In South Carolina, there are several different types of workers’ compensation benefits. Specifically, injured workers may be entitled to benefits for:
- Medical Expenses: South Carolina workers’ compensation will cover the full cost of your necessary medical treatment. This is a very important benefit for injured workers. Of course, in many cases, recovering entitled medical benefits is not so easy. While 100 percent of necessary medical treatment is legally covered, disputes frequently arise. Disputes occur for two main reasons: disagreement over what is ‘necessary’ and disagreement over whether the injury is work-related. We all know medical costs can be incredibly expensive. Injured workers deserve to have all of these costs covered, and an attorney can help you make that happen.
- Lost wages: Many injured workers are forced to miss time on the job as a result of their condition. South Carolina provides income replacement benefits for workers in this unfortunate situation. Under South Carolina law, injured workers are entitled to two thirds of their average weekly wage for the last four quarters. Though, there is also a maximum benefit of $784.03 per week (for the year 2016). Higher income earners could be affected by this maximum limit.
- Long-term Disability: In cases involving very serious injuries or death, permanent disability benefits may be available. In total disability or death cases, benefits can last for up to 500 weeks. These cases are extremely complex; as such, if your loved one suffered a total disability or was killed in a workplace accident, you need to speak to an attorney as soon as possible.
