Pickens Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
You sacrifice a great deal of your time to fulfill the demands of your job. Workplaces are bound by the guidelines established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to provide safe and sanitary conditions to employees. Even so, workplace accidents and occupational illnesses do occur.
Thankfully, State employers, public corporations, and most private employers are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. This insurance covers reasonable medical expenses and two-thirds of lost wages to workers who have suffered a workplace accident or medical condition caused by their job. Workers’ compensation provides a much-needed safety net while a worker is trying to physically heal.
At Fulton & Barr Attorneys at Law, our Pickens workers’ compensation attorneys are dedicated to helping injured and sick employees acquire the benefits that are rightfully owed to them. If you have recently been injured in the scope of your employment, do not hesitate to contact us.
What is Workers’ Compensation, and How Does it Work?
Workers’ compensation is employer-provided insurance that reimburses employees for two-thirds of lost wages (with a statutory weekly cap), reasonable medical costs, and death benefits. To preserve your right to benefits, you must report your work-related injury to a supervisor, manager, or on-site nurse within 90 days of the incident. Failing to do so could result in a claim denial.
To make sure that your medical bills will be covered, you will need to choose a provider approved by your employer. By utilizing your workers’ compensation benefits, your medical records will automatically be released to the insurance company, your employer, and the employer’s attorneys, the Workers’ Compensation Commission, and your nurse case manager. Although your treating physician must give you proper notice, they can discuss your prognosis and treatment with these individuals without needing your consent.
Workers’ Compensation Benefits
Workers’ compensation provides the following benefits to employees who have been injured in the scope of their employment or become sick as a result of their job:
Medical Expenses
South Carolina workers’ compensation reimburses employees for all reasonable and necessary medical expenses, including hospitalizations, surgeries, medical supplies, prescriptions, and travel expenses to the doctor’s office and pharmacy. Under SC Code §42-1-160 (B), stress and mental disorders are not typically compensable under workers’ compensation but may be in certain circumstances.
Wage Replacement
Workers are entitled to 66.67% of their average weekly wages (AWW), with eligibility beginning after an employee has missed seven consecutive days of work due to an injury or illness. If an employee misses more than 14 days of work, then benefits will apply retroactively from the first day of the worker’s incapacity.
Some individuals are entitled to permanent disability benefits, which will be based on the severity of their condition. If a physician declares your disability makes you unfit to return to work long-term, then you will receive permanent total disability (PTD) benefits. PTD benefits may last up to 500 weeks or for life if you have sustained a brain injury, a spinal cord injury, or are a quadriplegic because of your workplace accident.
Death Benefits
For a family member to claim death benefits, the relative must file for benefits within two years of the decedent’s date of death. Death benefits for dependents include $12,000 in burial costs, reimbursement for the deceased’s medical expenses, and 66 2/3% of the decedent’s wages for a 500-week period.
Comfort During a Time of Extreme Stress
Workers’ compensation provides a security blanket for employees who are hurt or have fallen ill due to their jobs. The extent of your injuries and the amount of time that you have to miss from work will be crucial in determining your exact benefits. At Fulton & Barr Attorneys at Law, our Pickens workers’ compensation lawyers have successfully prepared claims, allowing workers to receive the entirety of benefits due to them.
Following your injury, we suggest that you write down how the accident took place, note the names of any witnesses, and notify your employer right away. Preserving your right to file a claim will ensure that you do not receive any pushback, allowing you to focus on your health.
Consult with a Pickens Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Today
If you have been injured at work or fallen ill from your workplace, you deserve fair compensation. The legal team at Fulton & Barr Attorneys at Law has helped numerous injured employees, even those dealing with complex medical cases, to secure the compensation that was owed to them. From day one following a workplace injury or ailment, your best course of action is to speak with a Pickens workers’ compensation attorney. To arrange your free consultation to learn how we can be of assistance, contact us online or give us a call today.
