Georgia Code
Article 1 - General Provisions
§ 34-9-1. Definitions

As used in this chapter, the term:
History. Ga. L. 1920, p. 167, §§ 2, 45; Ga. L. 1922, p. 185, § 1; Code 1933, §§ 114-101, 114-102; Ga. L. 1943, p. 401, § 1; Ga. L. 1946, p. 103; Ga. L. 1950, p. 324, § 1; Ga. L. 1950, p. 404, § 1; Ga. L. 1952, p. 167, § 1; Ga. L. 1953, Jan.-Feb. Sess., p. 526, § 1; Ga. L. 1958, p. 183, § 1; Ga. L. 1963, p. 141, § 1; Ga. L. 1964, p. 675, § 1; Ga. L. 1967, p. 633, § 1; Ga. L. 1968, p. 1163, § 1; Ga. L. 1970, p. 196, § 1; Ga. L. 1970, p. 235, § 1; Ga. L. 1973, p. 232, § 1; Ga. L. 1975, p. 190, § 1; Ga. L. 1975, p. 1231, § 1; Ga. L. 1978, p. 2220, § 1; Ga. L. 1980, p. 1145, § 1; Ga. L. 1981, p. 842, § 1; Ga. L. 1981, p. 1585, § 1; Ga. L. 1982, p. 2360, §§ 1, 3; Ga. L. 1982, p. 2485, §§ 0.5, 5.5; Ga. L. 1983, p. 3, § 25; Ga. L. 1984, p. 816, § 1; Ga. L. 1987, p. 1038, § 1; Ga. L. 1987, p. 1110, § 1; Ga. L. 1988, p. 1679, § 0.5; Ga. L. 1990, p. 1501, § 1; Ga. L. 1991, p. 94, § 34; Ga. L. 1991, p. 677, § 1; Ga. L. 1991, p. 1850, § 1; Ga. L. 1992, p. 1942, § 1; Ga. L. 1993, p. 491, § 1; Ga. L. 1994, p. 97, § 34; Ga. L. 1994, p. 887, § 1; Ga. L. 1994, p. 1717, § 2; Ga. L. 1996, p. 1291, § 1; Ga. L. 2000, p. 794, § 1; Ga. L. 2009, p. 453, § 1-4/HB 228; Ga. L. 2009, p. 859, § 2/HB 509; Ga. L. 2011, p. 705, § 6-3/HB 214; Ga. L. 2012, p. 685, § 1/HB 548; Ga. L. 2015, p. 422, § 5-53/HB 310.
The 1990 amendment, effective July 1, 1990, in paragraph (2) substituted “otherwise” for “herein after” near the middle of the first sentence, substituted “firemen, policemen, and personnel of emergency management or civil defense agencies, emergency medical services, and rescue organizations” for “firemen and policemen” in the third sentence, combined the former fourth and fifth sentences so as to constitute the present fourth sentence while adding all of the present language thereof following “such volunteer law enforcement personnel”.
The 1991 amendments. —
The first 1991 amendment, effective March 14, 1991, part of an Act to correct errors and omissions in the Code, substituted “otherwise provided in this chapter,” for “hereinafter provided,” near the middle of paragraph (3). The second 1991 amendment, effective July 1, 1991, in paragraph (2), substituted “firefighters, law enforcement personnel,” for “firemen, policemen,” near the beginning of the third sentence, substituted “services rendered in such capacity which are not prohibited by Code Section 38-3-36” for “volunteer fire-fighting services rendered to such county or municipality” near the beginning of the fourth sentence, substituted “for volunteer law enforcement services rendered in such capacity which are not prohibited by Code Section 38-3-36” for “but only for volunteer law enforcement services rendered to such county or municipality” near the middle of the fourth sentence, deleted “but only” preceding “for volunteer services” and substituted “in such capacity” for “to such county or municipality” near the middle of the fourth sentence, and substituted “responder for any volunteer first responder services rendered in such capacity, which are not prohibited by Code Section 38-3-36” for “responder, but only for first responder services rendered to such county or municipality” near the end of the fourth sentence. The third 1991 amendment, effective July 1, 1991, added the final sentence in paragraph (2).
The 1992 amendment, effective July 1, 1992, deleted “or any other recognized medical books or guides” at the end of paragraph (5).
The 1993 amendment, effective April 5, 1993, in paragraph (2), added the last sentence.
