Workers’ Compensation

Choose a Law Firm That Cares About Your Well-Being

TRUST A WORK INJURY ATTORNEY FROM STONEY & WALKER IN COLUMBIA OR NORTH CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA

No one expects to get hurt on the job. You didn’t plan to have an accident. You didn’t want to go to the hospital. And you definitely didn’t want to find yourself unable to work for weeks, months, or more. You did nothing to bring this hardship on yourself, but now you’re facing massive medical bills. And you don’t know how you’ll provide for your family, let alone how you’ll get out of debt. It’s not your fault, and you shouldn’t have to worry about how you’ll get by after an accident on the job.

That’s why workers’ compensation laws are in place – to help people like you in situations where employers need to be held accountable. If your employer put you in a dangerous situation or you were hurt due to their negligence in some other way, you deserve compensation for all of your damages.

Understanding Workers’ Compensation in South Carolina

In a perfect world, you would file a simple workers’ compensation claim, and there’d be no need for attorneys. Unfortunately, though, we don’t live in a perfect world, and employers’ insurance companies work hard NOT to pay out what they owe. If you have a workers’ compensation case in South Carolina, you need an attorney in your corner who will fight for you. You need someone who knows the law intimately and who knows all the tricks that insurance companies use to get out of paying what they owe. At Stoney & Walker, LLC, we’ve represented hundreds of people in situations like yours. We know how frightening an on-the-job injury can be, and how hopeless it can seem when you go it alone. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

If you’re having trouble getting compensation for your injuries, lost wages, medical bills, and other damages, a work injury attorney from Stoney & Walker, LLC, can help. Attorneys Overture E. Walker and Joy D. Stoney have more than 30 years of combined experience handling workers’ compensation cases. You can count on us to listen to you and to fight aggressively for the compensation you’re owed.

Call us today to speak with a dedicated workers’ compensation attorney in Columbia or North Charleston, SC. You can schedule a free consultation at your convenience. And, if you can’t come to our office, we’ll be happy to meet you at your home. We know that this is a stressful and difficult time, and we’re here to help you get through it.

WHAT WILL WORKERS’ COMPENSATION COVER?

A lot of our clients come to us with questions about workers’ compensation in South Carolina and what it will cover. They have mounting medical bills and limited or no income to pay them – and they often don’t know when they’ll be able to get back to work. Let’s take just a moment to talk about workers’ comp and how a claim can help.

Workers’ compensation can cover a variety of expenses, especially if you develop long-term health issues as a result of your accident. With help from a work injury attorney, you can seek workers’ comp coverage for:

• Medical bills
• Rehabilitation and drug test costs
• Temporary total disability payments
• Permanent partial disability
• Permanent total disability

You obviously know what medical bills are, but you may not be familiar with some of the other terms here. So, let’s go into a little more depth on them:

Temporary or Permanent Total Disability
Permanent total disabilities are significant injuries – such as the loss of the use of your back, both hands, arms, feet, legs, eyes, or a combination of any two of those body parts. For most disabilities, benefits are paid for a maximum of 500 weeks. In the case of temporary total disability, those injuries would be expected to heal over time. This does not mean that you would not have a permanent partial disability, though.

Permanent Partial Disability
If your doctor finds that you have a permanent partial disability, you may be eligible for additional benefits and compensation. In this case, you would likely be able to return to work, at least in a limited capacity, but you would have some minor-to-moderate partial disability that would impact your quality of life permanently.

Common Workers’ Compensation Benefits
Your hospital bills and potential disability benefits aren’t the only things covered by workers’ compensation, though. Here are a few more expenses and benefits that you might not have considered.

• Medical Benefits: If your treatment is pre-authorized, workers’ comp pays for all necessary medical treatment related to a work injury.
• Mileage reimbursement: Mileage for travel to and from doctors’ and therapy appointments.
• Vocational rehabilitation: If you’re unable to return to your previous job you can receive training and other help trying to find new employment.
• Death Benefits: A worker’s spouse, children, or other dependents can receive death benefits when the worker passes away due to a work injury. The amount depends on how many dependents there are.
• Funeral expenses: A worker’s family members can receive up to $2,500 in funeral and burial expenses for a deceased worker.

This, of course, is only some of the information you might need for your workers’ compensation claim. To find out more about workers’ comp law in South Carolina, schedule your complimentary consultation today. At Stoney & Walker, we’re here for you, and we’ll be more than happy to answer all of your questions.

If I’m Injured at Work, What Should I Do?

First, before you do anything else, obtain first aid or other necessary medical treatment immediately – or as soon after the accident as you can.

Then, you must report the injury as soon as possible. In South Carolina, you must report your injury within 90 days of the day of your incident – or within 90 days of the day you were first identified with an ailment related to your line of work. Upon receiving a proper diagnosis from your healthcare provider, you should provide a written report to both your boss or supervisor and the South Carolina Office of Workers’ Compensation.

Next, don’t skip any doctor or health care provider visits related to your case – even if you’re feeling good and don’t feel like you need to see your doctor. If you’re unable to make it to an appointment due to a lack of transportation, the workers’ compensation insurance carrier may be able to provide transportation for you.

Finally, call a workers’ compensation attorney ASAP. Your employer’s insurance company will be working to pay you as little as possible. You can fight them, and avoid common pitfalls and mistakes, with qualified legal counsel on your side. When you partner with Stoney & Walker, we won’t let you go it alone. We’ll be there for you and your family, giving you the guidance and legal advice you need.

We have experienced job injury lawyers and have represented injured workers like you in Charleston, SC, Columbia, SC and throughout the entire state of South Carolina.

Call us at (843) 763-1300 or fill out our online contact form. Let’s get through this together.