---
title: O.C.G.A. § 31-1-5. Compensation of employees for damage to wearing apparel caused by patients.
collection: code
id: 31-1-5
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 31-1-5 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-1-5
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-1-5.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-1-5/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t31-(v23)-2025-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=da7ded69_0#page=27
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-1.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-1-4.md
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Session of the General Assembly of Georgia
heading_path: HEALTH / GENERAL PROVISIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 31-1-5. Compensation of employees for damage to wearing apparel caused by patients.

(a) As used in this Code section, the term “wearing apparel” includes eyeglasses, hearing aids, clothing, and similar items worn on the person of the employee.

(b) When action by a patient in one of the institutions operated by the department results in damage to an item of wearing apparel of an employee of the institution, the department shall compensate the employee for the loss in the amount of either the repair cost or the replacement value or the cost of the item of wearing apparel, whichever is less. Such losses shall be compensated only in accordance with procedures to be established by the department, and no compensation shall be made by the department in excess of $500.00 per claim.

## History

Code 1933, § 88-2411, enacted by Ga. L. 1981, p. 854, § 1.