Aiken Workers Compensation Lawyer
You never expect to end your workday in the hospital. However, when that happens, you could seek damages through workers' compensation benefits. Most employees in the state have this type of coverage. Benefits can include your medical bills, some of your lost income, and other forms of financial assistance.
An Aiken workers' compensation lawyer can pursue your case if you want help securing benefits after an on-the-job accident. Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers believes that you deserve coverage if you suffered harm on the job. Call today to begin your no-obligation case review.
An Aiken workers compensation lawyer from our firm can do everything possible to secure the financial award you deserve. To begin your free case review, contact us now.
Our Lawyers Manage Workers' Compensation Claims on Contingency
Your injury could prevent you from working for weeks, months, or even years. While trying to make ends meet, you may have concerns about affording legal help. You can put those worries aside because we work on a contingency-fee basis. It costs you nothing out of pocket to retain our help.
Our Aiken Attorneys Help Injured Workers in These Fields
South Carolina law outlines who can seek workers' compensation benefits and who cannot.
We're ready to lend a helping hand if you suffered harm as a:
- Construction worker
- Retail store employee
- Teacher, police officer, or firefighter
- Healthcare professional
- Property owner or manager
- Fast food or restaurant employee
- Tradesperson
People hurt on the job in other fields can also seek compensation. You may qualify for workers' compensation benefits even if you work part-time. Our attorneys can explain more about whether you qualify.
What You Can Expect from Your Workers' Compensation Lawyer in Aiken
Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers can do everything possible to pursue the benefits you need.
We can:
- File your workers' compensation claim
- Evaluate what damages you can seek
- Investigate the cause of your injury
- Interview witnesses to your accident
- Connect your injury to your work-related duties
- Protect you from allegations of fault or wrongdoing
- Review the applicable workers' compensation policy
- Explore whether you can file a personal injury case
You can rely on us to complete all the legal tasks connected to your case.
How Does the Workers' Compensation System Work in South Carolina?
Workers' compensation offers benefits to those who suffer harm on the job.
Pursuing benefits generally happens as follows:
- You notify your employer. The South Carolina Workers' Compensation Commission (SCWCC) notes that you should tell your employer about your accident and injuries as soon as possible. Don't fear retaliation; legally, your employer cannot fire you for initiating the workers' compensation claims process.
- You notify the SCWCC. You generally have two years from your accident to notify this state-regulated agency. This requires submitting a Form 50, which includes your name, accident date, and type of injury.
- You seek medical attention. Your employer will refer you to a doctor in their insurer's care network. You may have to pay for those expenses if you see a doctor outside of this network. The state makes some exceptions if you require immediate medical attention and go to the emergency room.
- You start getting benefits. You start receiving lost income benefits following the eighth day of your injury. You could also receive temporary disability benefits. Your employer should cover your medical expenses.
- You return to work (hopefully). Your doctor must clear you for work (or reduced duty) before you can resume your job. This ensures that you don't worsen your work-related injury. If you're cleared to continue working, your benefits end.
Keep in mind that your case may progress differently than the example listed above. For instance, your employer may refuse to file your claim, delaying how quickly you receive benefits. The insurer could also wrongfully deny your workers' compensation claim.
For this reason, partnering with Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers could benefit you. We can address any challenges that prevent you from seeking benefits and push for what you need.
You Could Receive These Benefits from a Workers' Compensation Claim in Aiken
Workers' compensation intends to provide coverage for:
- Two-thirds of your average weekly income
- Your injury-related medical expenses
- Disability benefits, depending on the severity of your condition
Workers' compensation in South Carolina does not provide coverage for non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering. Yet, if another party's negligence caused your injury, you could pursue that loss. Then, you could pursue both a workers' compensation and personal injury claim to recoup certain damages.
You Could Get These Benefits Through a Personal Injury Case
Workers' compensation is a no-fault system, meaning you can seek benefits regardless of who (or what) caused your injury. Personal injury cases have different standards. Here, if another party caused your job-related injury (other than your employer), you can pursue them for damages.
This could offer coverage beyond what workers' compensation covers, such as:
- The full cost of your lost income
- Medical bills
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Scarring and disfigurement
While you generally have two years to file a workers' compensation claim, you have a bit longer to pursue an injury case. As explained by South Carolina law, you typically have three years from the date of your accident to file your lawsuit.
The team at Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers can manage both your workers' compensation and personal injury cases. You can explore these options today for free during your case review.
What You Need to Know About Workers' Compensation: A Short Guide
Our team serving Aiken wants you to understand everything about your workers' compensation case moving forward. Consider some important information that could help you make informed decisions regarding your claim.
Your Lawyer Can Address Your Case's Challenges
Some injured workers file claims with their workers' compensation insurance and receive benefits successfully. Yet, as you may already know, that's not the case for everyone. Countless challenges could impede your right to damages.
A workers' compensation lawyer from our firm in Aiken can address these challenges and advocate for your claim's approval.
Some challenges that we can tackle include:
- The insurer accuses you of being negligent. If the insurer believes that intoxication or horseplay resulted in your condition, it may deny your claim. Your lawyer can use the accident report, witnesses' testimony, and other supporting information to assert your right to damages.
- Your injury is unrelated to your job-related duties. To pursue damages, your injuries must relate to your job's duties. For instance, you could seek damages if you suffered harm in a collision while making deliveries. If you fell from a ladder, you can also seek benefits. Our team can connect your injury to your job when seeking what you need.
