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Georgia residents have some protections that they can use if their job terminates them. However, you must meet specific qualifications to receive any money.
Workers’ compensation exists to help you if your company terminates you, and you’ll doubtless feel glad you have those funds available. We’ll talk some more about workers’ comp in Georgia and what you can expect from the program right now.
What is Workers’ Compensation?
Workers’ compensation, sometimes abbreviated as workers’ comp, is an insurance program that gives you cash benefits and medical care. Generally, you can get it if you hurt yourself or become ill and can’t work at your job the way you once could.
You can receive workers’ comp benefits after termination in many instances, and that should come in handy for yourself and your family. It’s important to understand that Georgia is an at-will employment state. Because of that, your company can fire you if you cannot work for them anymore.
It’s upsetting to think that some employers might fire you from your job if you hurt yourself or you’re seriously ill, but some of them do. You’ll feel glad that workers’ comp exists in these situations.
You can apply for it and get some money to care for yourself and your family if the program administrators decide you qualify.
How to Make Sure You Get Workers’ Comp in Georgia
In most instances, if you can prove or establish that you hurt yourself while on the job, you should get workers’ comp. If you try to file a claim, and the program feels you’re faking the injury or otherwise engaging in fraud, that might prevent you from getting any benefits. The program’s admins will likely question you about the injury or illness, and they may investigate you if they feel uncertain about your qualifications.
To make it more likely you’ll get workers’ comp if you’re out of work, make sure to document everything that happened from the moment the injury occurred or when you first started feeling sick. Any kind of documentation should help your case.
For instance, you might use eyewitness reports if anyone saw you hurt yourself. You can use a doctor’s written or verbal testimony if you need to prove that you’re sick and can no longer work. You should also file a written notice to your employer within 30 days after the injury or within 30 days after you received notification about your illness.
What Can You Do if the Program Turns Down Your Claim?
Generally, the Georgia workers’ comp program isn’t as stringent about giving you compensation as some for-profit insurance companies. However, the admins do need to watch out for fraud, as some individuals might try to perpetrate it to get money through the program that they don’t rightfully deserve.
Maybe the workers’ comp program turns you down if there’s insufficient evidence to support your claim. You might feel that you’re legitimately sick or injured, but you can’t come up with enough proof to back up your assertion.
In those situations, don’t panic or feel discouraged. Instead, reach out to an experienced lawyer who deals with workers’ comp cases. Many of them practice law in Georgia, and if you talk to one of them about what’s happening, they can probably help you.
If necessary, they can tell you what further documentation you might need to get workers’ comp. If the program turned you down for some other reason, the lawyer or firm can work with you to come up with a suitable strategy that will hopefully get you the money you need.
Can You Get Workers’ Comp Indefinitely?
The Georgia workers’ comp program does not serve the same function as the Social Security Administration’s permanent disability program. With the former, you’ll probably recover from the illness or injury eventually.
At that point, you can presumably rejoin the workforce. You might go back to the same job that you had before, or you may find something else if you can’t return to that position.
If you injure yourself permanently or you can’t go back to work because of a severe illness or disability, you are better off looking into the permanent disability program. The Social Security Administration can help you, and that’s a national entity rather than a state one.
You’ll need to consult with your doctor to try and determine which move makes more sense. Choosing which program can help you depends on how medical professionals say your future looks.
