Disability Law

Workers' Comp Tip: If your work involves tips, keep good/accurate records of wages earned

By Jodi B. Ginsberg

Recently I had a workers' comp case where my client suffered from a very severe and complex ankle injury and had to undergo 2 surgeries over a period of several months. Even after the surgeries, she still required ongoing medical care and had limited range of movement, resulting in her inability to work certain jobs.

When her initial workers' comp benefit was calculated, she was awarded a weekly TTD benefit that was a gross underpayment when you looked at all the care she needed and the specifics of her case. After a careful review of the case, it became obvious that her benefit was mis-calculated due to her position as a waitress – where a lot of the money she brought in was due to TIPS.

You see, many times servers and bartenders and other workers who bring in significant income from tips end up experiencing improper wage calculations and mis-calculations of benefits owed when in pursuit of workers' comp cases. The same is true for workers who work off commissions or receive large bonuses.

In my client's case, we were able to get her the benefits she deserved (we ended up securing higher TTD benefits, plus TPD and PPD as well), and we were also able to re-calculate her wages to reflect a more accurate picture of what she had been making at the time of the accident. This is why it pays to have a workers' comp attorney helping you with your case – we see these situations often and can often help you maximize your benefits.

In any case, the tip of the day is this: To anyone bringing in significant income from tips, commissions, or bonuses, KEEP GOOD RECORDS in the event that you are one day injured and have to pursue a workers' comp case!

Full post as published by Georgia Workers Compensation blog on April 02, 2010 (boomark / email).