Workers’ Compensation Georgia

• Is Workers’ Compensation insurance required in Georgia?
• How does Workers’ Comp work?
• How much is Workers’ Comp in Georgia?
• What if you don’t have Workers’ Compensation in Georgia?
• Who is exempt from Georgia Workers’ Compensation insurance?
• How NEXT helps Georgia small business owners

Is Workers’ Compensation insurance required in Georgia?

Workers’ compensation insurance is required by law in Georgia for most businesses with three or more employees.

Workers’ compensation insurance is also a mandatory requirement for some professional licenses and contracts. For example, for a general contractor license in Georgia you must provide proof of insurance for workers’ comp and general liability insurance.

In addition, many clients require a certificate of insurance (COI) for workers’ comp and other coverage before they’ll work with you.

Even if workers’ comp isn’t a requirement, almost every business can benefit from the financial protection of workers’ compensation insurance.

How does Workers’ Comp work?

Workers’ comp can help your business pay for expenses related to work-related injuries for your employees or yourself if you have owner’s coverage with your policy.

Typically, workers’ compensation insurance in Georgia includes coverage up to the policy limit for:

• Emergency treatment and medical expenses
• Lost wages income benefits
• Retraining if you can no longer do your job
• Permanent injury
• Death benefits and survivor benefits

Workers’ compensation does not cover incidents that are not job-related or situations when the injured person violates company policies, commits misconduct or uses drugs or alcohol.

Workers’ Comp income benefits in Georgia

Georgia income benefits under workers’ compensation kick in if an employee cannot work for more than seven days due to work-related illness or injury. 

According to the Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation, the maximum annual amount of benefits depends on one of three worker classifications:

• Temporary disability is when a work-related injury will keep the worker from work for up to 400 weeks. They can receive up to two-thirds of their average weekly wage up to $675 per week.
• Reduced-work disability benefits are provided if an injured employee returns to work with a lower paying job. They can get weekly benefits up to $450 per week, based on earnings.
• Permanent disability benefits kick in if a doctor assesses that a worker will never fully recover from the injury. They then qualify for weekly benefits based on the type and extent of the injury as determined by the American Medical Association.

Workers’ Compensation settlements in Georgia

Once the state board reviews and approves a workers’ comp claim, there are two options for settlements:

• In liability settlements, an insurance company agrees to resolve the claim and there are typically no disputes about the accident and your injury.
• In non-liability settlements, the claim is resolved but there are outstanding questions or a dispute about benefit eligibility.

Settlements in Georgia can either be a lump-sum single payment or a structured settlement paid out monthly or annually for a specific period of time.

Workers’ Comp death benefits in Georgia

If an employee dies after an accident at work, workers’ compensation provides two-thirds of the deceased worker’s average weekly wage to dependents, up to $675 per week and capped at $270,000. 

Dependents are defined as:

• A surviving spouse
• Children
• Dependent step-children

Workers’ comp death benefits in the state also cover burial expenses up to $7,500.

Learn more about workers’ compensation coverage.

How much is Workers’ Comp in Georgia?

Workers’ compensation costs vary across industries. Factors that influence price include:

• The number of employees and the type of work they do
• Your total payroll
• Your insurance claims history
• The locations where you do business

The best way to determine the insurance rate for your business is to get a free instant quote from NEXT.

What if you don’t have Workers’ Compensation in Georgia?

Failing to have workers’ comp insurance when it’s required under Georgia law can result in:

• Liability lawsuits.
• Civil penalties up to $1,000 per violation.
• Criminal penalties of fines up to $10,000 and imprisonment. 

Though your small business may not be required to provide the insurance under Georgia workers’ compensation laws, employees can still file a lawsuit after a workplace injury and ask you to pay for medical expenses and lost wages.

Who is exempt from Georgia Workers’ Compensation insurance?

Sole proprietors are exempt from the Georgia workers’ compensation law. But many self-employed workers still opt for coverage, especially if they’re construction business owners.  

If your business is structured as a corporation, up to five officers can be excluded from a workers’ comp policy, but they won’t be eligible to receive benefits after an injury. 

You should be aware that if you’re the CEO you can exempt yourself from coverage. However, you would still count as an employee for the state requirement to carry workers’ comp for three or more workers at your business.

How NEXT helps Georgia small business owners

NEXT offers an easy way to get a free workers’ compensation insurance quote, purchase coverage and instantly share a certificate of insurance in about 10 minutes.

NEXT strives to resolve every claim quickly. Learn more about our claims process and how our claims advocates will work with you after an employee injury.

Get Instant Quote

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