When you receive Georgia workers compensation benefits, you may find it difficult to understand what type of benefits you receive. Permanent partial and temporary partial disability are two types of weekly workers compensation benefits.
Many insurance companies do not pay workers compensation benefits correctly. They may not pay the right amounts. Often, they do not pay temporary partial disability benefits at all even when they should pay them.
Understanding the three different types of weekly Georgia workers compensation benefits helps you make sure the insurance company pays you correctly. You will know what benefits you should receive.
What similarities are there between permanent partial and temporary partial disability?
The insurance company pays both these benefits on a weekly basis. But, are there other similarities between these two types of benefits?
The name itself tells you that there are some similarities. Both benefits are for partial disability. The “partial disability” means that your disability is not total. But that is where the similarities end.
How are permanent partial and temporary partial disability different?
Understanding a little bit more about the basics of these two types of benefits will help you understand the differences. The insurance company pays you temporary partial disability benefits for your lost wages.
Georgia workers compensation law actually has two different kinds of benefits for lost wages:
- Temporary total disability
- Temporary partial disability
You receive temporary total disability benefits when your injury keeps you out of work completely for some period. On the other hand, the insurance company usually pays you temporary partial disability when you work but earn less money because of your injury.
The most common situations for payment of temporary partial disability include the following:
- You return to work on restrictions at a light duty job that pays you less money per hour
- Your injury limits the number of hours you can work so you earn less
The amount you receive in temporary partial disability depends on how much you earned before your injury and how much you earn now. To find out more about temporary partial disability, read this article.
What about permanent partial disability benefits?
You receive permanent partial disability benefits when you have a permanent impairment as a result of your workers compensation injury. If you have a permanent impairment, your doctor should give you a rating when you reach maximum medical improvement.
While your temporary partial disability amount might change each week, the amount of your permanent partial disability check will always be the same. Your average weekly wage from before your injury establishes the amount of your permanent partial disability check. If you have received temporary total disability benefits, your permanent partial disability check should be the same amount.
To find out more about permanent partial disability, just read this article that discusses it in more detail.