The 1994 amendments. —
The first 1994 amendment, effective February 10, 1994, part of an Act to correct errors and omissions in the Code, in paragraph (2), deleted “of this article” following “34-9-2.1”. The second 1994 amendment, effective July 1, 1994, in paragraph (4), substituted “except as provided in this chapter” for “except as hereinafter provided” in the first sentence, added the second sentence, substituted “and disabilities” for “or disabilities” and deleted “the” before “employment” in the fourth sentence, and substituted “or disabilities resulted from” for “was caused by” in the fifth sentence. The third 1994 amendment, effective April 19, 1994, in paragraph (2), substituted “such employee’s” for “his” in the second sentence and added “and employees of community service boards established under Chapter 2 of Title 37 shall be considered to be employees of the state” to the end of the sixth sentence.
The 1996 amendment, effective July 1, 1996, inserted “stroke,” and “, which shall include medical evidence,” in the third sentence in paragraph (4); and deleted paragraph (5), which read: “In all cases arising under this chapter, any percentage of disability or bodily loss rating shall be based upon ‘Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment’ published by the American Medical Association”.
The 2000 amendment, effective July 1, 2000, inserted “and the State Defense Force” in the seventh sentence of paragraph (2); and added the last sentence in paragraph (4).
The 2015 amendment, effective July 1, 2015, in paragraph (2), substituted “such county” for “said county” near the end of the fifth sentence, and, in the middle of the tenth sentence, substituted “Code Section 42-3-50” for “Code Section 42-8-70”. See Editor’s notes for applicability.
Code Commission notes.
Ga. L. 2012, p. 685, § 1/HB 548, amended paragraph (2) of this Code section and in so doing omitted without expressing an intent to repeal or modify the amendment made to that paragraph made by Ga. L. 2011, p. 705, § 6-3/HB 214. The two amendments were not irreconcilably conflicting, and the amendment to paragraph (2) of this Code section made by Ga. L. 2011, p. 705, § 6-3/HB 214, was treated as not having been repealed by Ga. L. 2012, p. 685, § 1/HB 548.
Cross references.
Exemption of corporate officer from coverage, § 34-9-2.1 .
Compensation for permanent partial disability, § 34-9-263 .
Compensation schedules, T. 34, C. 9, Art. 7.
State defense force, § 38-2-50 et seq.
Editor’s notes.
Ga. L. 2015, p. 422, § 6-1/HB 310, not codified by the General Assembly, provides, in part, that this Act shall apply to sentences entered on or after July 1, 2015.
Law reviews.
For comment on United States Fid. & Guar. Co. v. Stapleton, 37 Ga. App. 707 , 141 S.E. 506 (1928), see 1 Ga. B. J. 53 (1927).
For comment on United States Cas. Co. v. Richardson, 75 Ga. App. 496 , 43 S.E.2d 793 (1947), see 10 Ga. B. J. 374 (1948).
For comment on American Mut. Liab. Ins. Co. v. Benford, 77 Ga. App. 93 , 47 S.E.2d 673 (1948), see 11 Ga. B. J. 79 (1948).
For comment on McKiney v. Reynolds & Manley Lumber Co., 79 Ga. App. 826 , 54 S.E.2d 471 (1949), see 12 Ga. B. J. 208 (1949).
For comment on Hanson v. Globe Indem. Co., 85 Ga. App. 179 , 68 S.E.2d 179 (1951), see 14 Ga. B. J. 484 (1952).
For comment on Bibb Mfg. Co. v. Cowan, 85 Ga. App. 816 , 70 S.E.2d 386 (1952), see 4 Mercer L. Rev. 216 (1952).
For comment on City of Brunswick v. Edenfield, 87 Ga. App. 434 , 74 S.E.2d 133 (1953), see 15 Ga. B. J. 499 (1953).
For comment on Lockheed Aircraft Corp. v. Marks, 88 Ga. App. 167 , 76 S.E.2d 507 (1953), see 16 Ga. B. J. 215 (1953).
For comment on Delta C. & S. Airlines v. Perry, 94 Ga. App. 107 , 93 S.E.2d 771 (1956), see 19 Ga. B. J. 235 (1956).
For comment on Ladson Motor Co. v. Croft, 212 Ga. 275 , 92 S.E.2d 103 (1956), see 19 Ga. B. J. 237 (1956).
For comment on Commissioners of Rds. & Revenue v. Davis, 213 Ga. 792 , 102 S.E.2d 180 (1958), see 20 Ga. B. J. 540 (1958).
For comment on Thomas v. United States Cas. Co., 218 Ga. 493 , 128 S.E.2d 749 (1962), see 26 Ga. B. J. 126 (1963).
