Georgia caps workers compensation TTD at a flat $800 per week and limits total benefits to 400 weeks from the injury date. The employer controls the physician panel, and the catastrophic injury designation is the key to removing benefit caps. This calculator uses the verified O.C.G.A. Title 34 schedule to estimate your TTD and PPD benefits.
Operated by Mustafa Bilgic, non-attorney individual. The $800/week cap and schedule weeks are from O.C.G.A. 34-9-261 and 34-9-263. Verify at sbwc.georgia.gov.
| Item | Georgia rule | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| TTD rate | 2/3 of AWW | O.C.G.A. 34-9-261 |
| Max TTD | $800/week (statutory cap) | O.C.G.A. 34-9-261 |
| Min TTD | $50/week | O.C.G.A. 34-9-261 |
| Total benefit limit | 400 weeks from injury date | O.C.G.A. 34-9-261 |
| Waiting period | 7 calendar days | O.C.G.A. 34-9-220 |
| PPD: Arm | 225 weeks | O.C.G.A. 34-9-263 |
| PPD: Leg | 225 weeks | O.C.G.A. 34-9-263 |
| PPD: Hand | 160 weeks | O.C.G.A. 34-9-263 |
| PPD: Foot | 135 weeks | O.C.G.A. 34-9-263 |
| PPD: Eye | 150 weeks | O.C.G.A. 34-9-263 |
| PPD: Hearing (both) | 150 weeks | O.C.G.A. 34-9-263 |
| PPD: Body as whole | 300 weeks | O.C.G.A. 34-9-263 |
| Statute of limitations | 1 year from injury (extensions apply) | O.C.G.A. 34-9-82 |
| Doctor choice | From employer's posted panel of 6+ physicians | O.C.G.A. 34-9-201 |
| Settlement | Stipulated settlement with SBWC approval | O.C.G.A. 34-9-15 |
Georgia's flat $800/week TTD cap has remained at this level since 2016, making it one of the lower caps among large-population states. A worker earning $2,000 per week receives only $800 in TTD — not the $1,333 that the two-thirds formula would produce. This means higher-earning workers in Georgia face a proportionally greater income reduction than in states like Illinois or California, where the cap tracks the statewide average wage.
The $800 cap also applies to PPD schedule benefits, since schedule loss payments in Georgia are calculated at two-thirds of AWW subject to the same maximum. Combined with the 400-week overall limit, Georgia's system creates significant pressure to pursue catastrophic injury designation or negotiate a lump-sum settlement that accounts for the benefit shortfall.
Georgia's 400-week limit runs from the date of injury, not the date benefits begin. TTD weeks and PPD weeks both count against this 400-week total. The only exception is for injuries classified as catastrophic under O.C.G.A. 34-9-200.1. Catastrophic injuries include spinal cord paralysis, amputation, total blindness, severe brain injury, severe burns, and any injury preventing the worker from performing any work available in substantial numbers.
Catastrophic designation removes the 400-week cap and entitles the worker to benefits until a change in condition. Disputes over catastrophic status are among the most aggressively litigated issues in Georgia workers comp because the difference between capped and uncapped benefits can be hundreds of thousands of dollars.
$800/wk cap, O.C.G.A. schedule. Educational only.
Georgia's 1-year filing deadline under O.C.G.A. 34-9-82 is the shortest among the ten largest-population states. Compare California (1 year), New York (2 years), Florida (2 years), and Illinois (3 years). The tight deadline means Georgia workers must act quickly. If the employer voluntarily provides treatment or weekly benefits, the deadline extends to 1 year after the last remedial treatment or 2 years after the last weekly payment, whichever is later. But if benefits are disputed and no payments are made, the 1-year clock runs from the injury date without extension.
Georgia gives the employer substantial control over medical treatment through the posted panel requirement under O.C.G.A. 34-9-201. The employer must post a panel of at least 6 physicians in a conspicuous location at the workplace. The injured worker selects a treating physician from that panel and may make one change within the panel without prior authorization. Treatment outside the panel without approval may not be compensable, and the insurer may refuse to pay for unauthorized outside care.
This panel system is one of the most employer-controlled in the country. If the employer fails to post a valid panel, the worker gains the right to treat with any physician. Disputes over panel validity, whether the panel was posted properly, and whether the worker received adequate notice are common litigation points in Georgia claims.
All workers compensation settlements in Georgia must be approved by the State Board of Workers' Compensation. The Board reviews whether the agreement is fair and whether the claimant understands the consequences. Stipulated settlements can take two forms: a full and final agreement that closes all benefits (both indemnity and medical), or a partial agreement that settles indemnity while leaving medical benefits open. The choice between full closure and medical-open settlements depends on the worker's ongoing treatment needs and the amount the insurer is willing to pay to achieve complete finality. Workers with conditions requiring ongoing surgery, medication, or therapy should carefully evaluate whether a full-closure settlement adequately covers future medical costs.
Georgia caps TTD at $800 per week under O.C.G.A. 34-9-261. The minimum is $50 per week (or full AWW if less than $50). The benefit equals two-thirds of the average weekly wage, subject to the $800 cap.
Under O.C.G.A. 34-9-261, TTD and PPD benefits cannot exceed 400 weeks from the date of injury. The only exception is for catastrophic injuries as defined in O.C.G.A. 34-9-200.1, which receive benefits until a change in condition.
The employer must post a panel of at least 6 physicians under O.C.G.A. 34-9-201. The injured worker selects a treating physician from that panel. The worker may make one change within the panel without permission. Treatment outside the panel without authorization may not be covered.
Under O.C.G.A. 34-9-200.1, catastrophic injuries include spinal cord injuries with paralysis, amputation of an arm, hand, foot, or leg, total or industrial blindness, severe brain or head injuries with incapacity, severe burns, and any injury preventing the worker from performing any work. Catastrophic designation removes the 400-week cap.
Under O.C.G.A. 34-9-82, a claim must be filed within 1 year of the injury. If the employer provides ongoing treatment or benefits, the deadline extends to 1 year after last remedial treatment or 2 years after the last weekly benefit payment, whichever is later.
Georgia has a 7-calendar-day waiting period under O.C.G.A. 34-9-220. No indemnity compensation is paid for the first 7 calendar days including the day of injury. Georgia does not have a statutory retroactive provision for short disabilities.
Georgia allows stipulated settlements approved by the State Board of Workers Compensation. These can be full and final (closing all benefits) or structured. The Board reviews the settlement to ensure adequacy and must approve it before it becomes binding.
No. Operated by Mustafa Bilgic, non-attorney individual operator. Educational research only. Consult a licensed Georgia workers compensation attorney.