Atlanta Workers' Compensation Lawyer

Advocating for Your Rights as an Injured Employee

If you were injured or fell ill due to a work-related incident, you may qualify for workers' compensation benefits to pay for your hospital bills and lost wages while you are out of work. Many organizations have a workers' compensation plan in place for their employees — it is required by law in the state of Georgia. Receiving benefits often requires the approval of your employer and their insurance company.

Initial negotiations for workers' compensation entail discussing your needs with your employer and enlisting the help of a Atlanta workers' compensation lawyer to make sure those needs are heard. Ideally, a workers' compensation settlement will cover your bills, missed wages, legal fees, future medical costs, and the amount of lost Social Security disability benefits, if you receive them. 

Unfortunately, employers and their insurance companies are not always willing to compensate injured employees accordingly, in which case, legal action must be taken. Workers' compensation cases can be taken to trial, in which case, a judge will make the final decision on the amount you will be paid.

How Will a Workers' Compensation Settlement Affect My Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits?

Receiving Social Security disability insurance benefits further complicates the collection of workers' compensation. Filing a claim for workers' compensation will often reduce the amount of disability benefits you are able to receive.

To put it simply, you cannot get your full Social Security benefits if you are also earning workers' compensation.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) defines an "applicable limit" for how much an employee can receive via benefits, which is often a percentage of the wages you were earning pre-injury. When calculating the applicable limit, the SSA will consider your income before you started receiving benefits, as well as your family's earnings. If the addition of workers' compensation exceeds that limit, the SSA will offset your benefits by reducing your disability insurance payout.

It is possible, with the help of an Atlanta workers' comp attorney, to advocate for a workers' compensation payment that will cover some of the loss of your Social Security disability payments. Again, this point can arise during initial negotiations or can be fought in a trial setting against your employer and their insurance company, or the SSA.

Fighting for the Compensation You Deserve

Workers' compensation should be a support system that covers expenses while you are not able to work, so you can focus on recovery. Sadly, the workers' compensation claim offered by your employer's insurance company is not always sufficient, and being the recipient of Social Security disability insurance benefits can subject you to further financial stress.

With the assistance of Stevens & Sullivan, LLC, you don't need to stress. Our Atlanta workers' compensation lawyers represent the needs of injured Veterans and are dedicated to ensuring you receive enough financial resources to help you through this difficult time. We are prepared to provide support during negotiations and appeal your case if necessary.