Have you been hurt in a workplace accident in Aiken, SC? You may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits or damages in a third-party lawsuit. An experienced Aiken workplace accidents lawyer at Hawk Law Group can help you protect your right to compensation for things like medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
For over three decades, we’ve worked hard to help injured workers like you get the money they deserve. We’ve recovered millions of dollars in life-changing settlements over the years.
Every case is unique–and you probably have a lot of questions. Contact our law offices in Aiken, South Carolina, at (803) 226-9089 to schedule a free consultation to learn more.
How Can Hawk Law Group Help After a Workplace Accident in Aiken, SC?
Injured workers often face challenges on many different fronts. The insurance company might be giving you the runaround. Maybe your benefits check is less than you expected. Your employer could even claim that your injuries weren’t work-related.
Other times, work accident victims mistakenly believe they have to rely solely on workers’ comp to get by. That’s not always the case.
Whatever challenges you’re facing, our Aiken personal injury lawyers at Hawk Law Group can help. Collectively, we have over 71 years of experience. We know the laws that govern your work injury case inside and out–so we’re well-prepared to fight for you. Our lawyers have received recognition as “Super Lawyers”, “Rising Stars” and “Top Lawyers”, among other top legal directories such as Justia, and more.
When you hire us, you can trust your attorney to:
- File your initial workers’ compensation claim
- Handle any challenges to your benefits
- Evaluate your rights under South Carolina personal injury laws
- Assess the value of your case
- Negotiate with the insurance companies to maximize your compensation award
Insurance companies recognize our name when they see it. Our founding attorney is well known throughout the CSRA due to his live call-in TV show, LawCall.
If you want to be taken seriously, reach out to our trusted Aiken personal injury attorneys for help today. We’d be proud to stand up for your rights.
How Common Are Workplace Accidents in Aiken, SC?
Work-related accidents are an everyday occurrence in South Carolina. Private industry employers reported over 34,000 nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in 2019.
There were a total of 5,333 fatal work injuries recorded in 2019, a 2-percent increase from 2018. 108 workers were killed on the job that year in South Carolina.
What is My Aiken Workplace Accident Case Worth?
The value of your case will depend on two key factors:
- The nature and severity of your injuries
- The identity of the party responsible for your injuries
If you, a co-worker, or your employer were liable for the accident, your recovery will likely be limited to workers’ comp benefits. Your case value will depend on:
- The cost of your medical treatment
- Your average weekly wages prior to the accident
- The duration of your recovery
- Whether you can work in a limited capacity
Under South Carolina workers’ compensation laws, you’ll receive a weekly check worth about 66 ⅔ of your average weekly wages prior to the accident. However, you can’t receive more than the weekly maximum established by law. In 2021, your cash benefits are limited to $903.40 per week–regardless of your past earnings.
You may be entitled to more if a third party caused your accident. When insurance companies award personal injury settlements, they consider factors like:
- The cost of your medical treatment, lost wages and out-of-pocket costs
- Your physical and emotional suffering
- The impact of the injury on your quality of life, education and future work prospects
- Any permanent disability or impairment caused by the accident
Under South Carolina personal injury laws, your case could also be worth less if you share any blame for the accident.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Workplace Accident Victims?
Your damages will depend on the type of claim you file. All injured workers are entitled to file a claim for workers’ compensation.
Your workers’ compensation benefits will include:
- All reasonable medical care
- Temporary disability benefits
- Permanent disability benefits
You’re only entitled to disability benefits if you miss at least seven days of work because of your injury. Once you miss at least 14 days of work, you can also be reimbursed for the first seven days of disability.
Additional damages may be available if a third party caused your accident. Let’s say you were hurt in a car accident while you were on the job. You can recover the same types of damages available to any other car crash victim in a personal injury case.
Our lawyers at Hawk Law Group will fight for the maximum compensation you deserve. That may include damages for:
- Past and future medical expenses
- 100% of your lost wages
- Reduced earning potential
- Rehabilitation
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket costs
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Diminished quality of life
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Anxiety, depression, and PTSD
- Loss of consortium
To recover these additional damages, you’ll first have to identify the responsible party–and prove negligence. Our lawyers in Aiken can help. All you have to do is call for a free case evaluation.
