Did you or a loved one suffer a catastrophic injury on the job?

Our Macon, GA attorneys can help you seek workers’ compensation for ALL damages — past, present and future.

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800-688-1651

Location

577 Mulberry St, Suite 600
Macon, GA 31201-8242

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    The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation.

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    Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Westmoreland Patterson Moseley & Hinson, L.L.P. does not represent you, and no attorney-client relationship exists, unless and until a written retainer or engagement agreement has been signed by both you and the Firm.
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    Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established.

    Although catastrophic injuries account for less than 1 percent of all workers’ compensation claims, they result in as much as 20 percent of total workers’ compensation losses.

    The annual cost of medical treatment can exceed $100,000 in many such cases, and extensive care may be required for years — if not decades.

    If you or your loved one suffered a catastrophic work injury, we understand that you’d probably trade any amount of money to make life “normal” again — or at least how it was before the accident.

    While it’s impossible to rewrite history and erase your injury, it is possible for catastrophic injury victims to financially be made whole again in the form of workers’ compensation.

    Construction Injuries

    This is where we can help. At the law firm of Westmoreland, Patterson, Moseley & Hinson, our Georgia attorneys have assisted hundreds of injured workers with their workers’ compensation claims, from appealing straightforward claim denials to navigating the complex waters of catastrophic injury claims.

    We can help you throughout the entire process, starting with securing a catastrophic designation and calculating the full cost (past and future) of your injury. We have the experience, knowledge and commitment to see your claim through to the end and secure the best possible outcome.

    If you or your loved one were seriously injured or disabled at work, call us today at 1-800-688-1651 or contact us online. From our offices in Macon, Albany and Warner Robins, we help clients statewide in Georgia and throughout the Southeast.

    Millions Recovered

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    3.25 MILLION

    Wrongful death of a young woman killed after being struck by a driver of a delivery truck

    550 THOUSAND

    Man struck in the rear by a tractor-trailer truck causing the need for surgery to repair a herniated disk at two levels in his low back

    240 THOUSAND

    Woman who sustained multiple injuries when an ambulance she was riding in was hit by an asphalt
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    What makes an injury “catastrophic”?

    Any on-the-job injury, no matter how severe, can be devastating for the person who is hurt and their family.

    But when is an injury considered “catastrophic” under Georgia’s workers’ compensation laws?

    The term “catastrophic” can be ambiguous and subjective based on each individual’s life and circumstances. One person’s definition of a catastrophic injury might not be the same as another’s. However, this designation has very real consequences on a work injury claim. Insurance companies can reduce your benefits and your employer can ask you to return to work if they believe that you’ve recovered to a certain extent.

    Generally speaking, an injury is considered catastrophic in nature if it permanently prevents a person from working and supporting themselves or their family.

    Catastrophic injuries don’t just impact an individual physically and emotionally, but these types of injuries are also financially devastating because the medical bills are so extensive and the person is often unable to pursue meaningful work. This permanent loss of purpose and fulfillment in being gainfully employed — not to mention the loss of other life enjoyments such as traveling, hobbies, exercise and activities — can be difficult for victims to process.

    While some people who have suffered a catastrophic injury can, with much difficulty and expense, learn new skills for a job that falls within their limited scope of ability, many victims are so physically or mentally impaired that it’s impossible to find any employment. In addition to the physical pain they may experience, catastrophic injury victims often experience depression, anxiety, distress and other mental health conditions as a result of the pain and suffering that is common with permanent and debilitating injuries.

    Types of catastrophic work injuries in Georgia

    Any on-the-job injury, no matter how severe, can be devastating for the person who is hurt and their family.

    But when is an injury considered “catastrophic” under Georgia’s workers’ compensation laws?

    The term “catastrophic” can be ambiguous and subjective based on each individual’s life and circumstances. One person’s definition of a catastrophic injury might not be the same as another’s. However, this designation has very real consequences on a work injury claim. Insurance companies can reduce your benefits and your employer can ask you to return to work if they believe that you’ve recovered to a certain extent.

