McGowan, Hood & Felder, LLC
Workers’ Compensation Attorneys
The State of South Carolina defines most workplace injuries as an accident that occurs at a specific place and time. Most people tend to think that a workers compensation injury occurs because of an accident at work. However, workers are protected for any work related injury that occurs over time due to exposure to workplace hazards which are common to a specific occupation or industry (commonly referred to as an “occupational disease” workers compensation case). Our firm currently represents hundreds of workers at a long ago shut down plant in Rock Hill, South Carolina due to occupational exposure to dangerous chemicals. Many workers think they do not have a viable claim for a disease or condition that strikes them twenty or thirty years after their employment has ceased. There may be times that someone has a viable workers compensation claim, even in situations where they have not worked at a particular facility for many years.
If you can no longer work because of an occupational disease or you have developed a medical condition because of past exposure to dangerous chemicals or compounds, you likely will need an attorney experienced in this complex area of the law. If you are unsure whether you have an occupational disease case or whether you qualify for workers compensation benefits, contact South Carolina worker compensation attorneys at McGowan, Hood & Felder, LLC. An attorney in our Columbia office, Ernie Peagler, represents clients throughout Charleston, Spartanburg, Greenville, Rock Hill, Anderson Florence, Sumter, and Myrtle Beach and all parts of South Carolina. The attorney who works on workers compensation cases for our firm, Ernie Peagler, can help you get qualified for your rightful Workers' Compensation benefits.
Call Ernie Peagler Toll Free at 1(877)644-6400 for a free case evaluation.
Occupational Disease
When cotton mills were present in South Carolina, work-related disease claims were more prevalent. However, many industry specific workplace dangers exist, and workers still need protection due to occupational disease claims. This type of workers compensation claim falls into one of two categories based on the type of injury suffered by a worker:
Toxic Exposure
Long-term exposure to certain chemicals or toxins in the workplace can lead to occupational lung disease, cancer, or other serious and debilitating illness. Inhalation of asbestos by construction workers, miners, and other industrial workers is linked to asbestosis (chronic and severe shortness of breath) and mesothelioma (lung cancer). Byssinosis (brown lung disease) is another common workrelated lung ailment, linked to breathing cotton fibers in textile plants. Many workers in cotton mills can have this type of claim.
Workers in other industrial settings may develop asthma, brain damage, nerve damage, organ damage, malignant tumors, or other permanent effects of repeated onthejob exposure to benzene, solvents, preservatives, and other chemicals routinely used at the worksite. Contact Ernie Peagler in our Columbia office toll free at 1-877-644-6400 to find out if you have a viable workers compensation occupational disease claim.
Repetitive Strain Injury (Cumulative Trauma Disorder)
The muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the body can wear out from repeated motions. The resulting injuries from repetitive tasks are not visible, but they can be excruciating and disabling. Carpal tunnel syndrome is one type of repetitive stress injury. Also common is painful inflammation or incapacitating tissue tears in the shoulders, elbows, wrists, and hands of textile workers, poultry and meatpacking workers, factory assembly workers, and other occupations. These cases are harder to prove because of the difficulty of gauging "soft tissue" damage and the problem of proving that it is workrelated. Contact Ernie Peagler in our Columbia office toll free at 1-877-644-6400 to find out if you have a viable workers compensation occupational disease claim.
