Our firm’s blog and web site makes frequent reference to the Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation. The State Board functions as the court system for workers’ compensation claims in Georgia. The Board is a creation of the state legislature and it uses different forms that what you might see in a Georgia State or Superior Court.
I hope that this blog, along with the Ginsberg Law workers’ compensation web site, will be helpful resources for you as you educate yourself about Georgia workers’ comp. law. Another very useful site is the web site published by the State Board itself. While some of the material on the State Board’s site is geared towards lawyers, insurance companies and employers, there is a great deal of useful information there for injured workers. For example the State Board web site has a very helpful FAQ section written for the benefit of injured workers. Another section is written for employers – as injured worker, however, you can learn from this as well. Another area of the State Board web site that you may want to review is the section that includes the various official forms that employers, insurers and claimant’s lawyers must use.
One of the main themes of the State Board site relates to how workers’ compensation is different than personal injury law. If you understand, for example, that pain and suffering are not part of a workers’ compensation claim, or that an insurance company does not have to settle, you can make better choices in your own case. If you are an injured worker, you obviously have concerns that transcend the organizational structure of the State Board of Workers’ Compensation. However, you may find that an understanding of how the Board works can help you maximize your recovery should you have an injury claim.
maria says
Can a physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner treat a work comp patient?
jginsberg says
Many doctors use PA’s or nurse practitioners to assist them – the scope of the work done by the non-physician is governed by state law. However, if you are not happy with the quality of care from an authorized treating physician, you could certainly use the absence of the doctor himself from your care as grounds to ask for a change of doctors.