Emergency COVID Order Tolls Time for Worker to Request Hearing

The Georgia Court of Appeals ruled that the five-year statutory deadline for a worker to request a hearing on her claim was tolled by the statewide judicial emergency orders issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Evelyn Fann-Roberts worked for Coastal Home Care. In July 2017, she filed a workers’ compensation claim for an alleged injury from July 2016. Coastal contested the claim and paid no benefits. Although Fann-Roberts requested several hearings before the State Board of Workers' Compensation, each was removed from the calendar. Fann-Roberts filed her latest request on ...