Venue is now tied to hearing district, not county where injury occurred
South Carolina lawmakers have changed the process for handling workers compensation hearings. Governor Henry McMaster signed H. 5153 into law in May. It amends section 42-17-20, which now reads:
The hearing shall be held in the district in which the injury occurred, but no greater than seventy-five miles from the county seat of the county in which the injury occurred, unless otherwise agreed to by the parties and authorized by the commission. For purposes of this section, the ‘county seat’ is the county courthouse.
The goal of the change is to increase efficiency within the workers’ compensation system. However, it could mean that employers and witnesses have to travel farther distances to attend hearings.
If you have questions, please contact a member of the Collins & Lacy Workers’ Compensation Practice Group.
