If you suffer a shoulder injury on the job in South Carolina, you may wonder how much compensation you could receive. Numerous factors, including the nature and severity of the injury, the amount of medical expenses you have, and whether you miss work, can affect the amount of money you are entitled to for your shoulder injury.
At Jebaily Law Firm, our experienced personal injury and workers’ compensation attorneys are ready to assist in all aspects of your case and demand maximum shoulder injury compensation for you.
Common Work-Related Shoulder Injuries
Some of the most common work-related shoulder injuries are:
- Sprains
- Strains
- Tears
- Dislocations
- Separations
- Bursitis
- Impingements
- Adhesions
These injuries frequently involve structures in the shoulder, such as:
- Rotator cuffs
- Tendons
- Ligaments
- Muscles
- Bursae
- Nerves
- Cartilage
Determining Your Workplace Shoulder Injury Compensation
If you hurt your shoulder on the job, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits to pay you medical benefits and a portion of your lost wages if you are off work due to the injury.
If a third party that was not your employer caused your work-related injury, you might be eligible to file a third-party civil lawsuit as well as collect workers’ comp benefits. Your attorney may advise you to file a personal injury lawsuit to pursue other forms of compensation that are not available in a workers’ comp case. In a civil lawsuit, you can seek money for your pain, suffering, loss of consortium, and other losses that workers’ compensation doesn’t cover.
Factors Influencing Compensation Amount
You may wonder, “What is the average workers’ comp shoulder injury settlement?” No two shoulder injuries are alike, so your compensation will differ from someone else’s shoulder injury benefits.
Several factors affect how much money you may be entitled to for your injury, including:
- The severity of the injury
- The amount of your medical expenses
- Whether you had previously suffered an injury to the affected shoulder
- The amount of your lost wages
- Whether the injury limits your future earning capacity
- Whether a medical provider assigned you a disability rating
- The amount of rehab and physical therapy you need and the related costs
Workers’ Compensation Disability Ratings for Shoulder Injuries
If you injure your shoulder at work, you may be assigned a disability rating, which will affect the compensation you may receive in a workers’ comp case. If there is permanent impairment to your shoulder because of your work-related injury, your doctor may assign you a disability rating. The more impairment, the higher the disability rating will be.
You could be entitled to permanent partial disability (PPD) benefits. The PPD calculation is based on two-thirds of your average weekly wage (calculated on your prior year’s weekly average earnings) up to a maximum limit, the total number of weeks of benefits that may be paid for the loss of use of a shoulder, and the impairment rating.
How Our Lawyers Can Help You Maximize Your Compensation
At Jebaily Law Firm, we understand how stressful it is to be injured on the job, especially if you are left unable to work. Our attorneys are ready to go to work for you to pursue maximum compensation. Contact us today for a free case review.
