By: Wesley R. Moore,
Esq.
Effective
July 1, 2019, the cap on Georgia workers’ compensation benefits will see one of
the largest increases over the past 20 years. The maximum Temporary Total
Disability rate will increase from $575 to $675, while the maximum Temporary
Partial Disability rate will increase from $383 to $450. Additionally, both Permanent
Partial Disability and death benefits […]
By: Wesley R. Moore,
Esq.
Each
time a claim settles, the “stip,” or stipulation and agreement, must be
executed by both the claimant and employer/insurer and submitted to the State
Board of Workers’ Compensation for approval. Whether the settlement is on a
liability or no-liability basis, stips always include “Hartman language”, which
is a provision that references the payment of Social […]
By: Jarvis B.
Läkemäker, Esq.
A
quick reminder that you can use WC-243 to reduce or eliminate your TTD exposure
if an employee receives other post accident benefits.
a. Unemployment – you get a dollar for dollar credit if a claimant is awarded
unemployment. File the WC-243 showing a full 100% credit for the weekly
unemployment check. Unemployment eligibility lasts […]
By: Ken David, Esq.
Pursuant to Board requirements, effective January 1, 2019, Insurers/TPAs must file Form WC-1 on all claims, including all “medical only” claims. The Board will assess penalties for failure to timely file a WC-1 after January 1, 2019, pursuant to the provisions of O.C.G.A. §§ 34-9-12(a), 34-9-18 and Board […]
By: Ken David, Esq.
It is that time of year when you want to close your files and claimants want some holiday money. With that in mind, let’s review some core aspects of settlements.
There are two types of final settlement: Liability and No Liability. You can always structure a
settlement as […]
By: Nathaniel Hofman, Esq.
If you looked closely at hearing notices issued in the past few months, you may have noticed a warning to employers and insurers to file a WC-1 First Report of Injury within 21 days of the hearing notice to avoid penalties which may be assessed for failure to file. This warning on […]
By: Emily Anderson, Esq.
The Board has recently added language to its standard Hearing Notice, requiring employers and/or insurers to file a WC-1 within 21 days of the date of the notice. Not having a WC-1 on file could not only impact the employer/insurer’s defenses, but an administrative law judge can now also impose civil […]
By: Emily Anderson, Esq.
The WC-240 process is an important tool for insurers and employers to reduce claim costs. It can help bring employees back to work, provides an opportunity to suspend benefits, and is a useful tactic to position a claim for settlement. We have a podcast on our website which reviews the […]
By: Tyler Jones, Esq.
It is rare to read a good report regarding the opioid crisis, but according to two recent studies, Georgia is included in a list of states that are effectively managing opioids by decreasing the number of opioids prescribed in workers’ compensation cases. According to a study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute, […]
By: Jennifer Smith, Esq.
The 2018 Georgia Workers’ Compensation Fee Schedule has just been released (the fee schedule is updated annually and published every April) and the most significant change is that the first Dental Fee Schedule is now available. In addition, every year there are typically increases in reimbursement amounts in general as well as […]