For comment criticizing Pike v. Maryland Cas. Co., 107 Ga. App. 49 , 129 S.E.2d 78 (1962), see 26 Ga. B. J. 131 (1963).
For comment on Employers Ins. Co. v. Wright, 108 Ga. App. 380 , 133 S.E.2d 39 (1963), see 1 Ga. St. B. J. 123 (1964).
For comment on Commercial Constr. Co. v. Caldwell, 111 Ga. App. 1 , 140 S.E.2d 298 (1965), see 2 Ga. St. B. J. 135 (1965).
For comment criticizing Brady v. Royal Mfg. Co., 117 Ga. App. 312 , 160 S.E.2d 424 (1968), see 20 Mercer L. Rev. 473 (1969).
For comment on Golosh v. Cherokee Cab Co., 226 Ga. 636 , 176 S.E.2d 925 (1970), see 22 Mercer L. Rev. 497 (1971).
For comment on General Fire & Cas. Co. v. Bellflower, 123 Ga. App. 864 , 182 S.E.2d 678 (1971), see 23 Mercer L. Rev. 449 (1972).
For comment criticizing Wilkie v. Travelers Ins. Co., 124 Ga. App. 714 , 185 S.E.2d 783 (1971), see 23 Mercer L. Rev. 703 (1972).
For comment, “The Rights of the Lent Servant Against the General or Special Employer,” in light of Forrester v. Scott, 125 Ga. App. 245 , 187 S.E.2d 323 (1972), and United States Fid. & Guar. Co. v. Forrester, 126 Ga. App. 762 , 191 S.E.2d 787 (1972), see 9 Ga. St. B. J. 556 (1973).
For article discussing term “arising out of and in the course of employment,” see 14 Ga. St. B. J. 92 (1977).
For article discussing injury as a result of aggravation, see 14 Ga. St. B. J. 135 (1978).
For article surveying 1978 amendments to workers’ compensation law, see 15 Ga. St. B. J. 35 (1978).
For note discussing compensation under this chapter for original injuries aggravated by subsequent injury, continued employment, or ordinary activity, see 31 Mercer L. Rev. 325 (1979).
For article surveying developments in Georgia local government law from mid-1980 through mid-1981, see 33 Mercer L. Rev. 187 (1981).
For article surveying developments in Georgia workers’ compensation law from mid-1980 through mid-1981, see 33 Mercer L. Rev. 323 (1981).
For survey article on workers’ compensation, see 34 Mercer L. Rev. 335 (1982).
For comment, “Georgia’s Mental Block in Workers’ Compensation,” see 36 Mercer L. Rev. 971 (1985).
For annual survey of workers’ compensation, see 38 Mercer L. Rev. 431 (1986).
For note on 1991 amendment of this Code section, see 8 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 109 (1992).
For note on 1992 amendment of this Code section, see 9 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 285 (1992).
For note on 1993 amendment of this article, see 10 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 152 (1993).
For review of 1996 workers’ compensation legislation, see 13 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 233 (1996).
For article, “Sexual Harassment Claims Under Georgia Law,” see 6 Ga. St. B. J. 16 (2000).
For article, “Workers’ Compensation,” see 53 Mercer L. Rev. 521 (2001).
For survey article on workers’ compensation law for the period from June 1, 2002 to May 31, 2003, see 55 Mercer L. Rev. 459 (2003).
For article, “Post-Creation Checklist for Georgia Business Entities,” see 9 Ga. St. B. J. 24 (2004).
For annual survey of law of worker’s compensation, see 56 Mercer L. Rev. 479 (2004).
For annual survey of local government law, see 57 Mercer L. Rev. 289 (2005).
For annual survey of workers’ compensation law, see 57 Mercer L. Rev. 419 (2005).
For annual survey on workers’ compensation, see 59 Mercer L. Rev. 463 (2007).
For survey article on workers’ compensation law, see 60 Mercer L. Rev. 433 (2008).
For annual survey on workers’ compensation, see 61 Mercer L. Rev. 399 (2009).
For article on the 2011 amendment of this Code section, see 28 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 147 (2011).
For annual survey on workers’ compensation, see 64 Mercer L. Rev. 341 (2012).
For article on the 2015 amendment of this Code section, see 32 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 231 (2015).
For annual survey of workers’ compensation, see 67 Mercer L. Rev. 287 (2015).
For annual survey on decisions impacting workers’ compensation, see 69 Mercer L. Rev. 357 (2017).
For annual survey on workers’ compensation, see 70 Mercer L. Rev. 289 (2018).