Georgia Online Justice Community

File your insurance claim and register for state and federal disaster aid.   The FEMA disaster benefits application deadline is November 23, 2009.

Those with disaster-related damages should call the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) registration line at 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 800-462-7585. Phone lines are available 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.  Help is available in all languages.  Online registration is available at all times at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.  You should register, even if you are insured. Your insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover all of your losses.

Workers in 17 counties in metro Atlanta may be eligible for Federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) to compensate for loss of income directly related to the September 2009 storms and flooding.

Unlike state unemployment insurance, DUA provides benefits to self-employed business people, farmers, commission-paid employees, and others not typically covered by the state unemployment insurance program.

People who think they may be eligible for benefits should call the Georgia Department of Labor toll-free customer service line at 877-709-8185 or visit www.dol.state.ga.us to be directed to the nearest career center.

The DUA program has deadlines that are fast approaching.  Disaster unemployment assistance benefits application deadlines are as follows:

• The Disaster Unemployment Assistance  filing deadline in Carroll, Chattooga, Cherokee, Cobb, Douglas, Paulding, Stephens and Walker counties is Monday, Oct. 26.
• The Disaster Unemployment Assistance filing deadline in Bartow, Catoosa, Coweta, DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Heard, Newton and Rockdale counties is Friday, Oct. 30.
  

If the September storms and flooding left you entangled in a legal issue, free Disaster Legal Services may be able to help.

Anyone in a county designated for Individual Assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) may use Disaster Legal Services.

The counties designated for Individual Assistance under President Obama's major disaster declaration are: Bartow, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fulton, Gwinnett, Heard, Newton, Paulding, Rockdale, Stephens and Walker.

Call toll-free 866-584-8027. Callers will be asked to leave a voice-mail message. A volunteer attorney will return the call within 24 hours. A Spanish-speaking attorney is available.

Callers may receive assistance with issues such as landlord/tenant problems, legal documents lost in the disaster, home repair contracts or contractors.

There are some limitations on Disaster Legal Services. Assistance is not available, for instance, for cases that could produce a fee. Cases which could generate a fee are referred to a local attorney referral service.

Disaster Legal Services are provided by the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar Association of Georgia and the Georgia Legal Services Program.