SC Workers’ Compensation Body Part Values: Weeks, Caps, Deadlines

Under South Carolina workers’ compensation, each body part is assigned a maximum number of compensation weeks by statute, and the dollar value of a body part equals those weeks multiplied by two-thirds of the injured worker’s average weekly wage. A total loss of an arm is worth 220 weeks, a leg 195 weeks, a hand 185 weeks, and a shoulder 300 weeks. Partial losses pay a proportional share of the maximum. The full schedule, the math, and the rules that change the result are below.

Full Schedule of Weeks by Body Part

South Carolina Code Section 42-9-30 sets a maximum number of compensation weeks for a total loss of each listed body part. Each week pays 66⅔ percent of the worker’s average weekly wage.

Arm: 220 weeks
Shoulder: 300 weeks
Hand: 185 weeks
Thumb: 65 weeks
Index finger: 40 weeks
Second (middle) finger: 35 weeks
Third (ring) finger: 25 weeks
Little finger: 20 weeks
Leg: 195 weeks
Hip: 280 weeks
Foot: 140 weeks
Great toe: 35 weeks
Other toes: 10 weeks each
Eye (loss of vision): 140 weeks
Hearing in one ear: 80 weeks
Hearing in both ears: 165 weeks

These are ceilings for complete loss.¹ Most real injuries pay less because the loss is partial.

How the Weeks Turn Into Dollars

Two numbers drive the calculation: the worker’s average weekly wage and the statutory compensation rate.

The average weekly wage uses total gross wages from the four quarters immediately before the quarter of the injury, divided by 52 or by the actual number of weeks worked, whichever produces the lower result.² The compensation rate is 66⅔ percent of that figure.³ Multiply that rate by the number of weeks assigned to the body part, and you have the total scheduled payout.

An example. A worker earning a gross average of $900 per week has a compensation rate of $600.03. A total loss of an arm pays 220 weeks × $600.03, or $132,006.60. At $1,500 per week, the rate is $1,000.05 and the arm value climbs to $220,011.00. Same injury, very different results, because the pre-injury paycheck controls the output.

Partial Impairment Ratings

Few injuries destroy a body part. A torn rotator cuff, a fractured hand, a knee that never fully straightens again — these produce reduced function, not total loss. A treating physician assigns a permanent impairment rating as a percentage, and that percentage scales the maximum weeks down.

A 25 percent rating to a hand means 25 percent of 185 weeks, or 46.25 weeks. At a compensation rate of $600.03, that is $27,751.39. A 10 percent rating to the same hand yields 18.5 weeks.¹

The rating is where most disputes happen. The treating doctor, an independent medical examiner hired by the insurer, and the Commission can all land on different numbers. A 5 percent swing on an arm injury is 11 weeks of benefits, which at $600 per week is over $6,600. Workers who disagree with a rating proposed by the carrier can request an informal conference, where a Commissioner or claims mediator reviews the proposed agreement. If that fails to resolve the dispute, the case moves to a formal hearing before the jurisdictional Commissioner.⁴

Back Injuries and Body Parts Not on the Schedule

The back has its own tier. A back injury rated at 49 percent loss of use or less caps at 300 weeks. At 50 percent or more, the maximum jumps to 500 weeks and the worker is presumed permanently and totally disabled. The presumption is rebuttable, but the burden shifts to the employer or insurer.¹

For injuries to parts not listed in the schedule, such as internal organs, the neck, or the brain, South Carolina authorizes up to 500 weeks. The Commission applies accepted medical standards to determine the whole-person impairment percentage, and that percentage is applied to the 500-week cap.¹

Two Major Losses Trigger Total Disability

Losing any two of the following creates a presumption of permanent total disability: hands, arms, shoulders, feet, legs, hips, or vision in both eyes. The two do not have to match. One hand and one foot qualifies. One arm and vision in one eye qualifies. A worker found permanently and totally disabled gets up to 500 weeks of benefits. For paraplegia, quadriplegia, or physical brain damage, the 500-week cap is removed and benefits continue for life.⁵

Disfigurement Pays Separately

Visible scarring from a workplace injury can bring up to 50 additional weeks of compensation on top of any scheduled body part award. The scar must be on the face, head, neck, or another area normally exposed while working. Scars hidden by work clothing generally do not qualify.¹

One overlap rule to know: a worker who already received disability compensation for a body part generally cannot also collect disfigurement benefits for that same part. The exception is serious burn scars and keloid scars, where both can be paid for the same injury. Disfigurement claims are usually resolved after the worker reaches maximum medical improvement, and if the insurer disputes the claim, a Commissioner may conduct a physical viewing.

The Weekly Rate Cap Depends on the Year

No matter how much a worker earns, the weekly compensation rate is capped. For injuries occurring on or after January 1, 2026, the maximum is $1,189.94 per week.⁶ A worker earning $3,000 per week would calculate to $2,000.10, but the actual rate is held at $1,189.94. The cap is adjusted annually based on the statewide average weekly wage as certified by the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce.

The year of injury controls the cap, not the year the claim resolves. A total arm loss capped out in 2026 is worth $1,189.94 × 220 = $261,786.80. The same injury in 2024, when the cap was $1,093.67, maxed out at $240,607.40.⁶

There is also a floor. Total disability benefits cannot drop below $75 per week, unless that amount would exceed the worker’s actual average weekly wage.⁵

Deadlines That Eliminate the Claim Entirely

Two separate deadlines apply, and missing either one can wipe out the right to any of these benefits.

Notice to the employer must be given within 90 days of the accident. For repetitive trauma injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome, the 90-day clock starts when the worker discovers, or reasonably should have discovered, that the condition is work-related. Late notice bars compensation unless the worker shows a reasonable excuse and the employer was not prejudiced by the delay.⁷

A formal claim must then be filed with the Workers’ Compensation Commission within two years of the accident, or within two years of death if the injury was fatal. For occupational diseases, the two years run from the definitive diagnosis. Repetitive trauma claims must be filed within two years of when the worker knew or should have known the injury was compensable, with an absolute outer limit of seven years from the last exposure.⁸

1
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 42-9-30 – Schedule of Period of Disability and Compensation
2
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 42-1-40 – Average Weekly Wages Defined
3
South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission. Statement of Earnings of Injured Employee
4
South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission. Informal Conference
5
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code of Laws – Title 42 – Chapter 9 – Compensation and Payment
6
Workers’ Compensation Commission. Compensation Rates
7
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 42-15-20 – Notice to Employer of Accident or Repetitive Trauma
8
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 42-15-40 – Time for Filing Claim