Employers Who Are Required to Carry Workers’ Compensation Coverage

Employers who have three or more full-time and/or part-time regular employees are required to carry workers’ compensation, which is available to you the day you begin work.

How Do I Verify That My Employer Is Covered?

You may verify that your employer is covered by calling the State Board of Workers’ Compensation at (404) 656.3692, or going to State Board of Workers’ Compensation website, where you will see a topic “Verify Workers’ Compensation Coverage.” From there you will click on the link titled “Click here to conduct an Employer Insurance Coverage Search,” which will bring you to a third-party website. From there you can search for your employer to verify coverage.

Are There Any Exceptions?

Georgia law states that railroad carriers, U.S. Government agencies, farm laborers and domestic servants are excluded from the coverage requirements.

My Employer Is Required Under the Law to Carry Coverage, but Does Not, What Do I Do?

If your employer is required to carry workers’ compensation coverage, but you suspect that he or she does not, you should report it to the State Board of Workers’ Compensation. The Board has a department called the Enforcement Division. It is the responsibility of the Enforcement Division is to investigate these types of claims. The Enforcement Division’s responsibilities include maintaining, monitoring, and enforcing the requirements which govern employers’ responsibilities for obtaining and sustaining workers’ compensation coverage. The Enforcement Division also keeps an historical record of workers’ compensation insurance coverage, which is used to confirm which insurance entity is responsible should you be injured at work. You may contact the Enforcement Division at (404) 657-7285 or toll free at (800) 743-5436. If the business is found to be non-compliant, your employer may be subject to a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per violation and up to one year in prison.

My Employer Is Self-insured, What Does That Mean for Me?

If your employer is self-insured, it means that they have completed an application for self-insurance, submitted it to the State Workers’ Compensation Board, and their application has been approved. Your employer will have been approved as a member of the Georgia Self-Insurers Guaranty Trust Fund and will have been certified by the State Board of Workers’ Compensation.  What this means is that your employer has assumed the financial risk for providing workers’ compensation benefits to you. In other words, your employer essentially pays “out of pocket” for each claim, rather than paying a fixed premium.  our employer holds a certain amount of money in the Georgia Self-Insurers Guaranty Trust Fund, and uses those funds to pay each claim. If your employer is not self-insured, then the insurance company they pay a fixed premium to pays out your claim.

Contact 1Georgia Injury Lawyers, PLLC

If you are considering bringing a workers’ compensation claim in Georgia, and have questions about your employer’s workers’ compensation coverage, there are many factors you must consider. Understanding your options is essential. For help, turn to an experienced workers’ compensation attorney, like the lawyers at 1Georgia Injury Lawyers, PLLC.