Board Rule 13. Termination of Dependency

(a)  The employer/insurer may terminate dependency benefits on the basis of a meretricious relationship only by order of the Board.

(b)  In all other cases of termination of dependency, Rule 61(b)(3) shall apply.

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Board Rule 226. Procedures for Appointing Guardian for Minor or Incompetent Adult

(a)  A petition for the Board to appoint a temporary guardian to bring or defend an action under this chapter and/or receive and administer workers' compensation benefits for a minor or incompetent adult should be filed with the Board at the time the WC-14 is filed.  In the case of a stipulated settlement, the guardianship petition should be filed prior to or at the time of the filing of the stipulated settlement agreement.

If payment to the minor or incompetent adult is pursuant to a WC-2, the guardianship petition should be filed with the Board and a guardian appointed prior to the payment of any monetary benefits to them.

(b)  Any applicant for guardianship shall consent to a criminal history record check at the time the petition for guardianship is submitted to the Board via a Form WC-226(a) or Form WC-226(b).  In addition, the applicant shall attach supporting documentation necessary to process the request.

(c)  If a petition is filed on behalf of a minor child or children, the petitioner shall inform, in writing, the Board whether the minor child or children reside with the petitioner.

(d)  If a petition is filed with the Probate Court or any other court, the parties are directed to immediately notify, in writing, the Board.  If the Probate Court or any other court appoints a guardian, the parties shall file a copy of the order with the Board.

(e)
(1)  All objections shall be made on Form WC-102D.  When attaching documents as evidence to objections, do not use tabs to separate documents.  Any party or attorney filing a request or objection shall also serve a copy on all counsel and unrepresented parties, along with supporting documents, including a separate certificate of service identifying the names and addresses served.

(2)  When filing a motion for reconsideration, the parties or attorneys shall:
(1)  immediately notify the Board or assigned Administrative Law Judge by telephone call;

(2)  use the ICMS doc-type labeled motion for reconsideration; and

(3)  serve a copy on all counsel and unrepresented parties, along with supporting documents, including a separate certificate of service identifying the names and addresses served.

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Board Rule 265. Payment of No-Dependency Benefits Into the General Fund of the State Treasury

The insurer or self-insurer in no-dependency death cases, shall pay to the State Board of Workers' Compensation the amount set forth in Code Section 34-9-265(b).

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Board Rule 61(b)(3). Form WC-2A. Notice of Payment of Suspension of Death Benefits

Use in death case in lieu of Form WC-2.  Use when change in dependency occurs.  Use this form when making a payment to the State of Georgia for no dependents.

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Board Rule 61(b)(34). Form WC-226(a). Petition for Appointment of Temporary Guardianship of Minor

A party petitioning for the Board to appoint a temporary guardian to receive and administer workers' compensation benefits for a minor may file this form with the WC-14 or when submitting a settlement agreement and shall serve a copy on all counsel and unrepresented parties.

  • Form WC-226(a)/Petition for Appointment of Temporary Guardianship of Minor

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Board Rule 61(b)(35). Form WC-226(b). Petition for Appointment of Temporary Guardianship of Legally Incapacitated Adult

A party petitioning for the Board to appoint a temporary guardian to receive and administer workers' compensation benefits for a legally incapacitated adult may file this form with the WC-14 or when submitting a settlement agreement and shall serve a copy on all counsel and unrepresented parties.

  • Form WC-226(b)/Petition for Appointment of Temporary Guardianship of Legally Incapacitated Adult

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O.C.G.A. § 34-9-225. Effect of written receipt of widow or widower, minor, or guardian upon liability of employer; determination of obligation of employer to rival claimants

(a)  Whenever payment of compensation, in accordance with the terms of this chapter, is made to a widow or widower for her or his use or for her or his use and the use of the child or children, the written receipt thereon of such widow or widower shall release and discharge the employer.

