If you’re injured at work, the effects can be daunting. Even minor injuries might prevent you from working and earning. This means lost income while facing medical expenses. Severe injuries, like back or brain injuries, might stop you from ever returning to work or finding a new job. That’s where a Columbia workers’ compensation lawyer from Goings Law Firm, LLC steps in.
South Carolina’s workers’ compensation system exists to support injured workers. Workers’ compensation coverage offers medical treatment, disability payments, and settlements for physical impairments. However, many employers and insurers in South Carolina might deny or delay your rightful compensation. Any delay could worsen your financial and health situation.
Our South Carolina workers’ compensation attorneys have championed injured workers for over 20 years. We know how insurance companies operate and can tackle their tactics to ensure you get what’s due. Our accomplished attorneys and legal team have fought for the rights of injured workers across South Carolina for over two decades. We understand how to deal with the tactics insurance companies use to avoid or minimize the amount of benefits they owe you.
Common Types of S.C. Workers’ Injuries and Claims
Workers’ compensation benefits may be available to workers who have suffered a wide range of different types of workplace accidents, injuries and illnesses. In South Carolina, some of the most common accidents, injuries, and illnesses that lead workers to file workers’ compensation claims include:
- Slip and fall accidents
- Repetitive motion injuries
- Brain Injuries
- Occupational illnesses
- Chemical exposure
- Knee Injuries
- Shoulder Injuries
- Vehicle accidents
- Hernias
- Back injuries
- Neck injuries
- Broken bones
- Burns
- Herniated and bulging discs
- Depression, Anxiety, and Stress
Regardless of how the injury occurred or even if you were at fault in causing the accident, workers’ compensation laws provide injured workers important rights in South Carolina. Reach out to our experienced Columbia workers’ compensation lawyers today.
What Workers’ Compensation Covers
Many people who apply for workers’ compensation don’t know exactly what they can expect from it. These expectations can, therefore, be wildly inaccurate.
The truth is, workers’ compensation should make it possible for you to avoid major expenses and get through to the point of recovery, if such a recovery is possible, or else allow you to avoid financial difficulties if you cannot work again.
More specifically, your workers’ compensation claim can provide you with the following:
- Covering medical bills related to your accident, including travel, doctor visits, medication, and physical therapy
- Lost average weekly wage from the period you are unable to work due to your injury
- The loss of future wages due to disfigurement, scars, the loss of a limb, or a generally reduced ability to work due to your injury
- The loss of future wages due to permanent disability
- Death benefits for the family in the case of a workplace death
Each compensation type has specific rules and limits. For instance, while all medical expenses are covered, there might be disagreements about required medical treatments only.
Workers receive two-thirds of their average weekly wage (based on the past year) up to $1,093.67 weekly. In South Carolina, long-term and death benefits can last up to 500 weeks.
For detailed information on these compensations, consult a seasoned workers’ compensation lawyer. Reach out to us for a free consultation on your next workers comp insurance claim.
Common Workers’ Compensation Mistakes
It’s easy in such a difficult moment to make a mistake in your workers’ compensation claim. Although this is understandable, such mistakes can lead to major delays or outright rejection of your workplace injury claim.
To help you avoid these serious setbacks, Goings Law Firm, LLC of Columbia, South Carolina, has compiled some of the most common mistakes we see individuals make as they apply for workers’ compensation:
- Not reporting a workplace injury right away to an employer
- Refusing to seek medical attention promptly
- Not keeping track of important information about how the accident occurred when it occurred, and the treatments received
- Filling in the forms incorrectly
- Exaggerating or otherwise misrepresenting the nature of the injury in the application
- Choosing not to seek legal assistance promptly
Again, many of these mistakes are understandable, but they can cause serious difficulties as your claim proceeds. To avoid making such mistakes, contact Goings Law Firm, LLC immediately to start receiving legal guidance on your claim.
What Will Get My Workers’ Compensation Claim Denied?
We know the common reasons why your first job-related injury claim will be denied. When facing such situations, you need an experienced attorney. They can help you get timely medical care and disability compensation for your work-related injuries.
If you’re injured at work, hire a skilled Columbia workers’ compensation lawyer immediately. They’ll ensure you file your claim correctly and get the treatment and compensation you deserve.
Don’t delay. Goings Law Firm, LLC is here to help you with your South Carolina workers’ compensation claim for your workplace injuries.
All you have to do is contact us at (803) 350-9230 or reach out online for a free consultation from an experienced lawyer — to get some of the best legal advice on your claim available in South Carolina.
What About the Paperwork and Deadlines for Filing Claims?
It is important to know that South Carolina workers’ compensation claims are subject to strict deadlines for reporting and filing claims and documentation. In addition, the hearing process requires an injured worker to follow many South Carolina statutes and regulations. This, along with complying with the rules of the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission and gathering of evidence, proves the work-related injury.
These requirements can be daunting without an attorney. Many workers’ compensation benefits are lost because the injured worker is unaware of these laws and strict legal requirements.
By involving a workers’ compensation lawyer, you can rely on seasoned advice from those who have helped hundreds like you through the process. You can rely on your lawyer to keep track of deadlines, help you organize your information, and tell the story behind your personal injury lawsuit.
You can get help preparing for your hearing so you don’t make a crucial mistake. In other words, a workers’ compensation lawyer can ensure a complex process goes smoothly, so the workers’ compensation insurance that you are waiting for is available quickly.
