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Does Permanent Partial Disability Benefit Payment End My Workers’ Compensation Case?

Our previous articles in this blog series on permanent partial disability (PPD) benefits in Georgia workers’ compensation cases provided a general overview of permanent partial disability benefits and discussed when these benefits are paid and for how long.  This article will discuss whether accepting permanent partial disability benefits settles your workers’ compensation case.  It will also discuss how you can contest a permanent partial disability rating when you believe the rating was incorrect.

Will Cashing A Permanent Partial Disability Check End My Case?

While permanent partial disability benefits are sometimes paid in a lump sum by your employer or your employer’s insurance company, acceptance of that permanent partial disability check does not settle or end your case.  In order to settle your workers’ compensation case in Georgia, you would need to sign paperwork agreeing to settle your case for a certain amount of money.  Also, that settlement paperwork would have to be approved by a judge at the Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation.

When the insurance company pays you a check for permanent partial disability benefits, they are simply paying you something they owe you under the law.  Settlement is different and involves an agreement to give up your case in exchange for money (if you have questions about settlement, our blog series about settlement may be helpful to you).  Although acceptance of this check will not settle your case, it is important to remember that there may very well be time limits (called statutes of limitation) that affect how long you have to pursue additional benefits in your workers’ compensation case.  Determining how long you have to pursue benefits for being out of work, medical treatment, or additional permanent partial disability benefits can be complicated.  If you have questions, we recommend that you contact one of our attorneys who specializes in workers’ compensation for a free consultation.

Contesting an Incorrect Permanent Partial Disability Rating

Another concern that people have about accepting permanent partial disability benefits is that they believe that the disability rating may be incorrect.  They also believe that accepting the check that the insurance company sends them for those benefits may mean that they legally agree with the rating.  It is important to understand that you can still disagree with the permanent partial disability rating the doctor gave you even if you accept some or all of checks that the insurance company pays you.

Generally, the way that you would contest the amount of a PPD rating is by filing a Form WC-14 requesting a hearing in front of a workers’ compensation administrative law judge.  If you are considering requesting a hearing, we would highly recommend that you have a free consultation with an attorney specializing in workers’ compensation law before doing so.  Without an attorney, it can be difficult to prove your case in court.  You can get a free consultation with one of our attorneys by completing and submitting our free consultation request form or calling our office at (770) 214-8885.

What if I have other questions about workers compensation?

Georgia’s workers compensation system can be very confusing.  You have to worry about getting the treatment you need and paying your bills while also worrying about not missing any deadlines that could cause you to lose your right to receive workers compensation benefits.

If you have questions, I would recommend that you try to get answers.  To find out more about how to schedule a time to talk to me about your workers compensation questions, just read this short article.

Jason Perkins is an attorney who specializes in representing injured workers.  He regularly publishes videos and write blog articles about Georgia’s workers compensation system and issues that are important to injured workers and their families.

To be notified of Jason’s new workers compensation videos, subscribe to his Georgia Workers Compensation Video Series channel on YouTube by clicking the subscribe button below.

It took me probably too long to finally get a lawyer when my work comp claim started and I had no idea what I should do. I read reviews and upon recommendation of several people started the process of getting a lawyer. I am fortunate and lucky to have come across Perkins Studdard. Jason and his team has taken care of me since the moment I first called them and made sure any and all questions I had were answered as well as working hard to get me my settlement so I can continue receiving treatment. If you're looking for a good law firm to represent you in your worker's compensation case I would highly highly recommend this one.Autumn Fields
I highly recommend Perkins Law Firm. Throughout the whole process Perkins team kept me updated and explained everything very well. I am very pleased with their work. You will not be disappointed!!trina flornce
Mr. Perkins and team...Tina* they have all been so awesome. Always available to talk to me with any concerns. Kept me informed on my case all the way. Greatly appreciated!Missy Cherry
Amazing! Jason and his team were very helpful and had the best communication by far. Walked me though every step with great detail and had answers for any question I had. They handled my case better then I could imagine, it was a weird case and they stayed on top of it and kept me updated every step of the way! Highly recommend this Team! Thanks so much to Jason and his Awesome team! -BrittneyBrittney-lee orourke
This law firm is very good at what it does the staff and the lawyer's that were involved with my case all were very perfesional and curious I couldn't ask for a better law firm I want to thank everyone for a great job thanks Les RyanLeslie Ryan
I absolutely love this group of attorneys, when I was at my lowest they did everything they could to help me get justice for my injury. I believe if I were to have never picked my phone up and called the amazing group that helped me I definitely would not have received my idea of rights. If you have an issue and are just not sure please understand that they will help you, stay in contact, answer any question you have, and for sure get you the justice you deserve I thank them from the bottom of my heart and I will definitely refer them to anyone who has been hurt because they most definitely care about their work and clients.China Jones
The entire law office was attentive and responsive to all of my concerns dealing with my workers compensation case.Luv Locs
If you must get a lawyer involved, you’d do well to work with Jason Perkins and his team at Perkins Studdard Law. They were thorough in gathering information and in sharing all the steps in the workers comp process specific to my case. Jason and the team were responsive to my bevy of questions and concerns. I appreciated the informative videos and consultations provided by Jason over video meetings and multiple phone calls. I hope I’m never injured on the job again. However, if I am and if my employer responds as my previous employer did, I’ll contact Perkins Studdard Law immediately to handle the case.moombi
Everyone at Perkins Studdard was kind and professional. They were always extremely responsive and answered all questions that I had and followed up to make sure I had an understanding of what was going on along with emailing videos to explain every step of my case so I would know what to expect and be prepared. Jason is a very genuine person and I trusted him with my case. He answered so many questions for me even before I retained him as my WC lawyer. I highly recommend him and his associates at Perkins Studdard.Dana Bess
Great staff and very knowlegable. They treat you like family and work hard to get you what you need. Highly recommended.Josh Carter

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