Spinal Cord Injuries in South Carolina’s Workers’ Compensation Laws
Sustaining a work-related spinal cord injury is a life-altering event that requires extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation. Workers in South Carolina need to be aware of their rights and the benefits available to them under the state’s workers’ compensation laws. In this blog post, we will examine South Carolina’s laws regarding spinal cord injuries and the lifetime benefits afforded to injured workers.
Spinal cord injuries are catastrophic and often result in permanent disability. In South Carolina, workers’ compensation benefits cover medical expenses, rehabilitation, lost wages, and disability benefits. These benefits are available to workers who have suffered spinal cord injuries or permanent paralysis. According to South Carolina law, if the spinal cord injury is deemed as “total and permanent,” then the injured worker is eligible for lifetime benefits.
Under South Carolina’s workers’ compensation laws, “total and permanent” injuries mean that the worker is unable to return to work in any capacity due to the severity of the injury. Lifetime benefits for spinal cord injuries include ongoing medical care, since many injured workers require lifelong medical support. The injured worker also receives permanent disability benefits for the rest of their life or until they reach legal retirement age.
When it comes to spinal cord injuries resulting from a work-related accident, workers’ compensation benefits cover a variety of expenses. Benefits can include emergency hospital care, surgery, medication, rehabilitation, and lost wages. In South Carolina, injured workers are also eligible for vocational rehabilitation services to help them return to work after they have recovered.
It’s important to know that workers’ compensation benefits do not depend on fault or negligence. Even if the injury was caused by the worker’s own mistake, there is no need to prove fault to receive workers’ compensation benefits for spinal cord injury. The injured worker is entitled to benefits as long as the injury occurred while performing their job duties.
Sustaining a spinal cord injury is a life-changing event that can have long-lasting effects on an individual’s life. Workers in South Carolina need to be aware of their rights and the benefits available to them when they suffer a spinal cord injury while performing their job duties. The state’s workers’ compensation laws provide lifetime benefits for workers who have experienced a total and permanent spinal cord injury, including ongoing medical care, disability benefits, and vocational rehabilitation services to help them return to work. Being informed and aware of these laws can help injured workers receive the support they need to move forward.
