Lexington, SC Workers' Comp Attorney

South Carolina Workers' Comp Laws

Our workers’ compensation attorneys in Lexington, South Carolina help clients struggling to obtain their rightful workers’ compensation benefits. Our clients are people who were severely injured while at work and are seeking benefits to cover their medical expenses and support their families. When you are hurt during the course of your daily employment, you have a right to recover benefits. You deserve access to quality medical care and resources to help support your family while you heal. The Rick Hall Law Firm, LLC can stand by you during your claim and fight to help you obtain all benefits to which you are legally entitled.

Contact our firm at (803) 590-9900 or online to learn more about your rights as a worker in a free consultation with our dedicated and compassionate attorneys.

Do I Need a Workers' Compensation Attorney?

Whether or not you need a workers' comp lawyer depends on how severe your injury is, how complex your situation is, and what actions your employer or its insurance company has taken. The moment that your situation becomes complicated, is when you should hire a workers' compensation attorney.

Situations when you need a workers' comp attorney:

• Your claim was denied.
• Your employer does not pay your benefits right away.
• The settlement offer made by your employer does not cover your medical bills or your lost wages.
• Your employer retaliates against you for filing a workers' compensation claim.
• Your medical issues are preventing you from returning to work, limit what you can do at work, or you are unable to perform your job completely.

What Does Workers’ Comp Cover?

Workers’ compensation laws were passed in South Carolina to protect injured workers. In general, employers with over four part-time or full-time employees are legally obligated to carry workers’ compensation insurance. This insurance provides coverage for accidents and injuries that occur to workers while on the job.

Workers’ compensation benefits cover a wide variety of injuries and illnesses:

• Back injuries
• Head trauma after falling objects, slips and falls, etc.
• Burns after exposure to chemicals, fires, and explosions
• Amputation of limbs and digits
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Black lung disease

In order to receive benefits, you must first determine whether you’re eligible. Though most South Carolina workers are covered by workman’s comp insurance, it’s still helpful to check that your employer has insurance before you begin your claim.

In South Carolina, workers that may not have access to workers’ compensation coverage include:

• Railway employees
• Agricultural employees
• People who work at companies that employ fewer than four people
• Employees of companies with a payroll under $3,000 annually

Workers’ Comp Benefits

Workers’ compensation benefits exist to help injured or ill workers recover so they can return to their jobs. South Carolina benefits cover the expenses of workers’ medical care and wage replacement while they’re unable to work.

Benefits can include any of the following:

• Medical care, including the costs of hospital stays, doctors visits, medications, surgeries, and more
• Partial disability, in the case that you have suffered an injury but can still perform some lighter work duties – in this particular case, workers receive two-thirds of the difference between their wages before the accident and their adjusted wages
• Total disability, which occurs when workers are unable to return to work at all, making you eligible for two-thirds of your original compensation for up to 500 weeks (some injuries can entitle you to lifetime benefits, such as brain damage and paralysis)
• Death benefits, which families can receive for burial expenses and two-thirds of the deceased person’s income for up to 500 weeks