One of the hardest parts about the workers' compensation process is the process of returning to work after your injury and when and how that should happen. Your employer may offer you an opportunity to return to light duty work, but after you return, you find out that the work is really full duty or that the "light duty" is just your regular job, with the supervisor telling you to "take it easy". This is not true light duty, it is not fair to you, and it could jeopardize your recovery. This situation must be handled carefully, to preserve your right to income benefits, and protect yourself from further injury.
Under the law in Georgia, you must make a "reasonable effort" at light duty work which is offered, but you are not required to do work which is beyond your capabilities because of your injury. Law Office of Pam Waldorf, we will make sure you don't go back to work until you are ready.
Hard Work Deserves Compensation
Contact Pam Waldorf Today for a Free Initial Consultation
As a small firm, we are dedicated to working with our clients throughout the workers' compensation process. You will be in direct contact with your lawyer the entire time, even after you get back to work. We will advise you throughout the process and make sure you don't take on any responsibilities greater than what you can handle. When the time comes and you have recovered from your injury sufficiently, we will help you make the transition back to work as smoothly as possible.
Light Duty Work
Suitable light duty work is work which matches the restrictions which your doctor has put on your abilities due to your injury. Many employers offer injured workers the chance to return to light duty work. If the light duty job truly matches your abilities within the restrictions, then this can be helpful to the worker, and enable him or her to return to work and earn their regular pay while getting medical treatment.
On the other hand, if you have been given the chance to return to light duty work, only to find that you are being given a full workload, take caution. This often leads to additional injuries and can create additional difficulties between you and your employer. When the light duty work is a modified version of the regular duty, it can put the worker in the difficult position of not being able to really fulfill those job duties, leading to resentment from supervisors or even co-workers, and risking further injury. We will help you understand your employer's obligations concerning light duty work. If there are no suitable light duty positions available, than you do not have to return to work until you are fully recovered.
However, these situations are tricky, because no matter what the light duty offer is, you, the worker, must be able to demonstrate that you made a reasonable effort and tried working for at least one day or even part of one day. This is critical to maintaining your entitlement to weekly income benefit checks, even if the "light duty" job seems obviously unsuitable. By making a reasonable effort to return to work, you are then still eligible to receive workers' compensation benefits if unable to continue in that "light duty" work. Disputes over continued disbursement may require a hearing, but we will be there to protect your rights.
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Recovering from an injury is never easy. You want to get back to your old life, but when your health is at stake, you do not want to make any mistakes or rush your recovery. At the Buford Law Office of Pam Waldorf, we will help you get the workers' compensation benefits you deserve and find the right time to return to your job. Contact us today for a free initial consultation.
