What You Should Know If You Are Hurt On The Job In SC:
If you are injured on the job, you have 90 days to inform your employer of your injury. There are exceptions to the general rule, including situations where a disease or illness did not develop until after exposure. Once your employer is notified, you must file a claim with the Workers’ Compensation Commission within 2 years of the accident in order to receive benefits.
If your check is late, you do have some recourse. South Carolina law requires your employer to pay you on time. Your employer may be fined for each day that it does not pay you. We will seek an order from the Workers Compensation Commission on your behalf ordering your employer to pay you on time.
In SC, employers who employ four or more employees, including part time employees, are responsible for obtaining workers compensation insurance from a workers’ comp insurance carrier.
Unless an employer is self insured, the workers comp insurance carrier actually pays the medical and disability benefits claimed from a workplace injury.
The term self insured refers to a large employer who is financially able to act as its own workers compensation insurance company.
The SC workers compensation act covers accidents and injuries. In other words, recurring or chronic problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome or chronic back pain are subject to compensation.
An employer may deny a workman’s compensation claim of an employee who was intoxicated or using illegal drugs at the time of the workplace accident.
A workers compensation claim may be denied if:
The injuries were self-inflicted
The accident occurred while the employee was committing a serious crime
an employee was not on the job
the employee’s conduct that caused the accident violated company policy.
By: South Carolina Workers Compensation Lawyer Pete Strom