Temporary and Total Disability

Workers’ Compensation Lawyer for Spartanburg and Greenville Residents

The workers’ compensation system is designed to ensure that employees who suffer injuries during the course and scope of their employment receive appropriate compensation and medical care. In return for guaranteeing benefits to injured employees, the employer can avoid facing liability in a traditional lawsuit. As simple as this sounds, the workers’ compensation system is complex and often daunting. Greenville and Spartanburg workers’ compensation attorney Patrick E. Knie has helped many injured workers in South Carolina assert their right to benefits after an accident on the job, and he is ready to do the same for you.

Filing a Claim for Benefits Following a Workplace Accident

If you have suffered an injury while on the job, you likely will be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Visible and serious injuries like sprained backs and broken bones tend to be relatively straightforward grounds on which to establish a victim’s eligibility. Moreover, the workers’ compensation system also encompasses conditions that develop over time due to repetitive actions or job duties. Factory line workers, for example, tend to experience wrist and hand injuries that worsen gradually over time due to the overuse of those body parts.

The first thing that you should do after you realize that you may have been injured or become sick while on the job is to file a claim with your employer’s workers’ compensation carrier. Typically, the insurance carrier will set up a medical examination to learn more about the nature and extent of your rights, while creating records to help resolve your claim. Be honest with your physicians and be sure to follow any instructions that a medical provider prescribes.

There are two pairs of factors that are assessed when you file a workers’ compensation claim. One pair of factors, temporary and permanent, describes the duration of time that you are expected to suffer from the injury. The other pair of factors, partial and total, describe the extent of your injuries. Many workers experience something called a Temporary Total Disability (TTD), which means that they have suffered an injury that completely prevents them from working, but only temporarily. In this instance, the worker is expected to eventually return to the workplace after completing a course of medical treatment. This is different from a permanent total disability, a situation in which the injured individual will not be able to return to the workplace. It also contrasts with a partial disability, which is when the victim can continue working but only in a reduced capacity.

According to workers’ compensation law, an injured employee is entitled to receive full compensation during the TTD period, which lasts until the employee is medically cleared to return to work.

Consult a Workers’ Compensation Attorney in Greenville or Spartanburg

Navigating the workers’ compensation system is the last thing you should have to worry about after suffering a devastating job-related accident. Spartanburg and Greenville workers’ compensation lawyer Patrick E. Knie can guide you through the process of pursuing the full amount of benefits to which you may be entitled. He has provided dedicated legal representation to injured workers throughout Cherokee, Unions, Laurens, and Greenville Counties. Call work injury lawyer Patrick E. Knie at (864) 582-5118 or contact us online to set up a free consultation.