Monthly Archives:' August 2013
Georgia Uses Technology to Catch Workers’ Comp Violators
The state of Georgia requires most employers with three or more full time, part time or seasonal employees to have workers’ compensation insurance. Georgia is making it easier for its citizens and workers to check an employer’s workers’ compensation coverage and catch workers’ comp violators. You can visit the Georgia State Board of Workers Compensation website and verify employers workers’ compensation coverage online. They can also be reached at 1-(800) 743-5436. If you check the record of a business you believe is required to have Workers’ Compensation insurance and are unable to locate record of proof you are encouraged to contact the Enforcement Division Monday – Friday from 8:00 -4:30 at the phone number listed above. You may also follow the instructions on their website and report a violation online. Any business found in non-compliance with required coverage requirements faces civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation and a year in prison.
With the help of technology, the State Board of Workers’ Compensation Georgia is cracking down on companies that fall short on obligations to their workers. According to the Newman Times-Herald, Georgia has already ousted 538 businesses that did not have a policy, resulting in $480,000 worth of fines and $1.2 million in premiums to cover the 2,700 previously uncovered employees.
The state used to rely on complaints and random inspections that required employers to show proof of coverage. Restaurants, stores and small construction-trades companies are the most frequent violators. Now, with the help of the national database, inspectors can instantly check to see if a business is paying premiums for coverage. They can check out a dozen businesses in the time it would take for a physical inspection. At the end of the year, inspectors check former violators in the database to ensure they are still in compliance with the laws and are still providing coverage.
Slip and Fall Accidents Atlanta Workers' Comp
People can slip and fall in a wide variety of public and private locations. Many slip and fall accidents could be avoided if proper safety measures are taken to maintain safe environments. Each year, roughly one million people in the United States end up in the emergency room after slip and fall accidents. These types of accidents are most likely to occur when a building is not maintained in a safe and effective way. Some of the most common causes or reasons for slip-and-fall accidents include; broken railings, wet or slippery floors, icy roads or sidewalks, uneven pavement or surfaces, cracks or holes in the floor or ground, exposed cables and insufficient lighting.
When a slip and fall accident occurs, the cost of medical bills and other damages can be very high. The burden is on the injured victim to prove that the person responsible for the premises should be held liable for the injury. Under Georgia law, property owners and occupiers have an obligation to their visitors or patrons to do their best to ensure that the property is reasonably safe. The laws state that the property owner’s obligation to you is dictated by the reason you were on the property. For example, if you are trespassing , you do not have a lot of rights. Customers at a store are considered “invitees” because they were invited to visit the store to benefit the owner. Store owners have the highest obligation to ensure safety.acc
In order to win a slip-and-fall case you will be required to establish what your status on the premises was. Further, you will need to prove that the property owner was more careless than they should have been. You must be able to show that you did not knowingly enter an obviously dangerous situation. In some cases you may have to argue your case in court. The help of an attorney can be very beneficial in helping find expert witnesses and gather evidence to help prove your case.
Mental Injuries and Atlanta Workers’ Comp
Most on the job injuries are physical, but sometimes psychological or psychiatric injuries also occur. Although mental injuries almost always impossible to see, they are just as real as physical injuries. Workers’ compensation insurance requires that a worker must sustain an injury that occurs in and arises out of the course of employment. Some mental injuries can be difficult to prove. For example a heart attack caused by work-related stress may not happen until after working in a stressful environment for a long period of time. Also, unlike claims for physical injuries, it may not be related to one particular incident.
Workers’ compensation separates mental disability cases into three categories: physical-mental, mental-physical, and mental-mental. A physical-mental claim involves a physical workplace injury that has progressed to a mental condition or disability. For example, a worker suffers an injury that lingers, showing no signs of improvement for months; it could cause discouragement which could lapse into severe clinical depression. A mental-physical claim involves a psychological condition arising out of the worker’s employment that has caused a physical illness. An example of this type of injury would be ulcers that are induced by stress in the workplace. A mental-mental claim involves a psychological occurrence in the course of employment, which leads to a psychological injury. These cases are also referred to as “pure stress” claims and are usually the least 
recognized or compensated. One example of this could be witnessing a horrific accident at work involving the injury of a co-worker. This could lead a worker to develop a fear of operating the equipment on which their co-worker was injured. Currently, the state of Georgia does not allow workers’ compensation benefits for this type of psychological injury.
