Workers’ compensation benefits can provide injured workers and their families with critical financial support after a workplace injury. Charleston workers can recover compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and for a disability caused by a workplace accident.
It should generally be easy for a worker to prove their medical expenses or recover their lost wages. However, it can be far more challenging to determine the financial impact of a recently sustained disability. To prove a disability, the workers’ compensation system requires informal conferences.
These meetings are an opportunity for an injured worker to reach an agreement with their employer and their employer’s insurance carrier when a worker has sustained a permanent disability.
If you have suffered a workplace injury, the potential benefits of a Charleston workers’ compensation informal conference attorney’s help cannot be overstated. Workers’ compensation cases can be incredibly complex, often involving multiple doctors and potentially conflicting reports. A local attorney could be an invaluable resource to help ensure that you receive appropriate benefits following a workplace injury.
Understanding Workers’ Compensation Benefits
When a worker suffers an injury during the course of their employment, they may be entitled to receive various workers’ compensation benefits. Depending on the circumstances, these benefits could include:
- Medical benefits – compensation for all necessary medical care and treatment associated with a workplace injury
- Vocational rehabilitation – compensation for additional job training if a worker is unable to return to their former job due to an injury
- Temporary disability benefits – workers disabled more than seven days may receive 2/3 their weekly wage, capped at $838.21 per week
- Permanent total disability payments – workers suffering from a permanent injury are entitled to 2/3 of their weekly wage depending on the disabled body part
Developing a Favorable Case
At an informal conference, a Deputy Commissioner from the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission answers questions from workers and employers and works to reach a fair and appropriate settlement for a work-related disability. The results of an informal conference can have a substantial impact on an injured worker’s life, so help from an experienced informal conference attorney could be critical to developing a favorable case to present at one.
In an informal conference, each side has the opportunity to review the case, and a lawyer can collect evidence to support a worker during this conference. For example, a worker may be able to come back to work, meaning they would not need to be compensated for lost wages, but they may need physical therapy. To illustrate this need, an attorney representing them could collect reports from medical professionals to present at the meeting.
Role of Insurance Company Representatives at Informal Conferences
Insurance carriers often send experienced and knowledgeable claims representatives to informal conferences with instructions to save their company money. Through these representatives, insurance companies often present attractive settlement offers, but these are often heavily favored towards the insurance companies. One of the benefits of a Charleston workers’ compensation informal conference attorney is that they could review a settlement offer and determine if the offer is fair to the worker considering their injuries and future needs.
Working with a Charleston Informal Conference Attorney Could Have Many Benefits
Working with a workers’ compensation lawyer could mean your case is being handled by a professional who is familiar with the complex workers’ compensation system. To that end, the benefits of a Charleston informal conference attorney include their ability to utilize an informal conference to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve after suffering a workplace injury. Call today to retain a dedicated legal ally who could stand up to the insurance companies and work on your behalf to further your interests and health.
