The short answer is, yes. Georgia law requires you to give notice to your supervisor within 30 days of your accident. O.C.G.A. § 34-9-80 . Technically, you could wait 29 days to give notice, but you should report right away. If you wait, you’re inviting skepticism that you were really hurt. Everyone from the insurer to the judge will question why you waited to give notice.
As an Atlanta workers’ compensation lawyer, I know there are many legitimate reasons people want to wait to tell their employer. The most often reason I hear is that the worker thought he/she would get better with a weekend of rest, but things only got worse. This reason is the most explainable. However, you still invite your employer to argue that you were hurt over the weekend. It’s always better to just report it right away.
Another reason for delay I hear is that some clients just don’t want to deal with workers’ compensation doctors. However, eventually, your medical insurance company will find out you were hurt on the job and refuse to cover your bills. Then, the workers’ compensation insurance company won’t be responsible because you hadn’t reported the injury yet. You’ll get stuck with a massive bill.
If you already had an accident and did not report it, we can overcome your delay. However, do not wait any longer. Report your injury now. Even if you are over thirty days, there are some exceptions to the thirty days notice requirement. Give me a call and we’ll see if you meet one of those exceptions. If you’re within the 30 days, report it now.