The South Carolina workers’ compensation system provides a variety of benefits to workers injured on the job. Some injuries will heal fully after sufficient rest and medical treatment, but other workers are stuck with long-lasting or permanent disabilities. Helpfully, South Carolina makes Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) benefits available for some workers. Contact Hart Law to speak with a Columbia workers’ compensation lawyer about your claim.
What Are Permanent Partial Disability Benefits?
Not all injuries completely disable a worker. Some workers will suffer an injury which is permanent but does not prevent them from returning to work with limited capabilities.
Examples include:
- Loss of hand or finger
- Loss of foot or toe
- Partial vision loss
- Hearing impairment
- Nerve injuries
- Chronic carpal tunnel syndrome
- Joint injuries
A worker with a permanent partial injury has suffered some loss of functioning which is permanent. However, the worker should still be able to return to the workforce, even if they cannot do their former job.
Many workers receive Permanent Partial Disability benefits after undergoing months and treatment and rehabilitation. Their condition improves enough that they can leave the house and begin working again, but they still suffer some residual impairment.
By contrast, Permanent Total Disability (PTD) benefits compensate those who are so seriously injured they can never work again. Dramatic injuries like severe brain trauma or paralysis usually qualify. These workers often transition from Temporary Partial Disability to Permanent Total Disability benefits.
Receiving Compensation for Permanent Partial Disabilities
In South Carolina, the amount of benefits will depend on several factors, such as your degree of impairment and the body part which is permanently impaired.
First, your doctor will assign an impairment rating. For example, a person who loses their hand in an accident has suffered a 100% impairment of this body part. But someone who has suffered serious nerve damage in their hand might only have 50% impairment.
Second, most injuries are listed on a schedule that identifies the maximum number of weeks a worker can receive benefits. Examples include:
- Arm: 220 weeks
- Back: 300 weeks
- Foot: 140 weeks
- Hip: 280
- Eye: 140
- Leg: 195
Some injuries might be unscheduled but nonetheless qualify for PPD benefits.
Third, a workers’ average weekly wages go into the calculation, depending on your injury. The average weekly wage is typically based on what you earned before you were hurt.
Some disputes arise regarding your impairment rating. You might believe you have completely lost the use of a limb or your vision, whereas your doctor believes you have some residual function. This disagreement will directly impact the amount of compensation you receive. The doctor submits their impairment rating to the Workers’ Compensation Commission, and you might have your lawyer challenge the rating.
Contact Hart Law Today to Discuss a Workplace Injury
On-the-job injuries leave thousands of South Carolina residents in pain and financial distress. You need an experienced law firm committed to obtaining all the workers’ compensation benefits you are entitled to. Contact our office today at (803) 771-7701 to schedule your free consultation.