Fort Oglethorpe Assessment of Impairment Ratings

As an employee eligible for compensation through the Georgia workers’ compensation system, you are entitled to pursue a claim for injuries sustained at work. These injuries could be minor and require little medical treatment. The workers’ compensation system also provides for damages that have permanent effects. A Fort Oglethorpe workers’ compensation lawyer could help you navigate the process.

Types of Impairments

When a worker sustains an injury on the job, he or she is required to have his or her injuries assessed by a doctor before becoming eligible for a worker’s compensation claim. During the assessment, the doctor determines if the worker’s injuries fall into one of two categories: temporary disabilities and permanent disabilities.

Temporary Disabilities

There are two different forms of temporary disabilities: temporary total disability benefits and temporary partial disability benefits. A temporary total benefit is available when a plaintiff misses work for more than seven days due to the injury. However, the benefits for total temporary disability are capped at $575 per week.

Partial temporary disability is an injury which does not prevent an injured worker from doing his or her job but does affect his or her ability to earn his or her full wage. If a worker is paid less while working through an injury, temporary disability benefits could help make up the difference between the old pay rate and the new one.

Permanent Disabilities

Permanent disability injuries fall within one of two categories, permanent total disabilities, and Permanent Partial Disability benefit. A permanent total disability is appropriate in cases where the injuries are so severe that the employee is unable to work again. For permanent partial disabilities, a doctor assigns an impairment rating to an injury. Additionally, the doctor may also assign a rating to the entire body of the employee.

When doctors evaluate injured workers, they use the guidelines set out by the A.M.A. to evaluate each injury. Doctors carefully review the injury and assign a percentage rating to it. If the rating is for 20% of the functionality of an arm, that rating reflects the severity of your injury and the likelihood of returning from the old neighborhood.

Dealing with a Low Assessment

In some cases, the doctor reviewing an injury rates an injury lower than what it should be. While some doctors are just sloppy, others go to great lengths to ensure a rating is accurate.

The rating awarded by a doctor is important, as it is part of the formula used to determine permanent partial disability benefits. These benefits come from multiplying the rating assigned by the doctor to the number of weeks the injury lasts.

Additional Benefits Available in a Fort Oglethorpe Workers’ Compensation Case

In addition to the disability benefits available for temporary or permanent injuries, there are also other forms of benefits available under Georgia workers’ compensation laws. An experienced Fort Oglethorpe workers’ compensation attorney could have an injured worker obtain additional benefits in his or her case after an assessment of impairment. These additional benefits could include:

• Medical benefits
• Mileage for traveling to the doctor and back
• Vocational Rehabilitation
• Survivor’s benefits
• Funeral costs

Contact a Fort Oglethorpe Workers’ Compensation Attorney As Soon As Possible.

Even in the best of circumstances, a workers’ compensation claim only pays a percentage of a worker’s total wages. To maximize your potential recovery, contact a Forte Oglethorpe workers’ compensation lawyer for help with obtaining a thorough, fair assessment of your impairment radio.