(b)  Whenever payment in accordance with the terms of this chapter is made to any employee 18 years of age or over, the written receipt of such person shall release and discharge the employer. In cases where a person under the age of 18 years shall be entitled to receive a sum or sums amounting in the aggregate to not more than $300.00 as compensation for injuries or as a distributive share by virtue of this chapter, the father or mother as natural guardian or the legally appointed guardian of such person shall be authorized and empowered to receive such moneys for the use and benefit of such person and to receipt therefor; and the release or discharge by such father or mother as natural guardian or by the legally appointed guardian shall be in full and complete discharge of all claims or demands of such person thereunder.

(c)  Whenever payment of over $300.00, in accordance with the terms of this chapter, is provided for a person under 18 years of age or for a person over 18 who is physically or mentally incapable of earning, the payment shall be made to his duly and legally appointed guardian or to some suitable person or corporation appointed as trustee by the superior court as provided in Code Section 34-9-223; and the receipt of such guardian or such trustee shall release and discharge the employer.

(d)  Payment of death benefits by an employer in good faith to a dependent having a claim inferior to that of another or other dependents shall release and discharge the employer unless such dependent or dependents having a superior claim shall have given notice of his or their claim. In case the employer is in doubt as to the respective rights of rival claimants, he may apply to the board to decide between them.

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O.C.G.A. § 34-9-226. Appointment of guardian for minor or incompetent claimant

(a)  Except as provided in this Code section, the only person capable of representing a minor or legally incompetent claimant entitled to workers' compensation benefits shall be a guardian duly appointed and qualified by the probate court of the county of residence of such minor or legally incompetent person or by a court of competent jurisdiction outside the State of Georgia.  Said guardian shall be required to file with the board a copy of the guardianship returns filed annually with the probate court or with a court of competent jurisdiction outside the State of Georgia and give notice to all parties within 30 days of any change in status.

(b)  The board shall have authority in and shall establish procedures for appointing temporary guardians for purposes of administering workers' compensation rights and benefits without such guardian becoming the legally qualified guardian of any other property, without such guardian's actions being approved by a court of record, and without the posting of a bond, in only the following circumstances:

(1)  The board may, in its discretion, authorize and appoint a temporary guardian of a minor or legally incompetent person to receive and administer weekly income benefits on behalf of and for the benefit of said minor or legally incompetent person for a period not to exceed 52 weeks unless renewed or extended by order of the board;

(2) The board may, in its discretion, authorize and appoint a temporary guardian of a minor or legally incompetent person to compromise and terminate any claim and receive any sum paid in settlement for the benefits and use of said minor or legally incompetent person where the net settlement amount approved by the board is less than $50,000.00; and

(3)  If a minor or legally incompetent person does not have a duly appointed representative or guardian, the board may, in its discretion, appoint a guardian ad litem to bring or defend an action under this chapter in the name of and for the benefit of said minor or legally incompetent person to serve for a period not to exceed 52 weeks, unless renewed or extended by order of the board.  However, no guardian ad litem appointed pursuant to this Code section shall be permitted to receive the proceeds from any such action except as provided in this Code section and the board shall have the authority to determine compensation, if any, for any guardian ad litem appointed pursuant to this Code section.

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O.C.G.A. § 34-9-265. Compensation for death resulting from injury and other causes; penalty for death from injury proximately caused by intentional act of employer; payment of death benefits where no dependents found

(a)  When an employee is entitled to compensation under this chapter for an injury received and death ensues from any cause not resulting from the injury for which he or she was entitled to compensation, payments of the unpaid balance for such injury shall cease and all liability therefor shall terminate.

(b)  If death results instantly from an accident arising out of and in the course of employment or if during the period of disability caused by an accident death results proximately therefrom, the compensation under this chapter shall be as follows:

(1)  The employer shall, in addition to any other compensation, pay the reasonable expenses of the employee's burial not to exceed $7,500.00.  If the employee leaves no dependents, this shall be the only compensation;

(2)  The employer shall pay the dependents of the deceased employee, which dependents are wholly dependent on his or her earnings for support at the time of the injury, a weekly compensation equal to the compensation which is provided for in Code Section 34-9-261 for total incapacity;

