Our South Carolina workers’ compensation settlement calculator can help you understand how your benefit amounts are determined. For an individual review of your case, talk to our Greenville workers’ compensation lawyer at Bobby Jones Law.
Before we start
The following information is for your information only. It’s not legal advice. There are a lot of things that can impact a case, and there may be exceptions to the general rules that we used to make these calculators.
Don’t act on any of the information on this website. For an evaluation that’s specific to your case, please contact us. A professional attorney can do a workers’ compensation settlement calculation for you. Our attorney at Bobby Jones Law is proud to represent hard-working, injured individuals in Greenville.
When to Use This Calculator
When an injured worker has reached maximum medical improvement, but they have permanent impairment to a body part, this calculator may assist in determining the appropriate permanent partial disability award.
Workers’ Compensation Rate & Average Weekly Wage
How to Use
1. Input your total wages for the past year
- The 52 weeks immediately preceding the injury
- Enter the total amount, not the weekly amount (for example, if you made $1,000 per week or $52,000 per year, enter $52,000)
- If you only worked for the employer part of the year, enter the weeks you worked and the period you worked
- If you worked multiple jobs, include all your jobs
Tip: There may be situations where this method of calculating wages produces an unfair result. In that case, it may be appropriate to use a comparable rate for the same level of employment in the local community.
To read the law on calculating average weekly wages, see S.C. § 42-1-40.
2. Input your impairment rating
- Your impairment rating is assigned by your workers’ comp doctor. It’s a percentage value of how much impairment that you have to the injured body part
- Impairment ratings range from 0-100
Tip: Doctors rely on medical guidelines to determine impairment ratings. The goal is to make ratings consistent between doctors, but there can still be discrepancies and disputes. You may need to get a lawyer involved.
3. Select your body part
- Choose the injured body part
- South Carolina Code § 42-9-30 creates a workers’ comp settlement chart for South Carolina, assigning specific weeks of compensation depending on the body part injured.
4. Understanding your results
The South Carolina workers’ compensation settlement calculator will perform the following calculation:
W.C. x I.R. x P.D. = Permanent Partial Disability Benefit
- W.C. = weekly compensation – 2/3 average weekly wages, with maximums and minimums
- I.R. = impairment rating
- P.D. = percentage disability
Tip: There are compensation rate maximums and minimums. Our calculator may adjust your average weekly wages accordingly.
Permanent Partial Disability Calculator
Workers’ Comp Settlement Chart for South Carolina
Here is the chart for S.C. workers’ compensation body part values:
South Carolina Body Part Weekly Compensation Chart
| Body Part | Number of Weeks |
| Thumb | 65 |
| Finger – index | 40 |
| Finger – second | 35 |
| Finger – third | 25 |
| Finger – fourth | 20 |
| First phalange – thumb or finger | Half of the specified period for that finger |
| Two+ phalanges of finger | Equal to entire finger, up to loss of hand |
| Big toe | 35 |
| Other toes | 10 |
| First phalange – any toe | Half of specified period for that toe |
| Two+ phalanges | Equal to loss of entire toe |
| Hand | 85 |
| Arm | 200 |
| Shoulder | 300 |
| Foot | 140 |
| Leg | 195 |
| Hip | 280 |
| Eye or vision | 140 |
| Hearing – one ear | 80 + proportional benefits for total or partial loss of hearing |
| Hearing – two ears | 165 + proportional benefits for total or partial loss of hearing |
| Back – 49% or less | 300 |
| Back – 50% or more | 500, rebuttable presumption of total and permanent disability |
| Other member or organ | 500 |
| Disfigurement to the face, head, neck, or other area normally exposed in employment | Up to 50 weeks |
Source: S.C. § Code 42-9-30. Schedule of period of disability and compensation.
How to Use the Workers’ Comp Settlement Chart for South Carolina
The South Carolina body part weekly compensation chart is for permanent injuries. Even though workers’ compensation gives you medical care, there are times that an injured worker will have a permanent disability.
How can the injured worker be fairly compensated for this loss?
