In South Carolina, the report your employer sends in does not protect you. The Commission says you must file your own claim on a Form 50 within two years, even if your boss already reported the injury. Plenty of people find this out after the clock has run.
That same form is how you ask for a hearing once the insurer says no. You send it to the Commission's Judicial Department with a $50 fee. At the hearing, a commissioner (an official who acts like a judge) listens to testimony and makes the call.
Weekly checks and limits in South Carolina
Temporary total checks, paid while you cannot work at all, are two-thirds of your average weekly wage. For accidents in 2026, the Commission lists a top rate of $1,189.94 a week. The floor is $75 or your full average weekly pay if you earned less than that.
The first 7 days go unpaid unless you are out more than 14 days. Total disability checks can run up to 500 weeks and for life in cases of paraplegia, quadriplegia or brain damage.
South Carolina workers comp does not pay for pain and suffering. It replaces part of your wage and covers your medical care. For a rough weekly figure, plug your pay into our benefit calculator.
| Weekly check | two-thirds (66 2/3%) of your average weekly wage |
|---|---|
| Weekly cap, accidents in 2026 | $1,189.94 |
| Weekly minimum | $75 (or your full average weekly pay, if you earned less) |
| Waiting period | first 7 days unpaid unless you are out more than 14 days |
| How long total disability checks can last | up to 500 weeks (life for paraplegia, quadriplegia or brain damage) |
South Carolina dates you cannot afford to miss
- Tell your employer about the accident: within 90 days.
- File your claim (Form 50) with the Commission: within two years after the accident.
- Ask the full Commission to review a single commissioner's decision: within 14 days.
Fourteen days goes by quickly. If a ruling comes back against you, act the week it arrives.
When the carrier denies you or sends a Form 15
A denial letter tells you what the insurance carrier thinks. The Commission has not ruled on anything yet. To push back, you file the Form 50 and request a hearing.
If your checks stop within the first 150 days, the insurer has to send you a Form 15 and you can request a hearing on that form too. Our page on payments that stopped covers what to gather before you do.
Two other Commission rules shape these cases. Your employer chooses the treating doctor and bills may go unpaid if you see a doctor you picked yourself. And if the doctor orders light work and you turn it down, your compensation may stop.
What a South Carolina workers comp lawyer is allowed to charge
Under the Commission's regulations, a fee can be up to 33.3% of the compensation. No fee may be taken out of temporary checks that are still due in the future. And every fee must be reported to and approved by the Commission, so nobody can quietly charge more. Our guide to attorney fees explains how the percentage is usually figured.
People also ask
Does my employer's injury report count as my claim?
No. The Commission says you still need to file your own Form 50 within two years of the accident, even when your employer has already reported it.
How do I contact the Commission?
The main number for the South Carolina Workers' Compensation Commission is 803-737-5700.