Mental injuries, just like physical ones, can be debilitating and require treatment by healthcare professionals and time for healing. If you are suffering from a psychological or psychiatric injury you believe to be work-related, a knowledgeable lawyer can advise you and assist you in receiving workers’ compensation benefits.
Atlanta Burn Work Injuries in the Workplace
Thousands of burn injuries occur each year in Atlanta from hazards in the workplace. They cause serious, often long-lasting effects. A burn causes painful tissue damage and sometimes scarring or disfigurement. About 5% of workplace burns lead to death.
Burns are classified in categories according to their severity; first-degree, second-degree and third-degree. They are also sometimes called superficial, partial thickness, and full thickness burns, respectively. When the burn involves injury to deeper tissues such as muscle or bone they are referred to as fourth-degree burns.
First-degree or superficial burns involve only the epidermis or outer layer of skin. They are painful but rarely produce long-term tissue damage. Second-degree or partial thickness burns affect the dense bottom portion of the epidermis called the dermis. They result in blistering and sometimes scarring. Third-degree or full thickness burns destroy the epidermis and cause damage all the way down to the hypodermis. The burn site will appear white or charred. Surgeries and skin grafts are likely in these cases.
Burn injuries are caused by either heat, electricity, chemicals, friction or radiation. Most frequently the causes of workplace burns are heat, electricity and chemicals. Heat burns are caused by flames, hot surfaces, scalding liquids or steam. Electrical burns occur as a result of electricity passing through the body. Most often tissues deeper underneath the skin are damaged but cannot be seen which causes electrical burns to be difficult to accurately diagnose. Chemical burns occur when living tissue is exposed to a corrosive product. Chemical burns need no source of heat and can be extremely painful.
Employers are required to provide a safe working environment. If you suffer a burn injury while at work you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. If you want to know if your injury is covered under Workers’ Compensation insurance it is a good idea to contact an attorney who can answer your questions about how to proceed.
Sunne Law - Injury Lawyers in Atlanta
Being injured is not only traumatic but it can affect the rest of your life, mentally, physically and financially. The insurance companies are big businesses whose sole purpose is to make huge profits by collecting premiums from their policyholder’s and trying not to pay much money out on claims. They will therefore, attempt to avoid paying any form of compensation by denying your claim. For many people this has created significant and lasting problems in their lives. Don’t let it happen to you!
Sunne Law, has experienced and established litigators who have handled a wide and varied range of personal injury claims. Sunne Law’s lawyers have represented clients who have suffered various injuries caused by negligence in an auto accident or involving:
- Personal accident
- Trucks and semi-trailers
- Boating accidents
- RV associated accidents
- Motorcycles and others
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
The injury lawyers at Sunne Law have built a reputation for fighting tooth and nail for clients for the compensation they deserve through accidents and resulting injuries that were not their fault and were sustained through the negligence of other parties or events!
Through years of experience and dedication, Sunne Law has a powerful and effective presence in a court of law, confident advocates with the stature and presence that demands attention by the insurance company to their client’s case, particularly in any mediation situations. Sunne Law’s proven results as a winner and recognized care for clients and concern for their circumstances exert a balance that has a positive influence for clients personally and in court.
Specializing in the litigation aspects concerning insurance companies; if you have sustained injury and have been denied compensation in any form, or medical care, Sunne Law is there to help you!
The founder and senior partner of Sunne Law, the foremost worker’s compensation attorneys in Atlanta, is Celia Sunne (pronounced “sunny”). This name reflects her attitude towards her clients and the positive manner with which she conducts herself. Her legal team members are instilled with the same type of client empathy and motivation towards getting the best possible results for their clients.
Celia Sunne is a lawyer, born and bred. Originating from a family of lawyers, it was a natural process for her to follow that path. For more than twenty-four years, Celia has represented the rights of injured workers. It is an inherent instinct for her to want to support the rights of her clients against the might of the insurance industry. She has achieved recognition as not only an excellent and tough lawyer but also, one who is a compassionate counsellor.
As a victim of personal injury or a work injury you need the best possible legal representation and that legal representation should not only be a tough and experienced lawyer but also someone who is representing you as a person and has the empathy to understand the moral support that you will need during this difficult time. If you want individual attention, if you want to actually talk to your lawyer, if you want the best possible outcome for your case physically, mentally and monetarily then call Sunne Law. Hire a lawyer that will listen, fight and care!