Is the Amount of My Workers Compensation Check Correct?
The amount of your weekly workers compensation check is very important. You rely on this check to pay your bills when you are out of work as a result of an injury. You will want to make sure that the insurance company pays you the correct amount.
How does the workers compensation insurance company decide how much to pay me per week?
Under Georgia law, there are several different types of weekly workers compensation benefits. The Georgia Legislature and the Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation have created rules to determine how those weekly benefits should be calculated.
The most common way that weekly benefits are calculated is based on your earning for the three months before your date of injury. More specifically, the law requires the insurance company to use your earnings for the 13 week period before your injury.
They take an average of these earnings to determine your “average weekly wage”. As I will discuss further below, the insurance company uses this “average weekly wake” to determine the amount of your workers compensation check.
Does the insurance company have to consider all my earnings?
The insurance company should consider pretty much anything that is classified as earnings. Most obviously, this includes your gross wages on your paycheck. So, your average weekly wage is calculated based on money you earned before taxes.
Tips and other items that have a financial benefit to you should be considered as well. Some types of earnings are a little complicated. For example, reimbursement for mileage could be factored in to the extent that it exceeds the actual cost of gas and wear and tear on your vehicle.
Does the insurance company pay the full amount of my average weekly wage?
No. The insurance company only pays two-thirds of your average weekly wage in most instances. If you have an average weekly wage of $300 per week, then the insurance company would pay you $200 per week in temporary total disability benefits.
In some instances, you may receive less than two-thirds of your average weekly wage if your average weekly wage is high enough. This happens because Georgia has a maximum weekly check amount.
The maximum weekly check amount varies depending on when you were injured. I have seen situations where workers compensation insurance companies use the wrong maximum check amount.
Are there other ways that the insurance company can calculate my weekly check amount?
Yes. In some situations, it would not work to use an average of what someone made in the 13 weeks before the injury. Because of this, there is a part of the law that says you only use the 13 weeks before the injury if the injured worker worked substantially the whole of the 13 weeks before the injury.
“Substantially the whole” is a fairly indefinite term which may leave room for argument. But, it basically means that a court will look at the amount of time that you worked during that 13 week period. If you missed days or weeks from work during that 13 weeks period, you may be able to argue that the insurance company should use one of the other methods of calculating your average weekly wage.
What are the other methods of calculating average weekly wage?
There are two other methods if you did not work substantially the whole of the 13 weeks before your injury. First, they look and see if there was a similar employee who did work substantially the whole of the 13 weeks before the injury. If there is not a similar employee, then the insurance company should use your full time weekly wage.
What happens if I was not working as much as usual during the 13 weeks before my injury?
I speak with people who have many different reasons that they were not working as much as usual prior to their injuries. Some of these reasons include:
Weather (rain, snow, ice, etc.) prevented them from working
They were sick and could not work
Business was slow, and so they were not working as much
If you did missed a significant amount of work in the 13 weeks before your injury, you should consider arguing that the insurance company should use either a similar employee or your full time wage to calculate your average weekly wage. Otherwise, your workers compensation check amount may be a lot lower than it should have been.
Can I get my check amount changed if I believe the insurance company calculated it incorrectly?
Yes. There are a couple of different ways that you can get your check amount changed. One is for you or your attorney to contact the insurance company and try to get them to agree to change your check amount.
If they will agree, then they should file paperwork correcting the check amount. When they change it, they should also issue you backpay to correct for the incorrect checks that were issued in the past.
If the insurance company will not agree, then you may need to request a hearing in front of a workers compensation judge. At the hearing, you or your attorney can present evidence to prove what the correct check amount should be. A judge can issue an award that determines the correct amount of your workers compensation check.
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
Navigating Georgia’s workers’ compensation system can be a daunting task, leaving you with numerous questions and uncertainties. If you find yourself in this situation, we strongly encourage you to seek clarification and find the answers you need. Perkins Studdard is here to help you through this process and provide the support you deserve.
