I work for a hotel in Myrtle Beach and got hurt on the job. Am I eligible for workers' compensation benefits?

Common Injuries Among Hospitality Workers

Housekeepers, kitchen staff, maintenance workers, groundskeepers, and other hotel and motel employees are at risk for a variety of injuries on the job, including:

Skin rashes, eye injuries, or respiratory problems can result from exposure to cleaning products containing toxic chemicals.

Steam, hot liquids, grease, and overheated equipment in a hotel or motel kitchen or laundry room can lead to burns.

Kitchen knives, meat slicers, power tools, and other devices with sharp edges regularly cause cuts and lacerations among hotel kitchen and maintenance workers.

Housekeepers walking on freshly mopped floors and kitchen employees stepping on spilled food can suffer slip-and-fall accidents that result in broken bones, concussions, or spinal injuries.

Hospitality maintenance personnel who climb ladders and work in awkward positions can develop muscle strains or joint sprains on the job.

Twisting, lifting, reaching, pushing, and pulling can cause tendonitis, repetitive stress injuries, and other musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among hospitality workers.

Dealing with guests who might be disgruntled, mentally ill, or under the influence of substances can put a hotel or motel worker at risk of physical assault or gun violence in today's society.

Any such injury should be compensable as long as you can prove it resulted from a work-related accident. If your employer or its insurer tries to delay, dispute, or deny your claim, a workers' comp lawyer can help you seek fair benefits.

Steps to Take If You're Hurt on the Job

If you sustain an injury in the course of performing your job duties in a Horry County hospitality setting, workers' comp should cover all your medical expenses and reimburse two-thirds of your lost wages. To claim your benefits, you should take the following steps in a timely manner.

Seek Immediate Medical Care

If your injury requires emergency treatment, visit the nearest medical facility for attention. Even if you don't feel you're seriously injured, you should see a physician after any workplace accident. In some cases, the adrenaline generated by the accident can mask the symptoms of a serious injury for days or even weeks.

A doctor's exam and diagnostic testing can reveal issues of which you might not be aware. Getting a prompt diagnosis and beginning treatment right away gets you on the road to a faster recovery and provides documentation of your work injury, which is crucial to your workers' comp claim.

Report Your Accidental Injury

Although you have 90 days to report your injury to your employer, you should do so as soon as possible. Report the incident in writing, providing the date, time, place, and details of your accident. Include the names of any witnesses.

File a Claim

Your employer should inform the insurance company of your accidental injury and file a claim for benefits on your behalf. If this doesn't happen within ten days, you may file your own claim by submitting Form 50 (for injury) or Form 52 (for the death of a loved one) from the South Carolina Workers' Compensation Commission (SCWCC) website.

See an Approved Physician

For ongoing treatment, you must see a doctor approved by your employer's insurer. (You may not simply visit your own doctor.) Follow the approved doctor's treatment plan, take all medication as it's prescribed, and don't miss any appointments. Retain documentation and receipts for all your treatments.

Don't Put Anything Off

While you have 90 days to report your injury and two years to file your claim, you should do both as soon as possible. If you delay reporting or filing, the insurer can allege that you're not as badly hurt as you say you are or that your injury is not work-related.

Consult a Lawyer

An experienced workers' comp attorney can handle all communication with your employer's insurer, organize and present your medical evidence, ensure you're not penalized for filing, counter any delay tactics on the insurer's part, and negotiate a lump-sum settlement in some cases. If your claim is denied, your lawyer can represent you in a hearing before the SCWCC and file an appeal in civil court if necessary.