If you have been injured in an accident or injury, you know how frustrating it is mentally, physically, and financially to recover. Trying to move forward as the medical bills pile up while you continue to miss work can be devastating. Luckily, there are options for individuals that find themselves in this all-too-common situation.
Two common means of seeking financial recourse during the period following an accident or injury that leaves you unable to work are Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Workers’ Compensation. Depending on the circumstances, you may be lawfully entitled to one or both forms of payment, allowing you to receive up to 80% of your paycheck that you were making before your injury.
Workers’ Compensation
Workers’ compensation insurance is something the vast majority of employers must carry to be in compliance with the law in South Carolina. Workers’ compensation will cover an accident, condition, or injury that occurs during the scope of your employment. Your employer has an obligation to keep the premises of your work reasonably safe, supervise you adequately, and provide reasonable instruction and training for various tasks. The employer’s workers’ compensation insurance will contribute towards medical expenses and time lost from work. Workers’ compensation has generally fewer standards and requirements than Social Security disability insurance (SSDI), which is a program run through the federal government. Although there are government-based workers’ compensation organizations, the vast majority are private companies hired by individual employers for the benefit of their employees in the event of accident or injury in the work place.
Social Security Disability Insurance
SSDI has strict requirements for eligibility in South Carolina and across the country. In order to be eligible for SSDI, you must be determined to be “disabled” according to the standards of the Social Security Administration. You must be able to demonstrate in your application for benefits that you have a condition that is likely to keep you out of work for a year or longer. You provide your line of work, education, and vocational and training experience to see if you may be capable of working in a less strenuous job environment while you recover from your injury. If this is not possible, you may be awarded SSDI benefits to cover some of your expenses until you are able to rejoin the workforce.
Disability Attorneys in South Carolina
Neither workers’ compensation nor SSDI are automatic benefits that you receive following an accident or injury. For a workers’ compensation claim, timely reporting of an accident or injury is critical, as is seeing a doctor as soon as possible, potentially one designated by your employer’s insurance company. SSDI has a strict application process that requires you to adequately demonstrate your disability and the long-term prognosis of such disability. While both programs may have appeals procedures, it is best that all paperwork is done correctly the first time to ensure you can start receiving the benefits that you are entitled to as soon as possible. Hiring experienced Social Security disability attorneys and workers’ compensation attorneys at the beginning of the process will ensure your application is timely and correct. Our knowledgeable lawyers at the Solomon Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina know how to navigate disability claims in South Carolina. Contact our offices today at 1-803-219-8870 to learn more about how to navigate your disability claims.
