---
title: O.C.G.A. § 34-9-261. Compensation for total disability.
collection: code
id: 34-9-261
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 34-9-261 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/34-9-261
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/34-9-261.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/34-9-261/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t34-(v26)-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=ee0fddd_0#page=125
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.
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version: the only printed version
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current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: LABOR AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS / WORKERS’ COMPENSATION / COMPENSATION SCHEDULES
---

# O.C.G.A. § 34-9-261. Compensation for total disability.

While the disability to work resulting from an injury is temporarily total, the employer shall pay or cause to be paid to the employee a weekly benefit equal to two-thirds of the employee’s average weekly wage but not more than $800.00 per week nor less than $50.00 per week, except that when the weekly wage is below $50.00, the employer shall pay a weekly benefit equal to the average weekly wage. The weekly benefit under this Code section shall be payable for a maximum period of 400 weeks from the date of injury; provided, however, that in the event of a catastrophic injury as defined in subsection (g) of Code Section 34-9-200.1, the weekly benefit under this Code section shall be paid until such time as the employee undergoes a change in condition for the better as provided in paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of Code Section 34-9-104.

## History

Ga. L. 1920, p. 167, § 30; Ga. L. 1922, p. 185, § 3; Ga. L. 1923, p. 92, § 3; Code 1933, § 114-404; Ga. L. 1937, p. 528; Ga. L. 1949, p. 1357, § 1; Ga. L. 1955, p. 210, § 1; Ga. L. 1963, p. 141, § 5; Ga. L. 1968, p. 3, § 1; Ga. L. 1973, p. 232, § 3; Ga. L. 1974, p. 1143, § 3; Ga. L. 1975, p. 190, § 4; Ga. L. 1978, p. 2220, § 3; Ga. L. 1981, p. 842, § 2.1; Ga. L. 1982, p. 2485, §§ 1, 7; Ga. L. 1985, p. 727, § 8; Ga. L. 1990, p. 1409, § 14; Ga. L. 1992, p. 1942, § 21; Ga. L. 1994, p. 887, § 14; Ga. L. 1996, p. 1291, § 11; Ga. L. 1997, p. 1367, § 8; Ga. L. 1999, p. 817, § 7; Ga. L. 2000, p. 1321, § 6; Ga. L. 2001, p. 748, § 6; Ga. L. 2003, p. 364, § 6; Ga. L. 2005, p. 1210, § 7/HB 327; Ga. L. 2007, p. 616, § 6/HB 424; Ga. L. 2013, p. 651, § 5/HB 154; Ga. L. 2015, p. 1079, § 3/HB 412; Ga. L. 2016, p. 287, § 3/HB 818; Ga. L. 2019, p. 798, § 4/SB 135; Ga. L. 2022, p. 350, § 1/HB 1409; Ga. L. 2023, p. 416, § 2/HB 480, effective July 1, 2023.

## Editor's Notes

Ga. L. 2023, p. 416, § 5/HB 480, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: “This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2023, and shall apply to injuries that occur on or after such date.”

## Law Reviews

For annual survey on worker’s compensation, see 71 Mercer L. Rev. 345 (2019).

## Amendments

The 2019 amendment, effective July 1, 2019, substituted “$675.00” for “$575.00” in the first sentence.

The 2022 amendment, effective July 1, 2022, substituted “$725.00” for “$675.00” in the first sentence.

The 2023 amendment, effective July 1, 2023, substituted “not more than $800.00 per week” for “not more than $725.00 per week” in the first sentence.