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Need a Workers’ Comp Lawyer in Columbia, SC?
Consider One Who’s Helped 100’s of People Get the Compensation They Deserve.
If you have been injured on the job in Columbia, SC, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits, regardless of who was at fault.
Your employer and their workers’ compensation insurance carrier are required to provide temporary benefits including wage replacement and payment of your medical expenses as you recover from an on-the-job accident, and they are required to provide permanent benefits when you suffer a partial or total disability as a result of work related injuries.
Unfortunately, insurance companies are not in business to help injured workers – they are in business to make money, and they make money by denying or limiting valid workers’ compensation claims whenever possible.
A workers’ comp lawyer in Columbia, SC can help to protect your rights, to keep the insurance companies honest, and to force them to pay your full benefits whether you are seeking immediate temporary benefits after an accident or permanent benefits based on a long-term disability.
At any stage of the claims process, the Columbia, SC workers’ compensation law firm of J. Bradley Baker can help you to recover the full benefits to which you are entitled after an on-the-job injury.
Columbia, SC Workers’ Compensation Lawyer J. Bradley Baker is committed to getting maximum compensation for clients.
Whether you are preparing to file your workers’ compensation claim or you need to appeal a denial of your valid workers’ comp claim, Columbia, SC workers’ compensation lawyer J. Bradley Baker can help you to:
- Gather the medical evidence you will need to prove your workers’ compensation claim,
- File your claim and request a hearing before the Workers’ Compensation Commission,
- Negotiate with the insurer to get your claim approved,
- Present your medical evidence to a workers’ compensation commissioner,
- File any appeals that are necessary to get your claim approved, and
- Help you to maximize your impairment rating and final settlement when you have suffered a permanent disability due to an on-the-job injury.
An experienced workers’ compensation attorney in Columbia, SC can help you to maximize your temporary benefits or final settlement by ensuring your medical evidence is presented to the Workers’ Compensation Commission, litigating legal issues when the insurance company attempts to deny your benefits, and appealing any unfair denials of benefits.
A Workers’ Compensation Attorney in Columbia, SC Can Ensure That Your Rights Are Protected
If you are filing a workers’ compensation claim in SC, or if your claim has been unfairly denied or limited by your employer’s insurance company, it is critical that you understand your rights and how to enforce them in court.
Learn more about the workers’ compensation claims process in Columbia, SC:
The Workers’ Compensation Claims Process
If you are injured in an on-the-job accident, you should immediately report your accident to your employer.
Although you have 90 days to report the injury and up to two years to file your claim, any delay in reporting will be seized upon by the insurance company as a way to claim that you were not injured at the workplace or that you are exaggerating your injuries.
Once you have reported the injury to your employer:
- Your employer should provide you with the required workers’ compensation forms and assist you in filing your claim,
- If your employer does not file the forms on your behalf, you must file your claim with the Workers’ Compensation Commission,
- If the insurance company does not provide the full benefits to which you are entitled, you must request a contested hearing before a workers’ compensation commissioner,
- If the commissioner does not approve your benefits, you may file a series of appeals to get their decision reversed, and
- You may be required to request additional hearings and appeals if the insurance company later denies any permanent benefits to which you are entitled.
What Benefits am I Entitled to Receive?
Depending on the nature of your injuries and the stage of your case, you may be entitled to receive:
- Temporary benefits as you recover from your injuries,
- Wage replacement benefits of 66 ⅔ percent of your average weekly wage,
- Your medical expenses including hospital bills, surgery costs, doctor bills, medications, and the cost of medical equipment,
- Death and funeral benefits for a deceased employee’s family, and
- Permanent benefits based on partial or total permanent disability.
Workers’ Compensation Appeals
If your workers’ compensation benefits are denied by your employers’ insurance company, you can 1) file a formal claim and request a hearing before the Commission, and 2) appeal any unfair denials of your benefits to a higher authority.
The workers’ compensation appeals process in SC includes:
- The Workers’ Compensation Commission – an initial hearing with a single commissioner,
- A panel of the Workers’ Compensation Commission, known as the “Full Commission,”
- The SC Court of Appeals, and
- The SC Supreme Court.
You may have the right to request a formal hearing and file any necessary appeals at various stages of the claims process, from initial denials of temporary benefits through determinations of your impairment rating and final settlement for total or partial permanent disabilities resulting from the on-the-job accident.
Types of Injuries Covered by Workers’ Compensation in SC
You are entitled to compensation when you suffer an “accidental injury” that “arose out of and in the course of employment.”
It doesn’t matter who caused the accident – workers’ compensation in SC is no-fault insurance. You should be compensated if the injury was accidental and if it occurred while you were “on the clock.”
Common injuries that are covered by workers’ compensation insurance in SC include:
- Back and neck Injuries
- Shoulder and arm injuries
- Leg and knee injuries
- Broken bones,
- Burns and electrical shock injuries,
- Disfigurement and scarring,
- Spinal cord injuries,
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI),
- Vision and hearing injuries,
- Slip and fall injuries, trip and fall injuries, and falls from heights, and
- Injuries caused by machinery in the workplace.
- Repetitive Trauma Injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome
- Occupational disease caused by exposure to harmful chemicals or other hazards in the workplace
The law firm of J. Bradley Baker continues to grow because they draw from years of experience fighting for the rights of injured workers in Columbia, SC, and the surrounding areas.
Columbia, SC, Workers’ Compensation Lawyer J. Bradley Baker:
- Has nearly 30 years of legal experience,
- Understands SC workers’ compensation law and the common defenses insurance companies use to try to avoid paying your benefits,
- Regularly appears in front of the workers’ compensation commissioners, and knows the procedure for getting your claim approved, and
- Cares about his clients and the hardships that their families are facing after an on-the-job injury.
When you choose our Columbia, SC workers’ compensation law firm to handle your case, you will receive personal attention directly from a workers’ compensation attorney who listens closely and carefully to your situation.
We make communication with our clients a priority, answer your questions, and keep you up to date on what is happening in your case throughout the claims process.
Last but not least, J. Bradley Baker understands that most people are not thrilled about filing a workers’ comp claim against their employer.
He also understands that people who retain his services are not out for blood but rather fair compensation for their on-the-job injuries.
Regardless, he will help you get the maximum compensation that you deserve!
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