- Your employer does not have coverage. Most employers in South Carolina must offer employees workers' compensation coverage. If your employer let their policy lapse (or never purchased coverage), you could file a lawsuit to seek what you need.
These Injuries Could Merit Workers' Compensation Benefits
If you suffered any condition on the job that impedes your working ability, you could seek workers' compensation benefits. On-the-job injuries aren't just cuts and bruises; they can also relate to illnesses. For instance, if you developed lung cancer from smoke inhalation, you can seek benefits for any necessary medical treatment.
Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers knows how to advocate for those who have suffered:
- Broken and fractured bones
- Spinal cord trauma
- Nerve damage
- Soft-tissue injuries, such as torn ligaments
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Lost limbs
- Loss of sight, hearing, and other senses
Workers' Compensation Doesn't Cover Everyone
As noted, most employers in the state must provide coverage to their employees.
However, these workers generally cannot seek benefits through their jobs:
- Employees of businesses with a payroll amount lower than $3,000 per year
- Federal employees who work for the State of South Carolina
- Agricultural employees
- Casual employees
- Railroad or railway workers
- Licensed real estate brokers
You still have financial recovery options if you suffered harm as one of these workers. As noted, you could file a personal injury claim or lawsuit against the at-fault party to seek what you need.
You Can Receive Benefits for Longer Than You Think
Depending on the severity of your condition, you could receive benefits for up to 500 weeks. That's a little over nine years. However, if your injury left you with a life-long condition, you could receive benefits for the rest of your life. Our team can evaluate your situation and explain how long you could receive benefits.
The Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers Team Gets Results
We get you the results you need and provide legal advice through the whole court process. Don't be unprepared when you could have one of the best legal teams out there to assist you. Reach out to us today to get your consultation.
What Do People Have to Share About Our Aiken Workers' Compensation Firm?
Honest. Generous. Efficient. These include just some of the words former clients use to describe our South Carolina injury firm.
When our past clients leave comments about their experience with our team, they often say:
- We offered prompt and thorough communication.
- They felt supported through a confusing, difficult time.
- We helped them secure the results they needed.
We want you to feel just as valued as our previous clients. We intend to help you by fighting for the best possible resolution to your workers' compensation case. The team at Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers hopes to manage your claim from start to finish.
What Should I Do After Suffering Injuries at My Job?
The accident that harmed you is over. Yet, its aftermath continues.
If you suffered an on-the-job injury, act promptly:
- Notify your employer. Even if you're not sure about filing a workers' compensation claim, you should tell your employer as soon as possible anyway. This lays the foundation for any case you hope to pursue-plus, it protects your right to damages.
- Seek medical attention. If you need emergency medical care, do not wait until your claim gets approved. Seek care immediately. Although you must see medical providers in your employer's insurance network, if it's an emergency, the insurer could make an exception and reimburse you anyway.
Other considerations after an on-the-job injury include:
- Heeding your doctors' orders
- Keeping all information related to your injury
- Writing down the names and contact information of potential witnesses
- Refraining from giving a recorded statement to an insurance company
- Limiting your physical activity and what you share on social media
When you connect with Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers, we can explain other post-accident measures that could benefit your case.
Frequently Asked Questions About Workers' Compensation Benefits in Aiken
This could be your first time applying for workers' compensation benefits. So, we understand you may have many questions about the process. We've compiled some commonly asked inquiries we get from other people in your situation. Some of those questions include:
Can My Employer Fire Me for Seeking Workers' Compensation Benefits?
Your employer cannot fire you for filing a workers' compensation claim. You have laws that protect you from retaliation. If your employer does fire you, you can file a wrongful termination lawsuit against them.
How Long Does It Take to Resolve a Workers' Compensation Claim?
Our attorneys in Aiken strive to resolve workers' compensation claims as soon as possible. This involves gathering compelling evidence of your losses, interviewing witnesses, and working to move your claim along. However, your case could take weeks or months to resolve. Your attorney can keep you updated on your case's progression and any other information you should know.
Can I Sue My Employer?
In most cases, you cannot sue your employer after suffering an on-the-job injury. However, you could sue another party if they contributed to or caused your injury.
Consider this scenario:
- You were working on a construction site.
- A power tool backfired, causing you to suffer severe burns.
Here, you could file a workers' compensation claim because you suffered injuries while working. You could also file a product liability claim against the power tool's manufacturer since the item did not work as expected.
Our team can evaluate your financial recovery options and pursue what you need.
What Are the Leading Causes of On-the-Job Injuries?
The National Safety Council (NSC) lists some of the leading causes of on-the-job injuries:
- Electrocutions
- Exposure to radiation
- Toxic substances, such as asbestos and pesticides
- Oxygen deprivation
- Overexertion
- Repetitive motions
- Falls
- Being hit by falling objects
- Getting stuck in (or between) objects
- Fires
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) notes that construction is one of the most injurious lines of work. Yet, people from all walks of life suffer work-related injuries every day. When they do, they turn to the team at Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers.
Begin Your Free Case Review With Our Injury Team
Do you have questions about your workers' compensation claim in Aiken? Our team stands ready to listen. To discuss your case with a member of our team, contact us today at (803) 470-4444. Your free case review comes with no obligation. Reach out to a Aiken personal injury lawyer.
