Charleston Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
For many years, the workers’ compensation system sped substantial financial benefits to injured workers, so they could get back on the job as quickly as possible. Frequently, lawyers were unnecessary. In fact, in many cases, attorneys simply got in the way. Those days are long gone. Workers’ compensation insurance premium payments have steadily declined over the years, so there is less money in the system. Furthermore, insurance company interests, and their lawyer allies, now dominate the process. So, the process is now victim-unfriendly.
At the Gus Anastopoulo Law Firm, our dedicated Charleston workers’ compensation lawyers are firmly on your side. We work to obtain the no-fault insurance benefits you need and deserve. Furthermore, as we go through this process together, we never take the easy way out. Instead, we fight for you. Furthermore, we keep the lines of communication open, so you are never in the dark.
Types of Workplace Injuries
Most people associate workers’ compensation with sudden trauma injuries. Indeed, most job injury claims are falls and other such injuries.
Falls often involve pre-existing conditions. Certain illnesses or injuries make certain people either more prone to a fall or cause the injuries to be more serious. For example, poor eyesight usually increases the risk of a fall, and a bad back makes fall injuries more severe.
Generally, full benefits are available in these situations. Insurance companies cannot use a victim’s vulnerabilities as an excuse to reduce or deny compensation. An attorney must simply show that the work injury aggravated the pre-existing condition, instead of the other way around.
Occupational diseases are common as well. These conditions slowly develop over the course of more than one work shift.
Hearing loss is the most common occupational disease in South Carolina. Long-term exposure to sounds as low as 35 decibels, which is basically a hair dryer at close distance, could cause permanent hearing loss.
If doctors treat these victims quickly enough, hearing loss is usually not difficult to correct. Today’s hearing aids are smaller and more effective than ever. However, if the noise has damaged the victim’s eardrum, risky and expensive surgery is usually the only option.
Most people do not run to the doctor at the first sign of hearing loss. Once again, a treatment delay usually does not affect your claim for benefits. Victims usually don’t have a legal duty to see a doctor until they know the full extent of their injuries, and they connect those injuries with their work environments.
Benefits Available
Workers’ compensation is not a lottery for injured victims. Instead, workers’ compensation gives people the financial benefits they need to fully recover from their injuries or illnesses. These benefits usually include:
- Medical Bill Payment: Workers’ compensation usually pays all reasonably necessary medical expenses. That includes not only hospitalization, but also ambulance and other transportation expenses, follow-up care, prescription drugs, medical devices, and physical or occupational therapy.
- Lost Wage Replacement: Temporarily disabled victims usually receive two-thirds of their Average Weekly Wage until their doctors clear them to return to work. The AWW includes regular and irregular cash and non-cash compensation. Permanently disabled victims are usually entitled to lump sum payments.
Some victims may sue outside the system and obtain additional compensation in some cases. The additional compensation usually includes money for noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering. Common situations include uninsured employers and employers who recklessly send workers into hazardous situations.
Reach out to a Diligent Charleston County Lawyer
All injury victims are entitled to fair compensation for their serious wounds. For a free consultation with an experienced Charleston workers’ compensation lawyer, contact the Gus Anastopoulo Law Firm. We do not charge upfront legal fees in these matters.