The injured worker is already compensated for their inability to work, but it’s only fair that they be compensated for permanent damage. Workers’ compensation doesn’t allow pain and suffering. Instead, the body part weekly compensation chart calculates compensation for permanent loss from a workplace injury.
The purpose of the provided workers’ comp body part values is fair and consistent compensation for injured workers when they lose body function because of on-the-job accidents and exposures.
Where Does the SC Workers’ Compensation Body Part Values Chart Come From?
The SC workers’ compensation body part values chart comes from S.C. Code § 42-9-30. This is a law passed by South Carolina lawmakers. In addition, S.C. Code Regs. § 67-1101 provides additional guidance that is missing from the law.
Many body parts and functions are included in S.C. Code § 42-9-30. But the list is not exhaustive. S.C. Code Regs. § 67-1101 provides additional body parts that may be affected.
Supplemental Chart for South Carolina Workers’ Comp Loss of Use & Total Loss
| Organ, Member, or Body Part | Weeks Paid, Total Loss | Partial Loss/Loss of Use |
| Breast | 75 | 10-75 |
| Breasts | 250 | 25-250 |
| Coccyx | 10 | 1-10 |
| Gall Bladder | 75 | 10-75 |
| Kidney | 400 | 25-250 |
| Lung | 400 | 25-250 |
| Pancreas | 500 | 10-250 |
| Rib (max 200 weeks for total loss of 4 ribs) | 10 | 1 1/2 -10 |
| Scrotum and Testicles | 350 | 30-300 |
| Spleen | 25 | 2 1/2 -25 |
| Testicle | 75 | 10-75 |
| Testicles | 250 | 25-250 |
| Tongue | 500 | 50-500 |
| Tooth | 2 | 1/2 -2 |
| Biliary Tract | 75-400 | |
| Bladder | 25-250 | |
| Brain | 25-250 | |
| Bronchi or Bronchus | 25-400 | |
| Esophagus | 25-400 | |
| Cervix | 10-100 | |
| Clavicle | 10-100 | |
| Colon | 25-250 | |
| Diaphragm | 25-250 | |
| Duodenum | 10-250 | |
| Fallopian Tubes | 10-100 | |
| Heart | 25-250 | |
| Intestine, Small | 10-400 | |
| Larynx | 25-400 | |
| Liver | 25-250 | |
| Mandible | 10-100 | |
| Ovaries | 10-100 | |
| Palate | 25-250 | |
| Penis | 25-250 | |
| Prostate | 10-100 | |
| Rectum | 10-250 | |
| Scapula | 10-200 | |
| Skin | 5-300 | |
| Spermatic Cord | 10-100 | |
| Sternum | 10-100 | |
| Stomach | 25-250 | |
| Thyroid Gland | 10-100 | |
| Ureter | 10-100 | |
| Urethra | 10-100 | |
| Vagina | 25-250 | |
| Vulva | 25-250 | |
| Nasal Passage | 10-75 | |
| Olfactory Nerve | 10-75 | |
| Sinus | 5-30 | |
The maximum compensation for a combination of injuries is 500 weeks, as set by state law.
How does the workers’ comp chart impact my compensation?
The weeks assigned for the loss are multiplied by the percentage impairment and your average weekly wage. This determines your compensation for body part loss.
Remember that the workers’ comp body parts chart is only one factor in your compensation. The way that your injury impacts your ability to work is another factor. That means the same injury could mean different compensation to different people depending on the type of work and whether they can work in full or light capacity.
Getting the workers’ compensation payment you deserve takes diligent work. The insurer may want a clincher agreement that prohibits you from receiving additional medical care. You should negotiate for that, rather than just giving it to them.
You may have a lawyer represent you in these negotiations.
At Bobby Jones Law, we represent workers who have suffered temporary or permanent injury to their:
We have the skills and resources to handle workers’ comp claims involving all extremities and bodily systems. Your individual injuries require a personalized case strategy.
What Factors Determine Your Workers’ Comp Settlement Amount in SC?
