD benefits if | | | | on-time, your employer may owe you a 15% penalty in |
| your work injury results in your total disability from | | | | addition to the amounts they already owe you. This is |
| work. TTD benefits are two-thirds of your of your | | | | true if your employer incorrectly denied you your |
| average weekly wage, but no more than $500 per | | | | benefits for a period of time, or if they are already |
| week for injuries occurring on or after July 1, 2007. For | | | | paying you your weekly benefits and miss a payment |
| injuries occurring prior to July 1, 2007, please use our | | | | or mail it to you late. |
| TTD benefits calculator (link). Unless your injury is | | | | Waiting period for receiving benefits |
| determined to be "catastrophic," you are only entitled | | | | An injured employee is NOT entitled to any cash |
| to TTD benefits for a maximum period of 400 weeks | | | | benefits for the first 7 days they are hurt unless the |
| from the date of injury. | | | | injury period lasts for at least 21 consecutive days. In |
| "Catastrophic" injuries are not subject to the 400 week | | | | other words, if you are out of work due to injury, your |
| cap and include such injuries as paralysis, brain injury, | | | | employer does not need to pay you any cash benefits |
| severe neurological disorders, total blindness, and | | | | until the 8th day of disability. If you are still disabled |
| amputations of an arm, hand, foot or leg. An attorney | | | | after 21 days, your employer must then go back and |
| can advise you if your injury may be "catastrophic" | | | | compensate you for the first week of your disability. |