Were you injured while on the job in Spartanburg County? Our lawyer can help you file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits. These benefits typically include free medical care and partial compensation for lost wages.
At Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC, we strive to provide excellent service to people like you who want our help. We can assign a Spartanburg County personal injury lawyer to prove your claim, file paperwork, and settle disagreements with your employer’s insurance company.
The Process of Seeking Workers’ Compensation in Spartanburg County
Since Spartanburg County is in South Carolina, both you and your employer have to abide by South Carolina state law when dealing with workers’ comp claims. Your responsibilities under the law include:
- Following workers’ compensation deadlines. For example, you have 90 days to report your injury to your employer and two years from the injury date to start your claim for benefits.
- Proving your claim. It may be necessary to collect evidence like medical records, employment records, witness testimony, and video footage to support your eligibility. Our lawyers can help you find evidence to support your claim.
- Responding to the insurer’s communications. Whether they ask for more evidence or issue a denial, it is your job to get back to them in a timely manner if you want to keep your case moving.
- Attending mediation. Hopefully, your claim will be accepted and your benefits will not be terminated prematurely, but this does not always happen. In the event of a disagreement, you may have to enter mediation before you take any other steps, per the Workers’ Compensation Commission (WCC).
- Appealing a decision. If mediation does not resolve the issue, you might have to ask the WCC to step in. This would require you to attend a hearing and present your case to a single Commissioner or the entire Commission.
How Our Workers’ Compensation Attorney Can Help Spartanburg County Workers
When you have suffered an injury and are worried about how you will support your family until you recover, you might have understandable trouble focusing on anything else. The lawyers at Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC, can make your life easier by:
- Assessing your case for free and at no risk to you
- Providing a 24-hour helpline that you can always reach out to for answers to your questions
- Explaining all of your responsibilities and then helping you to fulfill those obligations
- Building up your casefile with as much evidence as possible
- Communicating with the insurance company on your behalf and making sure they respect you and your rights throughout the process
- Representing you at any hearings or meetings that may be necessary, including mediation and negotiations
- Keeping you up to date throughout your case so you always know what is happening and can respond promptly to new developments
Whether your job caused a physical injury, a mental illness, or an occupational disease, Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC, wants to make it easier for you to seek the benefits your family needs. The earlier you get in touch with us, the faster we can start fighting for you.
What Workers’ Compensation Benefits Are Available in Spartanburg County?
As the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission (WCC) explains in their FAQs, injured workers are entitled to three main types of benefits:
- Disability: There are four types of disability you could qualify for: temporary partial, temporary total, permanent partial, and permanent total.
- Lost income: Workers’ comp will, if your claim is accepted, pay up to two-thirds of your normal weekly wage.
- Medical care: The insurer is entitled to choose which doctors you visit, although you can request to see a different doctor. The care you receive from insurer-approved providers should be free to you.
You may have to wait up to eight days after the injury before you start receiving benefits.
How to Qualify for Workers’ Compensation in Spartanburg County
In order to receive these benefits, you will need to prove that:
- Your injury occurred while you were performing your regular job duties
- Your injuries require the types of benefits you are seeking, such as a particular medical treatment or a certain type of disability payment
- You qualify as an employee who is entitled to coverage, as defined by S.C. Ann. § 42-1-360
Our Spartanburg County workers’ compensation lawyer can help you prove that each of these facts apply in your case.
What Injuries Can Spartanburg County Workers Get Benefits for?
Generally speaking, any injury you incur while on the job could make you eligible for workers’ compensation. This includes injuries caused by:
- Falls from heights, such as off a ladder or a scaffold
- Heat and chemical burns
- Malfunctioning equipment or tools
- Equipment that falls on or crushes any part of your body
- Motor vehicle accidents
Occupational Diseases and Workers’ Compensation
S.C. Ann. § 42-11-10(A) defines an occupational disease as an illness you contracted on the job “due to hazards in excess of those ordinarily incident to employment and is peculiar to” that job.
For instance, if you are regularly exposed to a carcinogen as part of your normal duties, and if you are later diagnosed with a cancer associated with that carcinogen, you could potentially recover workers’ comp benefits based on that cancer diagnosis.
Mental Illness and Workers’ Compensation
Under state law, mental illness can entitle you to workers’ compensation, but the threshold for qualifying on that basis is higher than it is for a physical injury. You would have to prove that:
- The illness resulted not from ordinary work stressors but from an “extraordinary and unusual” amount of stress, as S.C. Ann. § 42-1-160 puts it
- A qualified doctor has examined you and found that these uncommon stressors are the most likely cause of your mental illness
- The illness is connected with any physical injuries you sustained (if applicable)
Start Your Spartanburg County Workers’ Compensation Claim Now
You have a limited time to report your injury and file a claim for benefits. To get timely assistance from our Spartanburg County workers’ compensation lawyer, call Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC, for a free case review. Our attorneys are committed to providing professional representation at every stage of your case.