Did you incur a back injury in Augusta, Georgia and now you are unable to work? This means your injury was quite serious and recovering from it will take a long time and costly medical treatments and procedures. Your budget is probably already exhausted, and now that you are unable to work due to upper or lower back pain, chances are things will get even worse.
Before you despair, however, you should keep in mind that Georgia laws protect those who incur injuries on the job or due to someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing. If there is even a small chance to prove this is your case, you should consult an attorney with experience in back injuries.
They will assess the circumstances in which your back injury occurred and advise you on how to proceed in order to minimize the negative impact on your personal and professional life and budget. Here are some possible scenarios and the best approach for each of them.
How to Minimize the Negative Consequences of Your Back Injury in Augusta, GA
1. If You Incurred Your Back Injury on the Job, You Can Seek Workers’ Compensation
If your back injury is related to your job, you may be entitled to file a workers’ compensation claim and request damages. The best way to figure out if you qualify for workers’ compensation is to assess whether your case matches any of the scenarios below.
You may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits if you can prove that:
- Your upper or lower back pain is the result of an occupational disease
- You suffered the injury on the job, as a result of a fellow employee’s joke or horseplay
- Your pre-existing back problems aggravated at work
- Your injury is related to your job, and a third-party caused it for no personal reasons.
- You hurt your back while participating in a recreational activity related to your work, during an event your employer organized, paid for, and/or attended
- You injured your back on your way to or from work, and your employer provided the transportation, or the incident occurred in their parking lot
- The injury occurred during an unscheduled break, while you were running errands for your employer, or while carrying tools or equipment
- Your injury occurred during a work-related trip, while you were actually traveling, or attending an event on behalf of your employer
If any of the above circumstances correspond to your case, you should immediately contact an attorney with experience in workers’ compensation cases. Time is of the essence, as you only have 30 days from the date of your back injury or from its discovery to report the incident to your employer. The deadline for filing the workers’ compensation claim is quite short as well, of only one year, according to GA Code § 34-9-82 (2016).
2. Your Back Injury is the Result of Someone Else’s Negligence or Wrongdoing and You Can Hold Them Responsible for It
Perhaps you slipped on a wet floor and fell, were the victim of a car accident, or even the victim of medical malpractice. Whoever is responsible for your lower back pain and inability to work should bear the consequences.
Holding them liable will require solid evidence and take time, so the sooner you contact an Augusta lawyer, the higher your chances of obtaining compensation will be. According to GA Code § 9-3-33 (2016), you have two years to seek compensation for a personal injury, with some exceptions in case of medical malpractice.
How a Back Injury Lawyer in Augusta, GA, Can Help You
The compensation you can obtain and the procedure you need to follow in order to obtain it depends on the circumstances in which your back injury incurred. However, with the help of an experienced attorney, the upper or lower back pain you now experience could bring you financial compensation covering some or all of the following:
- Cost of any medical treatments and procedures necessary for your recovery
- Cost of home care and disability accommodations if necessary
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning capacity
- Physical and emotional pain and suffering
Even if the scenarios discussed above do not apply to your case, you may still be entitled to social security disability benefits. The best solution to find out what your rights are and how to pursue them is to discuss your case with an attorney.
You will find a reputable Augusta personal injury lawyer who understands what you are going through and will do anything in their power to help you at the Augusta, GA, office of Ted A. Greve & Associates. The best part is that you can obtain the legal opinion of an attorney for FREE. Schedule a consultation now, by filling in the online contact form or calling us today.
