In the United States, workers’ compensation is a system in place that offers benefits to employees who are injured or become ill as a direct result of their job. The program can be complex to understand, with different types of coverage and eligibility requirements depending on the state in which you live. Here, it’s broken down into four types of workers’ compensation in South Carolina, to make it easier to understand.
Each type of coverage has its own set of benefits and eligibility requirements, which will be outlined below.
Temporary Disability Benefits
Temporary disability benefits are provided to workers who have an injury or illness that temporarily impairs their ability to work. These benefits help cover the wages lost due to time away from work and if you wonder how long workers’ compensations last, in most cases, they will last until the employee can return to their job or reach maximum medical improvement. There is also a question of how much these benefits will be, and in general, they will be two-thirds of the employee’s average weekly wages.
To qualify for these benefits, the employee must have a physician confirm that they are unable to work and provide an expected date of recovery. Also, it’s important to note that temporary disability benefits are not available in all states, however, in South Carolina, these benefits are much more common.
In addition to covering lost wages, some states also offer medical benefits through the workers’ compensation system. These benefits help cover the cost of necessary and appropriate medical care for the injury or illness that caused you to be unable to work.
Permanent Partial Disability Benefits
Permanent partial disability benefits are paid to workers who have a permanent impairment as a result of their injury or illness, but they are still able to return to some form of work. These benefits are typically a percentage of the worker’s wages before the injury and are paid out in installments over time.
On the other hand, some states do not offer permanent partial disability benefits at all, so it’s important to check with your state to see what is available. The amount of these benefits will vary depending on the type of injury, and in South Carolina, they are only available for workers who have a disability rating of five percent or more.
To make sure that you are eligible for permanent partial disability benefits, it’s important to check with your doctor and make sure they provide a valid impairment rating. Also, in some states, there is a cap on the number of benefits that can be paid out, so it’s important to check with your state to see if this is the case.
Permanent Disability Benefits
Permanent disability benefits are paid to employees who have an injury or illness that results in a permanent impairment. These benefits are typically provided in the form of a lump sum payment, although in some cases, monthly payments may also be available.
To qualify for permanent disability benefits in South Carolina, the employee must be 100% permanently disabled and unable to return to any form of work. These benefits are paid out based on a percentage of the state’s average weekly wage and will continue until death or the full amount has been paid out. However, in some cases, there may be a limit on the number of years that these benefits can be paid.
For example, in South Carolina, permanent disability benefits are available to workers who have a total disability rating of at least 50%, which is the minimum amount required.
Death Benefits
Death benefits are paid to the surviving spouse or dependents of an employee who dies as a result of their injury or illness. These benefits typically replace a portion of the wages that were lost due to the death and can also help cover the cost of funeral expenses.
In South Carolina, death benefits are paid out based on a percentage of the employee’s wages before the injury. There is also a maximum limit to how much can be paid out, and in most cases, these benefits will last until all dependents are no longer able to collect. Also, in some cases, there may be a waiting period before these benefits become available.
To receive death benefits, the surviving spouse or dependents must file a claim with the workers’ compensation office. They will need to provide proof of death, as well as proof of relationship to the deceased employee.
These were 4 main types of workers’ compensation that can provide benefits to employees who have been injured or become ill as a direct result of their job. These include temporary disability, medical benefits, permanent partial disability, and permanent disability benefits.
To learn more about each type and whether you might be eligible for any of these benefits in your state, you should consult with your doctor and check with your state’s workers’ compensation office.
