South Carolina workers are generally unaware of the legal rights of a person injured on the job. If you are injured at work, you can take advantage of all these legal rights, but only if you are aware of the entire process.
All South Carolina employers must have compensation insurance to cover the medical care of their employees. Any business with more than four workers must have compensation insurance to protect its employees. The benefits are not just for the employees but their dependents as well.
If the employer or the insurance company refuses to provide compensation by any chance, one can take legal steps. It would be best to hire an attorney as the overall compensation system is quite complicated and involves many rules and regulations.
In this article, we will take a thorough look at the different compensation claims that one can make as a South Carolina worker.
Employers have the right to choose a doctor for treatment – Among the different legal rights, state law mandates that the employer can choose the doctor who will be treating the injured employee. If the employee goes to see his doctor without informing the employer, the medical expenses might not be covered.
Right to Medical Expenses – If an employee suffers from an injury during employment, he or she can recover the entire amount required for treatment as a medical expense. One can also take benefits of permanent disability if the person suffers a permanent injury because of an accident. The workers compensation legal rights of South Carolina includes the following:
- Hospital expenses
- Medication charges
- Surgeries
- Doctor appointments
- Physical devices
However, you might need to see a doctor that the insurance carrier designates. By any chance, if the provider refuses to treat the injury, then you can take legal steps.
Right to Wage During Sick Leave – At times, workers are so badly injured that they cannot continue working. In such cases, the employer is supposed to pay a certain percentage of the wage to the person. It usually depends on the kind and severity of the injury.
Right to take legal action – If the employer of the insurance carrier denies the claim, you can avail your legal rights. It is always a good option to have a lawyer represent your case in these situations. This will help you to walk through this difficult process with a team that knows the law and can do the work for you.
Family Coverage for Fatal Injuries – If a worker has an accident or suffers fatal injuries, the spouse or the dependents can access death benefits. The death benefit is almost two-thirds of the average weekly wage of a worker. The dependents can get paid for 500 weeks. The worker’s compensation in South Carolina can pay up to $12,000 dollars to cover the person’s burial expenses.
Compensation Benefits are not taxable – These compensations and benefits are not taxable. Once a person returns to work, the wages will be taxable. However, the compensation received by survivors’ dependents is not taxable at all.