Lost Wages

Workers’ Compensation Attorney Serving Claimants in Spartanburg and Greenville

The workers’ compensation system provides injured employees in South Carolina with a wide range of rights. In addition to receiving payments to help offset the financial costs associated with being hurt on the job, the system is designed to provide an injured worker with compensation for any wages he or she lost as a result of the accident or illness. Before an injured worker can receive benefit payments, however, he or she must file a claim and have his or her claim approved. At the Knie & Shealy Law Offices, Greenville and Spartanburg workers’ compensation lawyer Patrick E. Knie can ensure that your rights are protected throughout the claims process and any appeals that may be necessary.

Benefits for Lost Wages

If you have suffered an accident or illness related to your job duties, you can file a claim for benefits with your employer or its workers’ compensation insurance carrier. After you file your claim, you will likely be contacted by the insurance company to schedule a medical examination. During this appointment, a doctor selected by the insurance carrier will evaluate your injuries and determine whether they are temporary or permanent and whether they are partial or total. While a partial and temporary disability consists of an injury that probably will heal and does not render the victim unable to perform any work, a permanent and total disability is a serious and ongoing condition that prevents the victim from performing a wide range of physical tasks.

After reviewing the doctor’s opinion, the injured employee has the option of requesting a second opinion from a doctor of his or her choosing. If the second doctor’s opinion is vastly different from the first doctor’s opinion, a third doctor referred to as an independent medical examiner will conduct another examination to provide a “tiebreaker” assessment.

If an injured worker’s claim for benefits is approved, he or she will be entitled to receive regular payments at set intervals for a specific period of time. The workers’ compensation laws provide a formula for determining the amount of benefits to which the worker is entitled. A certain portion of the payment is intended to provide the employee with compensation for any paychecks or wages that he or she will miss as a result of the injury, although the payments are not intended to cover the employee’s entire wage amount. The calculator determines a weekly wage and provides a range for the amount of lost wage compensation that the employee is meant to receive. Ensuring this calculation is performed correctly is a critical step in a workers’ compensation claim and may have serious implications for an injured worker.

Consult an Experienced Workers’ Compensation Lawyer in Greenville or Spartanburg

If you suffered injuries on the job or in an accident or illness related to your job duties, Spartanburg and Greenville workers’ compensation attorney Patrick E. Knie is ready to help you seek the benefits that you deserve. He serves injured workers in many areas of South Carolina, including Greenville, Laurens, Union, Cherokee, and Spartanburg Counties. He provides a free consultation to help you determine your legal options. Call us at (864) 582-5118 or contact us online to set up an appointment with a work injury attorney.