LITTLE SUWANNEE LUMBER COMPANY v. Fitzgerald

Benham, Judge.

Appellee, an independent contractor who sold pulpwood to appellant lumber company, was injured while attempting to fell a tree. Appellant regularly deducted workers’ compensation premiums from the payments it made to the pulpwooder, thus entitling him to coverage under OCGA § 34-9-124 (b). The issue then became how to determine the amount of benefits appellee was to receive. To calculate appellee’s average weekly wage, appellant deducted “production costs” from appellee’s total weekly fee figures, to which appellee objected. After conducting a hearing on the matter, the…