Georgia’s State Board keeps employer duties clear: post a panel of physicians, report injuries on Form WC-1, and know the one-year claim bar. Here’s the map.

Official Georgia resources

• GA State Board of Workers’ Compensation — the state agency
• Verify an employer’s coverage — NCCI’s verification service, linked from the SBWC
• Official forms — the Board’s forms library
• Employer guidance — panels, posting, and reporting duties

Key employer forms

Georgia’s first report is Form WC-1, Employer’s First Report of Injury, filed with your carrier (who reports to the Board). Georgia’s distinctive employer duty is the posted panel of physicians — a valid panel of at least six doctors controls where employees treat; an invalid panel forfeits that control.

What to do when an employee is injured

1. Direct the employee to a physician on your posted panel — check your panel’s validity now, not after an injury
2. Notify your carrier immediately and complete Form WC-1
3. Document the incident and witnesses
4. Income benefits begin after the seven-day waiting period; the carrier’s first payment is due promptly on accepted claims
5. Keep your panel poster current and explain it at hiring

Deadlines that matter

Employees must report injuries within 30 days; claims must be filed within one year of the accident — one of the shorter claim windows among our states. Employers report qualifying injuries via WC-1 promptly through their carrier.

For rate context, see Georgia workers’ comp rates, or start with our full Georgia coverage guide. Need proof of coverage for a contract? We issue same-day certificates.

Georgia forms FAQs

What is the panel of physicians in Georgia?

A posted list of at least six physicians from which injured employees choose treatment. A valid, properly posted and explained panel lets the employer/carrier control medical direction; an invalid one forfeits it — the most common Georgia compliance failure.

What form does a Georgia employer file after an injury?

Form WC-1, the Employer’s First Report of Injury, submitted through your insurance carrier to the State Board.

How long does a Georgia worker have to file a claim?

Notice to the employer within 30 days and a claim within one year of the accident — shorter than the two-year windows in many neighboring states.