I was working two jobs when I got hurt. Does this affect the amount I receive in weekly benefits?

It depends. Whether a second job affects your compensation rate (how much money you receive in weekly benefits) depends on a couple of things. First, were you employed by the two jobs at the same time? If not, then any wages you earned at the second job will not be taken into account when determining your compensation rate.

However, if you were employed concurrently at the two jobs, such as in the question asked in the topic of this post, the question then becomes whether the two jobs were substantially similar in the eyes of the Administrative Law Judge at the hearing. If the two jobs were so similar in nature with respect to job description, duties, and/or physical requirements, then the wages you earned at the second job will be taken into account when your compensation rate is calculated. If the jobs were different, then your compensation rate is calculated only using the wages you earned at the job where you were injured. This doctrine, known as "concurrent similar employment," is often an issue that is contested by the parties to a workers' compensation claim due to the factually-specific nature of the various job descriptions and duties.

A couple of examples might help clear this up:

1. John is employed during the day on an assembly line at Company A. At night, he works on the assembly line at Company B. If he was injured on the job at Company A and was forced to miss work at both jobs, the wages for both jobs would be used to calculate his weekly benefit.
2. John works on the assembly line at Company A during the day. At night, however, he works in a non-physical supervisory job at Company B. If he was injured at Company A, his wages from Company B would not be used to calculate his weekly benefit. Moreover, he could continue working his job at Company B without it affecting his receipt of weekly benefits from Company A.

As you might imagine, there are many different facts that can potentially affect how your compensation rate is calculated and when it can be altered or suspended. If you were working multiple jobs at the time of a work accident, it would be prudent to contact a workers' compensation attorney to ensure that your weekly benefits are being properly calculated. Even if you're not in the Athens, Georgia area, we will gladly assist you in any way we can with respect to your workers' compensation case.