(3)  If the employee leaves dependents only partially dependent on his or her earnings for their support at the time of the injury, the weekly compensation for these dependents shall be in the same proportion to the compensation for persons wholly dependent as the average amount contributed weekly by the deceased to the partial dependents bears to the deceased employee's average weekly wages at the time of the injury; and

(4)  When weekly payments have been made to an injured employee before his or her death, compensation to dependents shall begin on the date of the last of such payments; but the number of weekly payments made to the injured employee under Code Section 34-9-26134-9-262, or 34-9-263 shall be subtracted from the maximum 400 week period of dependency of a spouse provided by Code Section 34-9-13; and in no case shall payments be made to dependents except during dependency.

(c)  The compensation provided for in this Code section shall be payable only to dependents and only during dependency.

(d)  The total compensation payable under this Code section to a surviving spouse as a sole dependent at the time of death and where there is no other dependent for one year or less after the death of the employee shall in no case exceed $150,000.00.

(e)  If it shall be determined that the death of an employee was the direct result of an injury proximately caused by the intentional act of the employer with specific intent to cause such injury, then there shall be added to the weekly income benefits paid to the dependents, if any, of the deceased employee a penalty of 20 percent; provided, however, such penalty in no case shall exceed $20,000.00.  For the purpose of this subsection, an employer shall be deemed to have intended an injury only if the employer had actual knowledge that the intended act was certain to cause such injury and knowingly disregarded this certainty of injury. Nothing in this subsection shall limit the effect of Code Section 34-9-11.

(f)  Each insurer or self-insurer which, in a compensable death case, finds no dependent or dependents qualifying to receive dependency benefits shall pay to the State Board of Workers' Compensation one-half of the benefits which would have been payable to such dependent or dependents or the sum of $10,000.00, whichever is less.  All such funds paid to the board shall be deposited in the general fund of the state treasury.  If, after such payment has been made, it is determined that a dependent or dependents qualified to receive benefits exist, then the insurer or self-insurer shall be entitled to reimbursement by refund for moneys collected in error.

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O.C.G.A. § 34-9-281. Prerequisites to compensation for occupational disease

(a)  Where the employer and employee are subject to this chapter, the disablement or death of an employee resulting from an occupational disease shall be treated as the occurrence of an injury by accident; and the employee or, in the case of his or her death, the employee's dependents shall be entitled to compensation as provided by this chapter.  The practice and procedure prescribed in this chapter shall apply to all the proceedings under this article except as otherwise provided.

(b)  Except as otherwise provided in this Code section, an employer shall be liable for compensation under this article only where:

(1)  The disease arose out of and in the course of the employment in which the employee was engaged under such employer, was contracted while the employee was so engaged, and has resulted from a hazard characteristic of the employment in excess of the hazards of such disease attending employment in general; and

(2)  The claim for disablement is filed within one year after the date the employee knew or, in the exercise of reasonable diligence, should have known of the disablement and its relationship to the employment; but in no event shall the claim for disablement be filed in excess of seven years after the last injurious exposure to the hazard of such disease in such employment; provided, however, that an employee with asbestosis or mesothelioma related to exposure to asbestos shall have one year from the date of first disablement after diagnosis of such disease to file a claim for disablement.  In cases of death where the cause of action was not barred during the employee's life, the claim must be filed within one year of the date of death.

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O.C.G.A. § 34-9-282. Payment of medical and burial expenses of claimants

Any claimant who shall be entitled to compensation under the terms of this article shall be entitled to burial expenses and medical, hospital, and other treatment in the same amounts and with the same limitations and conditions as provided in Code Sections 34-9-200 and 34-9-265 for injured employees.

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O.C.G.A. § 34-9-289. Exclusive liability of employer for employee's death or disability from occupational disease

Whenever an employer and employee are subject to this chapter, the liability of the employer under this article for the disablement or death of the employee from an occupational disease in any way incurred by such employee in the course of or because of his employment shall be exclusive and in place of any and all other civil liability whatsoever at common law or otherwise to such employee or to his personal representative, next of kin, spouse, parents, guardian, or any others.

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