Georgia Workers' Compensation Evaluation Tools

The purpose of this page is to provide Georgia injured workers and attorneys with one place to access information useful in determining the settlement value or range of values of a Georgia workers’ compensation case. The value of a workers’ compensation case can and will change over time.

​Furthermore, the value of any particular case is fact specific and case specific. In other words, the same injury may have a different value depending upon the facts. For example, a brick layer with a two level low back fusion who only knows how to be a brick layer, and is on an expensive drug regiment, whose employer cannot accommodate his restrictions, may have a case worth $160,000 or more. However, a librarian with a master’s degree with that same injury, whose employer is willing to accommodate her sedentary restrictions, may have a case worth $50,000.

The settlement value is a function of how much exposure is anticipated for the three elements of cost in a workers’ comp case: (1) lost time benefits which includes TTD and TPD, (2) medical benefits and (3) permanent partial disability benefits. I have provided a number of tools below to assist with making these calculations.

CDC LIFE TABLE 1 FOR THE TOTAL POPULATION: UNITED STATES 2007

This life table is the one that is recognized by CMS which is the organization which approves Medicare Set Aside Agreements or MSAs. MSAs are often required in cases where workers are very seriously injured or are on Medicare. Since this is the life table recognized by CMS, it is appropriate to use this same table for estimating catastrophic exposure. – CDC Life Table 1.pdf [Adobe PDF download]

GEORGIA STATE BOARD OF WORKERS’ COMP WEBSITE

This is the official website of the Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation. This website has a lot of useful information for both injured workers and attorneys such as Georgia statutes, the Rules of the State Board of Workers’ Compensation, The Employee Handbook, and The State Board Procedure Manual. – http://sbwc.georgia.gov/

GEORGIA STATE BOARD OF WORKERS’ COMPENSATION RULES & REGULATIONS 2011

This is a copy of the State Board Rules in PDF form for easy access. – State Board Rules [Adobe PDF download]

CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES (CMS) HOME PAGE

CMS is the organization that approves MSAs in serious workers’ comp case. – http://www.cms.gov/

CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES (CMS) POLICY MEMOS

This website gives access to CMS’s policy memos. These memos are the method used by CMS to speak to the public including attorneys regarding how CMS interprets statutes and regulations relating to MSAs. – http://www.cms.gov/

MEDICAL COST ESTIMATOR

This website provides a way of estimating medical cost when other methods are not available. It should be noted that workers’ comp carriers pay for all medical treatment at a discounted rate as set forth in the workers’ comp fee schedule. – Health Care Blue Book

PRESCRIPTION COST ESTIMATOR

This website is useful for identifier drugs, what the specific drug is used for, contraindications and so forth. – http://www.RxList.com/

BOND RATES FOR DISCOUNT RATE COMPARISON

This website is useful for comparing long term bond rates against the discount rates used to establish present value of future cash flows for the purpose of evaluating a Georgia workers’ comp settlement. – US Bond Rates: Yahoo Finance