Please contact the law offices of McWhirter, Bellinger & Associates, P.A. today to schedule your initial consultation with a Workers´ Compensation attorney in Columbia and surrounding areas of South Carolina.

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Many people, after being injured on the job, wonder if they are eligible to collect Workers´ Compensation. After on-the-job accidents and injuries, people are often unable to work again for a very long time. Some, unfortunately, are injured so severely, that they are never able to work again. The rules and regulations of Workers´ Compensation vary from state to state and only an experienced Workers´ Compensation attorney can advise you of all your rights following an injury related to your employment.

Workers' Compensation laws are designed to ensure that employees who are injured or disabled on the job are provided with fixed monetary awards, eliminating the need for litigation. These laws also provide benefits for dependents of those workers who are killed because of work-related accidents or illnesses. Some laws also protect employers and fellow workers by limiting the amount an injured employee can recover from an employer and by eliminating the liability of co-workers in most accidents. State Workers´ Compensation statutes establish this framework for most employment. Federal statutes are limited to federal employees or those workers employed in some significant aspect of interstate commerce.

South Carolina

In the state of South Carolina, almost all SC business with four or more employees are required to provide Workers´ Compensation, though there are a few exceptions. To find out if you are covered, simply ask your employer or contact the South Carolina Workers´ Compensation Commission. If your company does, in fact, provide employees Workers´ Compensation, you are automatically covered as soon as you´re on the job, and your employer pays the premium for your Workers´ Compensation.

When You Are Injured

If you are injured at your job, you must immediately tell your supervisor about the accident or injury. He/she must get all the details and notify the insurance company. If it´s an emergency situation, get medical attention right away. If it´s not an emergency, your employer will refer you to a physician and treatment facility. All accidents should be reported even if you do not feel injured. Some injuries are not obvious but can be very serious, nonetheless. Even if the accident was your own fault, as long as it happened at work, or was job related, you are covered. Workers´ compensation is a no-fault system, which means you are protected no matter who is at fault.

If you are wondering if you are eligible to collect money from Workers´ Compensation or not, you will need an attorney to help you get your answer. Every worker injured in South Carolina is covered by Workers´ Compensation. If there are exceptions to this, your experienced workers´ compensation attorney can explain this to you.