Your workers’ compensation claim is the most important thing in your life right now, but, to many lawyers, you will just be another client. That callousness can lead to mistakes or oversights on your lawyer’s part, affecting your workers comp claim further.
When pursuing a workers’ compensation claim, you want to know that your lawyer cares about you and is always willing to put your interests first.
Goings Law Firm, LLC has developed a reputation for its client-first philosophy. Our lawyers have been recognized not just for their legal knowledge and success but for their passion for helping their clients overcome their difficulties.
Why a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Makes All the Difference
Recovering from a workplace injury is hard. Dealing with paperwork, legal issues, and potential conflicts with your employer or insurance carrier and their insurer only adds to the stress.
The workers’ compensation process can be tough to navigate, especially when you’re in pain. It’s easy to miss deadlines, make errors in paperwork, or lose vital evidence. Such mistakes can delay or even deny your claim.
You need an experienced Columbia workers’ compensation lawyer. Contact us today for a free consultation.
The Defense Base Act
In addition to helping individuals injured on the job here in the U.S., our firm is ready to assist civilians and injured employees while working on overseas U.S. military bases or as overseas military contractors.
The Defense Base Act provides a way for these individuals to pursue compensation for their work-related injuries, and our firm knows what it takes to help injured workers with their medical benefits. Learn more about how we can help you with the Defense Base Act.
Frequently Asked Questions About Workers’ Compensation
Our workers’ compensation attorneys handle numerous workers’ compensation claims in South Carolina and are frequently asked questions about these cases. Some of the questions we hear the most often include:
Why Would I Want a Lawyer for a Workers’ Comp Case?
Insurance companies often aren’t on the side of workers. They look for legal loopholes to reduce or deny benefits. It’s common for them to cite preexisting conditions or claim missing medical documents to avoid responsibility.
However, with an expert lawyer, you have a strong ally. They know South Carolina workers’ compensation laws thoroughly. They can gather the necessary evidence and counter any claims about preexisting conditions. A skilled SC workers’ compensation attorney fights to get you the maximum benefits for your work injury’ claim.
Can I Be Compensated for an Injury That Was Not an Accident?
Serious injuries, like permanent disabilities or fatal injuries, require legal representation. They have claims ranging from lost wages to funeral expenses. Some workers develop diseases from their work environment and can claim workers’ comp.
However, South Carolina law doesn’t cover repetitive stress injuries, strokes, and certain other conditions if caused by general work conditions. An attorney can guide you on filing claims for lost wages and medical expenses.
The Accident Was My Fault, Will That Affect My Benefits?
The circumstances of the accident will determine this. Getting workers’ compensation benefits might be harder if you were playing around, using drugs, or ignoring company rules during the accident.
Workers’ comp typically covers most situations common workplace injuries. If unsure, consult your lawyer. They can guide you on your rights and potential entitlements, including lost wages.
Will I Be Able To See My Own Doctor If I File a Claim?
You may or may not be able to see your doctor if you file for workers’ compensation benefits, and that decision depends on your employer. Sometimes, an employer will choose a specific doctor for their workers’ comp, and if you want to use those workers comp benefits yourself, you will have to see that doctor. This is often a requirement of their insurance company.
After a time, you may be able to switch to your doctor for further examination, but that must be verified with your human resources department. Contact the Goings Law Firm, LLC if you have further questions about your case.
Hurt on the Job? Talk to a S.C. Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
The South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission is located in Columbia, so hiring a local, experienced workers compensation attorney others’ compensation attorney to handle your claim is a good idea Goings Law Firm, LLC is located in Columbia, and we know the ins and outs of the system intimately.
At the Goings Law Firm, LLC, our clients come first. We understand that being injured and unable to work can place a tremendous financial strain on you and your family. We will work tirelessly on your behalf to see that you receive the benefits you are entitled to.
Goings Law Firm, LLC Excellence in Supporting Injured Workers
Our lawyers have all been singled out for their excellence and their dedication. Robert F. Goings was named an Emerging Legal Leader by South Carolina Lawyers Weekly Magazine and won the University of South Carolina’s most prestigious award, the Compleat Lawyer.
Christian E. Boesl has an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell and has been placed on the South Carolina Super Lawyer Rising Stars list.
Meanwhile, Jessica L. O’Neal Gooding has been the author of several publications, has argued before the National Labor Relations Board and South Carolina’s state and federal courts, and is a former Symposium Editor for the South Carolina Law Review.
The prestigious backgrounds of our lawyers have made it possible for us to provide high-quality assistance to Columbia residents moving through the workers’ compensation process.
Who Will Lead You Through the Workers’ Compensation System?
At Goings Law Firm, LLC, we devote our efforts to representing you. Our law firm will know you by your name, not by a number assigned to your case like some other firms. We won’t assign your case a mere ‘file number’ or hand it to a paralegal. If you think you are entitled to workers compensation benefits, report the injury to your insurance
If a workplace accident injured you, our Columbia workers’ compensation attorneys can help get the compensation you deserve. They’ll fight for your lost wages and benefits. Call us at (803) 350-9230 to discuss how we can guide you through the claim process. We only charge a fee if we secure financial compensation for your workplace injuries.
Contact a Columbia workers’ compensation lawyer from Goings Law Firm, LLC in Columbia today for a free consultation about your work-related injury.
