Diamond Post
News Alert
 Workers' Compensation Legal Update
We have received word from the South Carolina Workers' Compensation Commission (SCWCC) that they will no longer process requests for Informal Conferences unless the requests specifically identify who will represent the Employer/Carrier at the conference. In other words, a request for an informal conference must include the name of and phone number for the adjuster, TPA, or attorney who plans on attending the conference.
The SCWCC is now requiring this information so that they will know who is planning on attending the Informal Conference. They want this person's contact information in order to contact him or her in case he or she fails to appear at the Informal Conference.
When you file a Form 18 with the SCWCC, you must include the contact information for the Employer's Representative at the bottom of the form, and the contact information for the Preparer at the top of the form. If you do not include this information on the Form 18, it will be returned to you and the informal conference will not be scheduled. In addition, the SCWCC is threatening to issue fines and penalties in the future for the failure to include the required contact information on these forms.
The Workplace Practices team at Gallivan, White & Boyd will be glad to send an attorney to represent the Employer/Carrier at the Informal Conference. As you know, Informal Conferences can be useful tools for settling workers' compensation cases, because a commissioner or representative of the SCWCC tells a claimant what he or she thinks is the value of the case. Often this opinion carries more weight with a claimant than does the opinion of an adjuster or attorney.
Please contact us if we can be of service in helping you with your Workers' Compensation files. |
