Did You Get Hurt on the Job in a Georgia Home Depot Store? Discover the Workers’ Compensation Benefits You Can Get.
In Georgia, the law protects employees who have suffered job-related injuries through workers’ compensation benefits. So, if you ever get hurt on the job while working at Home Depot, discuss your rights with an attorney to explore your best options under Georgia labor laws.
What Should You Do if You Get Hurt on the Job at Home Depot?
If you ever get hurt on the job while working at Home Depot, here is what you should do:
- Seek immediate medical help
- Report your injury to your supervisor or manager
- Contact an expert workers’ compensation attorney in Georgia.
Seek Medical Help
The first thing to do after a workplace injury is to seek medical help immediately. But your first call should not be to your personal or family doctor. Instead, you should first visit the workers’ comp physician panel on the work premises.
If your injuries are severe, you should visit the nearest emergency room or call 911 before reporting to the workers’ comp physicians. If there’s no workers’ comp physician on the premises, your doctor can treat you at your employer’s expense.
Report Your Injury to Your Manager
After getting the medical attention you need, you should report your injury to your manager or supervisor within 30 days of the incident. If you cannot report your injury immediately, you can get a trusted coworker to report it for you.
Contact an Expert Workers’ Compensation Attorney
After an injury, it is important to protect your rights. But navigating a worker’s compensation claim alone can be complex and frustrating. So, you need an experienced Georgia workers’ compensation lawyer to help you. And this is where we come in.
At Gearhart Law Group, we have more than 20 years of experience doing one thing: litigating workers’ compensation claims. With our skills, experience, and passion, we are all the representation you need!
Call for a Free Consultation and Get the Legal Advice You Need to Protect Your Rights and Secure Your Future.
What Benefits Do Injured Home Depot Employees Have in Georgia?
If you’ve been injured while working at Home Depot, you may wonder what workers’ compensation benefits you have.
Since Georgia uses a “no-fault” workers’ comp system, you don’t have to prove that Home Depot (or any Home Depot employee) is liable for the injuries you sustained to get compensation benefits. The benefits you get in case of an injury include the following:
- Lost wages: Georgia law requires employers to provide employees with temporary total disability (TTD) or temporary partial disability (TPD) benefits.
- Medical bills and rehabilitation expenses: Your employer must provide you with medical care and rehabilitation services while you recover from your injury. This includes physical therapy and counseling sessions related to managing post-injury pain.
- Funeral and burial costs (in fatal work accidents): Employers have to cover funeral and burial costs for employees who lost their lives in an on-the-job accident.
Keep in mind that compensation claims are subject to time limits. If you were injured while working for Home Depot, you have 30 days to report the accident to your supervisor. Also, you will lose your right to compensation unless you file the claim within one year of the date of injury.
Common Injuries and Hazards at Home Depot
You may be exposed to occupational hazards while performing your routine duties at Home Depot. For example, a freight associate may fall off a ladder, and lot associates can slip and fall on slippery or uneven surfaces.
If you’ve experienced any of these injuries while working at Home Depot, you are entitled to workers’ comp benefits:
- Bursitis
- Concussions
- Cuts to the hands or extremities
- Trauma from accidents caused by a coworker
- Injuries caused by items falling off the shelves
- Back injuries such as slipped discs or pinched nerves
- Slip and falls due to wet floors in the store or parking lot
- Catastrophic fall from ladders or high racks while restocking or retrieving items
- Repetitive motion injuries, such as muscle strains from repeated hauling and lifting
- Vehicle accidents, including car and truck accidents (even if the accident was your fault, but excluding accidents under the influence of drugs or alcohol)
Do You Need an Attorney to Get Workers’ Comp Benefits?
If you work for Home Depot or any other big-box store in Georgia, you should understand and claim your rights if you’re injured on the job. But do you need a workers’ compensation attorney to help you?
Yes, you need an experienced workers’ compensation attorney because, in many cases, an injury can make it impossible for you to represent yourself adequately and get the best result for your case.
You will also need an attorney because the process involved in workers’ compensation claims is complex. For example, just because your employer is required to provide workers’ compensation benefits does not mean they will automatically provide you with those benefits.
Also, large companies, like Home Depot, are known to deny or lowball work injury claims to protect their profits at the expense of their hardworking employees. So, to get benefits that cover the damages, you will need a qualified workers’ compensation defense attorney.
Common scenarios injured workers run into with their employers include:
- The insurance company attempts to limit the benefits owed to you.
- The employer looks for reasons to deny or ignore your claim.
- You’re feeling pressured to return to work too soon after your injury.
- Your employer attempts to fire you.
- You are unable to perform your job as a result of your injury.
- You have a pre-existing condition that the insurance company is attempting to use as a reason not to pay you the benefits owed.
So, you need expert legal representation to help navigate complex workers’ compensation policies and ultimately do what’s best for you and your family. And this is where Gearhart Law Group comes in.
At Gearhart Law Group, we help you review your case and explore your best options to get the most out of your compensation claim. For example, we would advise you whether or not to return to your employer after injury.
No one knows Georgia workers’ compensation laws better than Beth Gearhart. So, if you ever need an expert attorney in Georgia following an on-the-job injury, she’s your best bet!
