First responders are typically the ones going to help out a worker who has been injured, but because of accidents involving first responders on their way to emergency situations the workers’ compensation premiums of one South Carolina county are spiking.
Horry County first responders have been involved in almost 50 accidents since 2015. The claims they have filed have increased workers’ compensation insurance for the county by $1 million. Costs for the upcoming year are forecasted to total more than $3.6 million. Claims from the public safety division totaled $2.6 million from 2014 to 2015.
Councilmen are looking into ways they can try to reduce accidents, and therefore costs. They are hoping to increase the amount of training workers get, or they may propose a pay increase to first responders that comes from the insurance savings from save driving.
“We’ve got to get everybody on the same mindset and the same track-that you can’t help somebody unless you get to the scene,” said Councilman Al Allen.
The county’s Police Chief Joseph Hill said that there are a lot of back-up related accidents in his force and plans to ask for funding that would equip patrol cars with back-up cameras and sensors.
The council will hold a retreat at the end of the month to discuss budgets and ways to lower the insurance rate.
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