South Carolina Accidents Dictionary

Legal and insurance terms explained plainly

A federal law that protects workers and job applicants age 40 and older from age-based discrimination in hiring, firing, pay, promotions, layoffs, training, and other terms of...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-31

Americans with Disabilities Act

A federal civil rights law that bans disability-based discrimination and requires reasonable access and accommodation. Federal means it applies across the country, not just in...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-25

arbitration agreement in employment

The worst time to learn about this is after a firing, harassment report, or unpaid wage dispute, when a worker finds out the case may not go to court at all. An arbitration...

DICTIONARY 2026-04-01

disparate impact in hiring

You might see this phrase in an EEOC charge, a rejection letter dispute, an HR response, or a lawyer's explanation that a hiring rule "looks neutral on paper but screens out...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-24

EEOC complaint

Miss the deadline, file in the wrong place, or leave out key facts, and a workplace discrimination case can stall before it really begins. An EEOC complaint is a charge filed...

DICTIONARY 2026-04-01

Family and Medical Leave Act

A federal law that gives eligible employees unpaid, job-protected leave for certain family and medical reasons while keeping their group health insurance in place under the...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-28

hostile work environment claim

The biggest misunderstanding is that a rude boss, office gossip, or a toxic workplace is not automatically illegal. A hostile work environment claim is based on harassment that...

DICTIONARY 2026-04-02

independent appraisal

Yes - if the repair estimate or vehicle value looks off, an independent appraisal is a separate professional opinion you can get outside the insurance company's numbers. In a...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-21

interactive process

People often confuse the interactive process with a reasonable accommodation. They are related, but not the same. A reasonable accommodation is the actual change or adjustment...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-31

misclassification as independent contractor

You may see this come up in a pay dispute, a workers' comp denial, or a company email saying you were a "1099 contractor" instead of an employee. Plainly, it means a business...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-29

move-over law

People often confuse a move-over law with a general duty to slow down for road hazards. The difference is narrower and more specific: a general slow-down rule requires drivers...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-23

non-compete agreement enforceability

Not every paper you signed at work can actually keep you from taking a new job. A non-compete is not automatically valid just because an employer put it in your onboarding...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-29

overtime exemption

Not a special deal that lets an employer skip overtime whenever a worker is salaried, has a manager title, or agrees to work long hours. A worker can be called "exempt" only if...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-31

quid pro quo harassment

You just got a letter that says your complaint may involve "quid pro quo harassment" after a supervisor hinted you would get better shifts, a promotion, or even keep your job...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-26

Radiculopathy

Three years is usually all the time you have to file a South Carolina injury lawsuit before you can lose the right to recover anything. If a city bus, police vehicle, or other...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-21

reasonable accommodation

Miss this issue at work, and a bad situation can get worse fast: hours get cut, a worker gets pushed out after an injury, or an employer acts like there was no way to keep the...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-27

retaliation claim

What trips people up most is that you do not have to be fired to have one. A retaliation claim is a legal claim saying an employer punished a worker for doing something the law...

DICTIONARY 2026-04-03

right to sue letter

A right to sue letter is official written notice that you may file a lawsuit, usually after an agency has finished handling a discrimination charge. "Official written notice"...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-25

severance agreement

Were you handed papers after being fired or laid off and told to sign for pay? A severance agreement is a contract between an employer and an employee that sets the terms of...

DICTIONARY 2026-04-01

sexual harassment

Miss the warning signs, stay silent too long, and a job, career path, or legal claim can slip away before action is taken. Sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual conduct that...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-30

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act

What protection does federal law give workers against discrimination on the job? Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the federal law that bars employers, employment...

DICTIONARY 2026-04-02

uninsured motorist penalty

Insurance companies and defense lawyers sometimes use this phrase like a weapon, suggesting an injured person loses the right to recover because they did not have insurance....

DICTIONARY 2026-03-23

vehicular assault

Miss this term, and you can badly underestimate what happened after a crash: a wreck that looks like "just an accident" may actually be treated as a violent criminal act...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-22

wage and hour violation

You might see this phrase in a pay dispute email, a lawyer's demand letter, a Department of Labor complaint, or a conversation about missing overtime, unpaid breaks, or a final...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-30