No. That's a common scare tactic, and in South Carolina it is generally false.

The myth is that if you are undocumented, reporting a job injury automatically means no benefits, no medical care, and a call to immigration. That is not how South Carolina workers' compensation is supposed to work. The real question is usually whether you were an employee, whether the injury happened in the course of your job, and whether your employer is covered by the law.

If a warehouse floor gave way in Spartanburg and you were hurt while working, you may have the right to workers' comp benefits through the South Carolina Workers' Compensation Commission. That can include authorized medical treatment, wage benefits if you miss work, and payment for lasting disability.

A few rights many workers do not realize they have:

• You must generally report the injury to your employer within 90 days.
• You usually have 2 years to file a claim with the Commission, often on Form 50.
• If you miss more than 7 days of work, you may qualify for wage benefits.
• If disability lasts more than 14 days, South Carolina can require payment back to day one.
• South Carolina law also bars an employer from firing a worker because they filed a workers' comp claim.

Most South Carolina employers with 4 or more employees must carry workers' comp coverage.

Do not let anyone in a Spartanburg plant, warehouse, or loading yard tell you that using your own health insurance is your only option. Workers' comp is separate. And if the injury involved a collapse caused by a contractor, property owner, or equipment company, there may also be a separate claim beyond comp.

That bad advice helps employers and insurers, not injured workers.