Workers compensation benefits reimburse employees for any injuries or illnesses sustained due to a workplace accident or risky work environment. The benefits compensate you for medical costs, lost wages, and so on, associated with the accident.
To ensure that you’re treated fairly and that your rights are respected, reach out to an experienced Charleston work injury lawyer to represent you!
How Does Workers Compensation Work In South Carolina
As per the South Carolina Code of Laws – Title 42, all employers are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance in case one of their employees is injured or falls ill due to the work conditions. When such an occurrence unfolds, the employee must promptly notify their employer to begin the worker’s comp process.
Naturally, your employer will also ask you to fill up a couple of forms, seek medical attention, and comply with any other requirements of the insurer. Once all of that is taken care of, you can get compensated for your medical costs and other associated financial losses.
You may want to speak to a lawyer first though because the insurance adjuster will try to lowball an offer so that they can be done with your claim cheaply. Your attorney will represent your best interests in the case and help you seek fair compensation for your losses.
Workers Comp Benefits
Workers’ compensation payouts usually cover any medical costs associated with your accident on top of any lost wages and vocational rehabilitation (if needed). The exact extent of these benefits varies depending on the nature of the accident.
Medical Costs
You must keep a record of all medical costs incurred upon you in the aftermath of the accident. This includes keeping all bills and invoices at hand. Your medical benefits will cover the doctor’s bill, the cost of any medication involved, the cost of surgery, and so on.
Lost Wages/Disability Benefits
If you suffer from any temporary or permanent disability that puts you out of work for some days, you can also claim disability wages. Depending on the nature of the disability, you can get two-thirds of your pre-disability wages for a short or long-term period.
Vocational Rehabilitation Benefits
If you can’t get back to the kind of work you did before your accident (because of your impairment), you can prepare for some other kind of work. Your worker’s compensation benefits will also cover vocational rehabilitation, to help you prepare for some other kind of work.
Who Qualifies For Workers Compensation
To qualify for workers’ compensation, you must be officially employed via a contract (written or oral), and that’s pretty much it. If an employer gets injured due to a workplace accident or a work-related accident outside their usual workplace.
Thus if someone suffers from slip and fall or a lift injury at their workplace or gets into a personal injury accident while delivering something for the business, it’s the same thing. As long as their injury is tied to the work they do, it is considered a work-related injury.
This also applies to any illnesses that they may have contracted due to exposure to harmful chemicals, breach of quarantine protocols (as was the case with the COVID-19 pandemic), long-term exposure to health hazards (such as carcinogens), and so on.
As long as an employer can prove that their condition is due to a work-related injury or illness, they qualify for workers’ compensation benefits.
What To Do After A Work-Related Injury
Another important factor that counts is how you respond to an accident as soon as it happens. If you can, you should photograph the accident scene and any damages you sustained. You must also inform your employer right away, preferably in writing.
Next, follow your employer’s instructions – fill out the forms they give you (consult a Charleston work injury attorney beforehand), seek medical attention, and cooperate in other matters related to the worker’s compensation process.
Let A Charleston Work Injury Lawyer Help You!
Workplace accidents can cost you big time and to get compensated fairly you need to assess the extent of the losses you’ve sustained. A qualified and capable Charleston work injury lawyer from our law firm can help you do both.
Reach out to us for a free initial consultation and let us fight for your rightful compensation!