The second an injury occurs, many individuals will hesitate before filing workers’ compensation claim out of fear that their employer may retaliate in threats, demotions, or even firing them for raising the issue. Often times, the injury happens in front of a supervisor and the worker is told to just “walk it off” or take a couple of days off. The good news is that the law in South Carolina protects you as the injured worker and your employer could be punished for violating the workers compensation laws and procedures in South Carolina.
The law exists to protect you as the injured worker from this horrible situation of what is known as “retaliatory termination by an employer.” In South Carolina, is is illegal for any employer to fire a worker for the act of simply reporting their workplace injury or filing a workers’ compensation claim after they are injured or suffered bodily harm.
Why are workers protected in our state?
The worker’s compensation laws in South Carolina were written by our legislature to discourage this type of retaliation so people like you would not be afraid to come forward and report unsafe workplace conditions or injuries that occurred from them. If employers could just fire their employees when they complained about dangerous work place environments or activities, the result would lead to more dangerous workplaces. By protecting workers, South Carolina can work to encourage employers to maintain, through an investment of time and resources, better work environments.
To find out more about what the law has to say about your situation, please contact our offices for a free consultation.