Factors that determine your workers’ comp settlement amount in SC include:
- Income. Your earnings before injury. SC workers’ compensation body part impairments are paid at 66 2/3% of average earnings before the injury.
- Body part injured. The workers’ comp settlement chart for South Carolina lists the weeks of compensation for various body-part impairments.
- Extent of disability. A body part may be partially impaired or fully impaired. The treating doctor assigns a rating. The rating is calculated into the award.
- Multiple body parts. Calculation may be different when there are multiple impaired body parts or whole-person impairment.
- Temporary disability payments. Weeks of temporary total disability (TTD) payments are deducted from the maximum for permanent and total disability. Note: They are not deducted for a single body part impairment rating, except when received after reaching maximum medical improvement (MMI).
- Severe, permanent disability. Brain damage, paraplegia, and quadriplegia are exceptions to the 500-week limit for total disability benefits.
- Socioeconomic factors. A person’s age, work history, education, and skills can affect the overall disability determination.
In workers’ compensation, the focus is on permanent impairment and its impact on the ability to work. Pain and suffering are not compensated in S.C. workers’ compensation.
Temporary Total Disability vs. Permanent Partial Disability
When you have a workers’ comp case, you may hear about different types of payments. Temporary disability payments are paid while you are healing from your injuries. Permanent partial disability payments are for disability that persists despite maximum medical improvement.
More from Bobby Jones Law: Difference Between Temporary Total Disability (TTD) and Permanent Partial Disability (PPD).
How Lost Wages Are Calculated in a South Carolina Workers’ Comp Settlement
Usually, the 12 months of earnings before injury are used to calculate lost wages. There are circumstances in which the calculation doesn’t yield a fair result, such as when the person doesn’t have a 12-month work history or the work is seasonal.
A lawyer can review your wage calculation.
How Future Medical Costs Factor in Your Workers’ Comp Settlement in SC
Future medical costs can be part of a workers’ comp settlement. Medical care may continue through the insurance provider, or the cost of care may be included in the settlement amount.
A lawyer can help you determine the best option.
What Is the Average Workers’ Comp Settlement Amount in South Carolina?
Nationally, the average cost for all workers’ compensation claims, according to NSC, was $47,316 in 2022-2023.
There are significant differences in state laws that can affect averages. A lawyer can evaluate your case value.
Common Mistakes That Reduce Your Workers’ Comp Settlement Value in Greenville
Impairment rating too low
The treating physician may assign a low impairment rating. While there are guidelines for impairment ratings, the treating physician may not understand them or apply them correctly. You can challenge their impairment rating for your case.
Impairment rating not adjusted
South Carolina workers do thousands of different jobs. Workers are of different ages, with different skills and experience levels. An injury to the same body part will affect two people differently.
The impairment rating is only one component of a final disability award. Worker age, education, and employment history matter, too. Accepting a basic calculation without considering all the factors can be a mistake that reduces your workers’ comp settlement value in Greenville.
Not pursuing the case
To get the best workers’ comp settlement calculation, you may need to contest your case. You don’t have to accept the first offer from the insurance company. An attorney can help.
How Does a Lump Sum Settlement Compare to Ongoing Benefits in SC?
A lump sum settlement pays all benefits in a single award that covers everything. Alternatively, benefits can be paid out weekly. Most cases reach a lump sum settlement. This allows the person to control their finances. Ongoing benefits may be beneficial in some circumstances, especially when long-term medical care is necessary.
What’s best for you depends on your personal situation, including your access to other health insurance. A lawyer can help you negotiate the best result.
Why You Need a Greenville Workers’ Comp Attorney Before Accepting Any Settlement Offer
Is this settlement offer fair? What should the settlement offer say exactly?
An attorney can represent you and handle everything. A lawyer can also provide legal advice.
Bobby Jones Law is a law firm for injured workers in South Carolina. We can do a workers’ comp settlement calculation for your case.
Talk to a lawyer for help with a South Carolina workers’ compensation settlement calculator today. Contact us now.