    The Georgia Workers’ Compensation Act clearly lays out what the state considers to be a catastrophic injury. These 5 conditions are expressly mentioned by the statute as being “catastrophic”:

    • Spinal cord injury
    • Amputation
    • Head and brain injury (TBI)
    • Burns
    • Blindness

    Signs that you have suffered a catastrophic work injury

    If you suffered a severe on-the-job injury to your spine, head or brain, or if you were severely burned, blinded or a body part was amputated, then this is the most obvious indication that your injury is designated as a catastrophic injury under Georgia law. However, even if your injury isn’t clearly defined but you’re unable to work, you may still have a catastrophic claim on your hands.
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    If any of the following statements are true, we advise reaching out to our Georgia workers’ compensation lawyers right away to determine whether you have a catastrophic work injury claim:

    • Your medical bills are extremely high. While there is no set dollar amount that determines if an injury is designated as “catastrophic,” typically catastrophic work injury victims face substantial medical bills that can add up to hundreds of thousands (even millions) of dollars due to the long-term, expensive surgery, treatment and therapy that may be required.
    • You’re unable to return to your former job, or any job at all. If you were permanently injured or disabled as result of a work injury and can no longer do your prior job, then you might be eligible for catastrophic injury benefits.
    • You and your family are having serious financial trouble due to your injury. Any injury that makes it difficult or impossible for you or your family to make ends meet and pay the bills may be catastrophic.

    Catastrophic workers’ compensation benefits, settlements and protections

    • Unfortunately for injured workers, Georgia’s workers’ compensation system is largely set up to favor employers and their insurance companies. However, having your work injury designated as “catastrophic” can greatly impact your workers’ compensation claim and open up additional benefits and protections.
    • For starters, you may be eligible for permanent partial (PPD) or permanent total (PTD) disability benefits, as well as Social Security disability, to compensate you for lost wages. In addition, you may be entitled to past temporary disability benefits that you may not have received immediately following your accident.
    • If your injury is designated as catastrophic, the insurance company may also be prevented from reducing your workers’ compensation benefits just because a doctor said you are able to do some “light duty work” but there are no such jobs available to you.
    • Most workers’ compensation benefits are given for a maximum of 400 weeks; however, in certain catastrophic work injury cases you may continue receiving compensation for medical treatment after this limit. You may also be compensated for seeking professional help to retrain or find a new career or job that you’re able to within your new limitations.
    • Due to these and other factors that arise in catastrophic workers’ compensation cases, it’s fairly common for final settlements to reach hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. While this might sound like a jackpot or winning the lottery, the reality is that this compensation is necessary to financially compensate a victim for a lifetime of medical costs, lost earning potential, emotional trauma and other expenses that come with a catastrophic injury.

    Workers’ compensation resources and links

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    The resources needed to win

    Unlike some personal injury attorneys who settle all of their cases, we are not afraid to go to court if needed. Our firm has the resources needed to thoroughly prepare, try and win complicated cases.

    We are dedicated to doing everything legally and ethically possible to obtain the best results for our injured clients. Hard work and dedication have allowed us to recover millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for people in personal injury and wrongful death claims.

    Did you suffer a catastrophic injury on the job?

    Our Macon work injury lawyers want to help.

    • Catastrophic work injury cases are more complex and confusing than non-catastrophic workers’ compensation claims for many reasons. For starters, the medical expenses are much higher and more extensive for victims of a catastrophic injury. Also, these injuries are long-term and often permanent, which means it may be impossible or extremely difficult for you to return to work and support your family.
    • In addition, the actual value of a catastrophic injury claim can be very difficult to calculate — in part because it’s common for an injury to require further treatment and therapy many years (even decades) after the initial accident happened.
    • In order to determine the true cost of a catastrophic injury, one must not only consider past and present expenses, but also future losses and lost earning potential. Coming up with this figure is very complex and challenging.
    • Lastly, insurance companies and employers frequently contest catastrophic work injury claims since it means that they will have to pay you more benefits for longer. Insurers often employ a team of highly skilled and trained lawyers whose sole job is to fight such catastrophic designations.
    • For these reasons and more, it’s imperative that you contact our experienced workers’ compensation attorneys if you or a loved one recently suffered a catastrophic work injury near Macon, Georgia. The least we can do for you and your family to help cope with this devastating loss is secure your financial future and security.
    • If you need help getting your workers’ compensation benefits, give us a call or contact us online for your free consultation with a knowledgeable and experienced lawyer. From offices in Macon, Albany and Warner Robins, we help injured workers throughout Georgia. Don’t settle for less, get more.
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    Once again, Westmoreland Law has been recognized by its peers as part of an elite group of approximately 10 percent of all attorneys who hold an AV Preeminent Rating. An AV Preeminent Rating is a designation trusted worldwide by buyers and referrers of legal services.