A person may be eligible for additional benefits from workers’ compensation if he or she a scar as a result of a work injury. According to The South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission, this special compensation is only for scars that are not surgical in nature and are visible from eight feet or more away.
According to the South Carolina Accident Fund, workers will receive an impairment rating as part of the workers’ compensation process. If a person has a visible scar as a result of a work injury, he or she will need to request an informal conference with the Workers’ Compensation Commission.
Disfigurement
A scar receives this treatment because it falls under the category of permanent disfigurement. It causes a distraction and changes a person’s physical appearance. Since the person can do nothing about it, it becomes a permanent injury.
Location
The location of a scar is important because it must be visible and obvious. A small scar on the temple, for example, would likely not pass inspection as a disfigurement. However, a large scar down the side of the face would fall into this category. It also needs to be something people will see during the course of a person’s regular job duties. If it is not visible, then the person will not likely be able to receive compensation for it.
Ability to perform job duties
The Commission will investigate how the scar impacts a person’s ability to do his or her job when determining benefits. If it has no impact on the person, then he or she may not receive benefits. However, a scar meeting the criteria for disfigurement is likely to produce some mental side effects, which would impact a person’s ability to do his or her job.