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SECTIONS OF SC TITLE 42 PERTAINING TO SC WORKERS’ COMP AWARDS

The following are the principal sections of Chapter 9 of Title 42 governing monetary awards that SC Workers’ Comp provides, both the weekly payments and lump sum payments for permanent loss.

SECTION 42-9-10.

Amount of compensation for total disability; what constitutes total disability.

(A) When the incapacity for work resulting from an injury is total, the employer shall pay, or cause to be paid, as provided in this chapter, to the injured employee during the total disability a weekly compensation equal to sixty-six and two-thirds percent of his average weekly wages, but not less than seventy-five dollars a week so long as this amount does not exceed his average weekly salary; if this amount does exceed his average weekly salary, the injured employee may not be paid, each week, less than his average weekly salary. The injured employee may not be paid more each week than the average weekly wage in this State for the preceding fiscal year. In no case may the period covered by the compensation exceed five hundred weeks except as provided in subsection (C).

(B) The loss of both hands, arms, shoulders, feet, legs, hips, or vision in both eyes, or any two thereof, constitutes total and permanent disability to be compensated according to the provisions of this section.

(C) Notwithstanding the five-hundred-week limitation prescribed in this section or elsewhere in this title, any person determined to be totally and permanently disabled who as a result of a compensable injury is a paraplegic, a quadriplegic, or who has suffered physical brain damage is not subject to the five-hundred-week limitation and shall receive the benefits for life.

(D) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 42-9-301, no total lump sum payment may be ordered by the commission in any case under this section where the injured person is entitled to lifetime benefits.

SECTION 42-9-20.

Amount of compensation for partial disability.

Except as otherwise provided in Section 42-9-30, when the incapacity for work resulting from the injury is partial, the employer shall pay, or cause to be paid, as provided in this chapter, to the injured employee during such disability a weekly compensation equal to sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the difference between his average weekly wages before the injury and the average weekly wages which he is able to earn thereafter, but not more than the average weekly wage in this State for the preceding fiscal year. In no case shall the period covered by such compensation be greater than three hundred forty weeks from the date of injury. In case the partial disability begins after a period of total disability, the latter period shall not be deducted from a maximum period allowed in this section for partial disability.

SECTION 42-9-30.

Schedule of period of disability and compensation.

In cases included in the following schedule, the disability in each case is considered to continue for the period specified and the compensation paid for the injury is as specified:

(1) for the loss of a thumb sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during sixty-five weeks;

(2) for the loss of a first finger, commonly called the index finger, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during forty weeks;

(3) for the loss of a second finger, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during thirty-five weeks;

(4) for the loss of a third finger, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during twenty-five weeks;

(5) for the loss of a fourth finger, commonly called the little finger, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during twenty weeks;

(6) the loss of the first phalange of the thumb or any finger is considered to be equal to the loss of one half of such thumb or finger and the compensation must be for one half of the periods of time above specified;

(7) the loss of more than one phalange is considered the loss of the entire finger or thumb; provided, however, that in no case shall the amount received for more than one finger exceed the amount provided in this schedule for the loss of a hand;

(8) for the loss of a great toe, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during thirty-five weeks;

(9) for the loss of one of the toes other than a great toe, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during ten weeks;

(10) the loss of the first phalange of any toe is considered to be equal to the loss of one half of such toe and the compensation must be for one half the periods of time above specified;

(11) the loss of more than one phalange is considered as the loss of the entire toe;

(12) for the loss of a hand, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during one hundred and eighty-five weeks;

(13) for the loss of an arm, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during two hundred twenty weeks;

(14) for the loss of a shoulder, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during three hundred weeks;

(15) for the loss of a foot, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during one hundred forty weeks;

(16) for the loss of a leg, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during one hundred ninety-five weeks;

(17) for the loss of a hip, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during two hundred eighty weeks;

(18) for the loss of an eye, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during one hundred forty weeks;

(19) for the complete loss of hearing in one ear, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during eighty weeks; and for the complete loss of hearing in both ears, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during one hundred sixty-five weeks, and the commission, by regulation, shall provide for the determination of proportional benefits for total or partial loss of hearing based on accepted national medical standards;

(20) total loss of use of a member or loss of vision of an eye is considered as equivalent to the loss of the member or eye. The compensation for partial loss of or for partial loss of use of a member or for partial loss of vision of an eye is the proportion of the payments provided in this section for total loss as such partial loss bears to total loss;

(21) for the loss of use of the back in cases where the loss of use is forty-nine percent or less, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during three hundred weeks. In cases where there is fifty percent or more loss of use of the back, sixty-six and two-thirds percent the average weekly wages during five hundred weeks. The compensation for partial loss of use of the back shall be such proportions of the periods of payment herein provided for total loss as such partial loss bears to total loss, except that in cases where there is fifty percent or more loss of use of the back the injured employee shall be presumed to have suffered total and permanent disability and compensated under Section 42-9-10

(B). The presumption set forth in this item is rebuttable;

(22) for the total or partial loss of, or loss of use of, a member, organ, or part of the body not covered in this section and not covered under Section 42-9-10 or 42-9-20, sixty-six and two-thirds of the average weekly wages not to exceed five hundred weeks. The commission, by regulation, shall prescribe the ratio which the partial loss or loss or partial loss of use of a particular member, organ, or body part bears to the whole man, basing these ratios on accepted medical standards and these ratios determine the benefits payable under this subsection;

(23) proper and equitable benefits must be paid for serious permanent disfigurement of the face, head, neck, or other area normally exposed in employment, not to exceed fifty weeks. Where benefits are paid or payable for injury to or loss of a particular member or organ under other provisions of this title, additional benefits must not be paid under this item, except that disfigurement also includes compensation for serious burn scars or keloid scars on the body resulting from injuries, in addition to any other compensation.
The weekly compensation payments referred to in this section all are subject to the same limitations as to maximum and minimum as set out in Section 42-9-10.

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