To put it simply, your benefits will cease when you are able to work. After your doctor clears you to return to work and it is within 150 days of your injury, you will receive notification from the Workers’ Compensation Commission that your benefits have been stopped. If this has happened, you should contact an experienced South Carolina workers’ compensation attorney.
The notification of stopped benefits will include the reasons that your benefits were stopped. If you find these reasons to be false (for example, it cites your doctor as saying you are cleared to work, but your doctor said no such thing) you will need to complete Section III of Form 15 in order to request a hearing with the Workers’ Compensation Commission. You will typically be granted a hearing 60 days after the Commission receives your form.
If you are cleared to work after 150 days of your injury, your employer will have you sign a Receipt of Compensation (Form 17) after you have been at work for two weeks.
Sometimes, your doctor will only partially clear you for work. If this is the case, your benefits are contingent on your accepting light work if it is offered. If you believe the doctor’s evaluation to be in error, or if you are unable to perform the work offered to you, you may request a hearing with the Commission.
This is a complex process and like any government agency, the Commission makes mistakes. Make sure you get the benefits you deserve. Call today for a free consultation with a dedicated South Carolina workers’ compensation attorney from The Dennison Law Firm.