Understandably, no one who works in South Carolina expects to be the victim of a personal injury. Besides the immense cost and pain it causes, getting injured on the job can cause significant worry.
After a workplace injury, significant concerns can include:
On top of all these worries, you’re in extreme pain and trying to rehabilitate your injury to be able to get back on your feet. Meanwhile, the insurance company plots their defense with their lawyers to ensure they pay you as little as possible when settling your case. Unfortunately, that’s how insurance companies make billions of dollars a year in profits.
The solution? You need a team of experienced and attentive workers’ compensation lawyers in Columbia, SC, on your side.
An injury leading to a workers’ compensation case in Columbia, SC, can occur in many ways. You may sustain an injury while lifting an object, falling over something, or twisting a body part while working.
Injuries requiring workers’ compensation aren’t always the sudden pain-inducing accident you may picture, such as a flying saw blade or a dangerous chemical spill.
Recent research found that musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are now the leading cause of workplace injuries in the United States. As a team of Charleston workers’ compensation lawyers, we often assist clients with MSDs.
Musculoskeletal injuries most often occur in the workplace when employees:
Making matters worse, workplace injuries can also happen while you’re not in a company building. An example of this situation could be sustaining injuries in a car accident while performing a work task for your employer.
As you can imagine, people often seek a workers’ compensation lawyer in Columbia, SC, to understand what to do after getting injured at work.
Our Charleston workers’ compensation lawyers often see how the combination of lost wages and medical expenses can be a one-two punch to anyone’s finances. Fortunately, workers’ compensation exists to help injured parties care for themselves, their medical expenses, and similar expenses.
If you suffer an on-the-job injury, you may be entitled to some, if not all, of the following benefits:
It is essential to understand that you do NOT have to be at fault to be able to receive workers’ compensation benefits. Also, your employer does NOT have to be negligent in order for you to receive workers’ compensation benefits.
A workers’ compensation lawyer in Columbia, SC, will help you understand how negligence and being at fault work in this type of legal situation.
Not all workplace injuries can and will warrant workers’ compensation benefits. Wondering if you have a valid claim before contacting our Charleston workers’ compensation lawyers is understandable.
You should consider hiring a workers’ compensation lawyer in Columbia, SC, if your employer, insurance company, or both parties are delaying your claim. This is an unfortunate but common tactic used in certain workers’ compensation cases throughout Columbia, SC, and beyond.
Another potential warning sign is if employers or insurance providers suddenly change their demeanors for the worse. Sadly, our workers’ comp attorneys have seen first-hand how employers change if a large sum of money is on the line.
A lawyer is also advisable to contact if your injury is severe and you fear you’ll be out of work for a while.
You may not currently receive benefits from your workers’ compensation insurance company. If not, call our Charleston, SC, workers’ compensation lawyers to ensure you get the benefits you deserve under the law. Insurance companies are not going to do this for you.
An insurance adjuster working on behalf of your employer does not represent you or have your best interests in mind. The adjuster’s job is to save as much money as possible. That’s how their bosses evaluate them. The less money they spend on you and your workers’ compensation case in Columbia, SC, the more profit the insurance company makes.
However, an insurance company’s attitude can change when you have a team of workers’ compensation lawyers in Columbia, SC, in your corner.
Before choosing a Columbia or Charleston workers’ compensation lawyer, you have many options. So, what sets Dayson Shalabi Burkett Law Firm, LLC, apart from the competition?
Our workers’ comp lawyers in Columbia, SC, spent years representing insurance companies as workers’ compensation defense lawyers. This fantastic team of lawyers has represented multiple Fortune 500 companies as their lead counsel on thousands of cases.
Instead of defending insurance companies, our workers’ comp attorneys now proudly defend hard-working and injured people standing up to these massive businesses.
When you choose our team of workers’ comp lawyers in Columbia, SC, you gain a stand-out legal team that gives your situation the personalized attention it deserves.
As a leading team of workers’ compensation lawyers in Columbia, SC, we often receive questions about workers’ compensation. That’s why we collected the answers to some of the most common workers’ comp-related questions we receive.
States have different laws about how they proceed with workers’ compensation cases in Columbia, SC. However, South Carolina does not offer recovery specifically for pain and suffering about workers’ compensation.
However, this state does allow workers’ compensation benefits for lost wages, medical expenses, and permanent disabilities. You can learn a potential estimate of your claim’s worth by speaking with a workers’ comp lawyer in Columbia, SC.
Workers’ compensation collection periods vary based on the severity of your injuries. However, collecting workers’ compensation benefits in South Carolina for up to 500 weeks is possible. A workers’ comp attorney can help you understand more about this topic.
As every workers’ compensation lawyer in Columbia, SC, can attest to, it’s best to file a claim against the other party or parties as quickly as possible. That’s because South Carolina’s statute of limitations for filing a workers’ compensation is two years.
South Carolina gives you up to 90 days to report your workplace injury. There are, however, exceptions to this 90-day notice rule. So, please contact our Charleston workers’ compensation lawyers to determine if you are still eligible to file a valid claim.
Workers’ compensation lawyers in Columbia, SC, understand clients want to resolve their legal matters quickly. Unfortunately, there’s no way to predict when qualifying adults will begin receiving workers’ compensation settlements. We usually strongly advise against clients settling before their doctors have released them at maximum medical improvement, meaning they’ve received all the treatment recommended by your doctor.
According to information from the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission, its current maximum weekly compensation rate was $1,093.67 for any injuries during or after January 1st, 2024. A workers’ compensation lawyer in Charleston, SC, will let you know if or when this rate changes.
You might be unaware that some injured body parts can be worth more money than others. These values typically come from damage sustained and the importance of body parts as they relate to your future career. For example, a scratch on your arm would generally be worth less than losing your arm.
Workers’ compensation payments in South Carolina are generally tax-exempt, meaning you don’t have to pay taxes on workers’ comp payments or lump sums. However, your situation gets a little tricker if you already receive government-related payments, such as those for Social Security Disability Income (SSDI).
Contact a workers’ compensation lawyer in Columbia, SC, for help understanding how to proceed with this aspect of workers’ comp.
No, it’s against the law for an employer to fire you precisely for seeking or obtaining workers’ compensation in South Carolina. That said, South Carolina is an at-will employment state. An at-will state allows employers to terminate employees for any reason or no reason at all.
As you might imagine, it’s not uncommon for a South Carolina business to terminate someone receiving workers’ compensation. Instead, you may seek a workers’ comp lawyer in Columbia, SC, because an employer uses another reason for its termination agreements.
People who receive workers’ compensation benefits aren’t typically receiving as much money as they made while working. Many people believe receiving workers’ compensation means you cannot obtain a second job, which isn’t true.
However, South Carolina’s laws require you to notify your employer at the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission about your new second job. Contact a workers’ comp attorney if you need help understanding how to do this.