We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Workplace Accident Injuries
Not every work accident injury will be life-threatening. Many can have serious long-term consequences. It’s important to make sure you’re fairly compensated for all of your injuries.
At Hawk Law Group, we’re prepared to fight for you. We often represent clients who have sustained:
- Brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Vision or hearing loss
- Concussions
- Back injuries
- Nerve damage
- Lung damage
- Broken bones
- Burns
- Repetitive stress injuries
- Musculoskeletal injuries
- Amputation injury
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
Were you or a loved one injured on the job? Don’t hesitate to get legal advice. We offer a free consultation, so call to schedule yours today.
What Causes Most Workplace Accidents in Aiken, South Carolina?
Year after year, workers suffer injuries in the same types of accidents. According to National Safety Council data, the three most common causes of work-related injuries are:
- Overexertion and excessive physical effort, including lifting, carrying, or pushing objects
- Slips, trips, and falls
- Contact with objects and equipment in the workplace
But you might be wondering how these accidents happen. Often, they’re caused by simple carelessness.
Some of the most common causes of work-related accidents include:
- Lack of protective safety equipment
- Missing fall protection gear and equipment
- Unsafe or defective work equipment
- Negligent hiring, including failure to properly train, supervise, or screen employees
- Unsafe property conditions
- Communication failures between workers and management
- Failure to follow state and OSHA safety regulations
It’s important to understand what caused your accident. While you can claim workers’ comp regardless of the cause, you’ll have to identify a negligent party in order to file a personal injury lawsuit for additional damages.
Do you need help finding the evidence to prove what happened? Our experienced Aiken workplace accidents attorneys have the resources to help. Give our law firm a quick call for a free case review today.
We Handle All Workplace Accident Claims in Aiken, SC
At Hawk Law Group, we can help regardless of the circumstances surrounding your accident.
We often handle work accident claims involving:
- Slip and fall accidents
- Scaffolding accidents
- Roof and ladder falls
- Heavy machinery accidents
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Trucking accidents
- Accidents where a worker is caught in between two objects
- Injuries caused by falling objects
- Heavy lifting injuries
- Construction site accidents
- Manufacturing accidents
- Factory accidents
- Fires and explosions
- Electrocution
- Exposure to live electricity
- Defective electrical wiring
- Assault and violence in the workplace
Often, more than one party may share liability for your injuries. While you focus on getting better, our Aiken workers’ compensation lawyers can handle the legal issues.
How Do I Prove Negligence After a Workplace Accident in South Carolina?
You don’t have to worry about proving negligence or shared fault to file a workers’ compensation claim. That’s because workers’ compensation is a no-fault system. These issues only become relevant if you’re eligible to file a third-party claim.
To prove that a third party’s negligence caused your accident, you must establish:
- A legal duty of care (for example, the duty that drivers owe to others on the road)
- Breach of duty
- Causation
- Damages
You can’t sue your employer for negligence. You can sue anyone else whose acts contributed to your accident. That might include a property owner, at-fault driver or even the manufacturer of defective work equipment.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Workplace Accident in South Carolina?
You must report your injury to your employer within 90 days of the accident. If you wait any longer, you risk losing your right to workers’ compensation benefits.
The deadline for filing a personal injury lawsuit under the South Carolina statute of limitations is three years.
Contact an Aiken Workplace Accidents Lawyer for a Free Consultation
Don’t risk leaving money on the table if you were hurt on the job. Our lawyers are ready to help you pursue the full compensation you deserve. To learn more about an attorney-client relationship, call an Aiken workplace accidents lawyer at Hawk Law Group for a free consultation today.
Our Aiken, SC personal injury law office also provides:
- Car Accident Lawyer in Aiken, SC
- Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Aiken, SC
- Truck Accident Attorney in Aiken, SC
- Aiken, SC Bicycle Accident Lawyer