Workers’ Compensation

Greenville Personal Injury Attorney

When South Carolina workers are injured at their jobs or contract health conditions because of their workplace environments, they have the right to file claims for workers’ compensation benefits with their employers. Because employers are mandated to carry workers’ compensation insurance, employees waive their rights to file personal injury lawsuits. In return, the workers do not have to prove that their employers were negligent in causing their accidents. Despite the availability of workers’ compensation, some employers in the state may dispute or deny the claims. Others may also refuse to cooperate with injury reports that they receive and retaliate against the workers. The Greenville personal injury attorney at Garcia Law Firm may help you with your workers’ compensation claim so that you might recover the benefits to which you should be entitled.

Understanding workers’ compensation benefits

When workers are injured while they are working or become ill because of workplace conditions or exposures, they have the right to file claims for workers’ compensation benefits. Workers who are injured must file reports of their injuries with their employers as soon as is practicable. The employers are then supposed to submit the reports to their insurance carriers. Workers’ compensation benefits may offer compensation to pay for the injured workers’ medical expenses, treatment costs, rehabilitation costs and related medical devices. Workers do not have to submit these claims to their own medical insurance companies, and they will not be charged copays.

If the workers are left with disabilities that prevent them from returning to work temporarily or permanently, they may also be eligible for monthly disability payments through workers’ compensation. Disability benefits may be available when workers are temporarily or permanently and partially or totally disabled.

Retaliation for injuries

Some employers try to dispute or deny claims for benefits in an effort to keep their costs down. Others may refuse to file reports of injuries, and some may retaliate against the workers by firing them. Under South Carolina Code § 41-1-80, employers are prohibited from retaliating against workers for filing workers’ compensation claims. If your employer fired you because you were injured on the job, your Greenville personal injury attorney may help you with your claim for benefits as well as a wrongful termination lawsuit against your employer.

Contact a Greenville worker’s compensation attorney

Workers’ compensation may offer a financial safety net for workers who are injured or contract diseases while they are working.

Contact an experienced lawyer at the Garcia Law Firm to schedule your consultation and to learn more about the rights that you might have.