Workers’ Compensation Lawyers for Firefighter Training Injuries

South Carolina Work Injury Attorneys for Firefighters

Firefighters perform an essential job, but their work is also dangerous. They must prepare for and practice safety in a range of firefighting scenarios.

Firefighters are typically exposed to many scenarios during training. If a firefighter is injured during training, receiving compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and other losses can become challenging. 

If you or a loved one suffered injury during firefighter training, talk to an experienced South Carolina firefighter training workers’ compensation attorney today. The team at the Steinberg Law Firm can help. 

South Carolina Firefighter Training Requirements

The Charleston Fire Department provides approximately 26 weeks of training for firefighter recruits. Recruits who complete training work as probationary firefighters for about six months. Recruits receive continued training during the probationary period and receive monthly evaluations. At the end of their probationary period, recruits participate in a final probationary exam at the training academy.

In Charleston, the Fire Training Division provides both initial firefighter training and continuing education for members of the Charleston Fire Department (CFD). The Fire Training Division also provides emergency medical training for CFD members. The Fire Training Division’s five-story training tower offers a training ground for firefighters “to accurately portray all types of scenarios firefighters may encounter,” according to the Fire Training Division website.

Common Injury Causes During Firefighter Training

About 14 percent of firefighter injuries occur during training, according to the US Fire Association (USFA). Strains, sprains, and muscle injuries are the most common types of injury among firefighters. Overexertion or strain is the most common cause of these injuries among firefighters.

According to the USFA, the most common injury risks that firefighters face on the job include:

• Direct contact with fire or with hazardous chemicals.
• Exposure to excessive heat.
• Motor vehicle accidents and other injuries while responding to or leaving the scene of a fire.
• Repetitive stress injuries resulting from repetitive lifting of heavy objects.
• Working conditions that place firefighters’ bodies in unusual positions. 

The USFA notes that on average, fewer than 10 percent of all firefighter injuries are caused by burns, smoke inhalation, or overexposure to heat. However, these and other training scenarios pose risks to firefighters. 

Workers’ Compensation for Firefighters Injured During Training

Firefighter trainees are employed full-time by the Charleston Fire Department (CFD) and receive a seat in the initial 26-week training program. As employees, firefighters undergoing training can be covered by workers’ compensation for work-related injuries. However, demonstrating that a training injury is related to work can prove challenging, especially when a firefighter is struggling to recover from serious harm.

Workers’ Compensation Rules and Benefits

To access workers’ compensation, an employee must report their injuries or occupational illness to their employer immediately. The South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission reminds injured employees to report their injury to someone in a “supervisory role,” such as a manager, supervisor, or on-site nurse. Filling out a Form 50 may also be necessary. 

According to the Workers’ Compensation Commission, South Carolina workers’ compensation provides three types of benefits for work injuries. These include medical benefits, lost wages, and permanent disability benefits. 

Potential Protections for Firefighters

A bill filed in the South Carolina State House of Representatives would provide additional workers’ compensation protections for firefighters. The bill adds strokes to the list of conditions presumed to be work-related if a firefighter experiences them while employed by a South Carolina fire department. This presumption already applies to heart disease and respiratory disease. 

The bill also adds language to cover heart disease, strokes, and respiratory diseases that occur during “a firefighter training exercise that involves stressful or strenuous activity,” as well as during rescues or within 24 hours of fighting a fire, performing a rescue, or participating in strenuous training.

To receive the benefit of the presumption, a firefighter must be under age 37 and pass a health examination upon starting their firefighting work. The health exam must be recorded in writing. 

The bill was introduced in the legislature in January 2025.

Speak To an Experienced South Carolina Firefighter Training Injury Attorney Today for Help With Your Workers’ Compensation Claim

Securing workers’ compensation or other benefits can be challenging. It’s even tougher when you are also struggling to recover from a serious injury. The experienced workers’ compensation attorneys at the Steinberg Law Firm can help South Carolina firefighters after a training injury.