If you've been seriously hurt on the job in South Carolina, you may worry if there's a medical treatment cutoff deadline that could end your right to free care for your injury. In this brief video, a South Carolina workers comp attorney relieves that fear- and gives you your potential options.
Transcript
Our workers compensation clients often want to know what their future medical care options are. Basically there's three.
If you've been deemed permanently and totally disabled you can qualify for lifetime benefits. That means the insurance company pays for your medical care related to your injury for life. For example, if you get deemed permanently and totally disabled as a result of a back injury, the insurance company pays for medical care related to your back. These benefits don't mean you're totally helpless, but you can expect the insurance company to give up these expensive benefits without a fight.
Your second option is if you're not totally even permanently disabled you might qualify for medical care that just reduces your disability. These are called “dodge medicals” for the court case that authorizes them. They can also be for life and, as an example, you might just need painkillers to keep you at work so you can get through the day and then doctor visits for flare-ups. But, there's a catch. To get these benefits you've got to have medical evidence state at a certain way, and they're not handed out generously. To qualify and protect your rights to these potential benefits you should enlist the services of an experienced workers compensation lawyer.
Your third option occurs when you're unsure whether you're going to need medical care after the doctor releases you. In that situation you might qualify to come back to the doctor for one year after you get your last comp check. This is called a “form 16 settlement” and it's named after the form you sign to get that right.
Folks, you can't underestimate the importance of your future medical care decision in your workers compensation case. It impacts to vital areas of your life: your health and your ability to earn a living. At Holland & Usry, we take a critical review of your medical records, we also listen to your concerns and we even meet with your doctor if necessary to help you make the best possible decision for your future medical care needs in your workers comp case.
If you've got any other questions about workers compensation feel free to fill out our get help now form right on our website and you'll get an answer from an experienced workers compensation attorney. I thank you for thinking about this with me and I hope I see you soon.
