Your Duties Under The Georgia Workers’ Compensation Act

We cannot tell people how many times unrepresented, injured workers sabotage their cases by failing to comply with their own obligations under the Georgia Workers’ Compensation Act. At a minimum an employee who sustains an on-the-job injury must do the following:
1. Report any on-the-job injury within 30 days of the date of the injury. Although the law provides that an employee should notify the employer within 30 days, any injury should be reported immediately. If you do not report your injury immediately, you may afford the employer and insurance company a defense that they would not otherwise have.
2. Determine on your own whether the employer has the required panel list of authorized physicians posted.
3. Seek medical treatment from authorized treating physicians only.
As with most other aspects of the law, there are many exceptions to the general rules of the Georgia Workers’ Compensation Act. If a personal does not understand their rights or if they feel that they are being taken advantage of, it is best to consult an attorney for advice early on in the case. The earlier an injured worker gets legal advice, the better the chance there will be a favorable outcome for the worker.