Common Types of Workers’ Compensation Claims

Unfortunately, there are many ways to be injured at work. Industrial accidents can cause minor injuries, as well as devastating traumas. Workplace exposure to environmental hazards (like chemicals and toxins) can lead to a debilitating occupational disease over time. A slip on a wet surface or a fall from a hallway or loading dock can result in painful sprains, internal injuries, and broken bones. Even the act of performing the same task over and over can cause a repetitive stress injury.

Virtually all types of work-related physical injury and industrial illness are covered by workers’ compensation.

Commonly covered conditions include repetitive-stress injuries like carpal-tunnel syndrome, back injuries, traumatic injuries, wounds, or bodily reactions to substances and workplace conditions. These injuries include both sudden traumatic injuries and repetitive stress injuries or cumulative trauma injury, i.e. an injury caused by detrimental and repetitious work over time.

A third type of covered injury is occupational disease. Pre-existing conditions are generally not covered unless aggravated at work. However, your employer may be required to pay for an at-work aggravation of your pre-existing conditions (but only to the point where you have returned to the pre-aggravation condition).

Also, if you are killed in an accident, or if your work injury or occupational disease causes your death, the employer/insurer will have to pay certain benefits depending on whether you have dependents.

Georgia workers’ compensation covers both catastrophic and non-catastrophic injuries. Catastrophic injuries generally involve but are not limited to the following: amputations, paralysis, head injuries, burns, and blindness. Catastrophic injuries are of a nature and severity that prevents an employee from being able to perform his or her prior work. All other injuries are categorized as non-catastrophic.