If you’ve been hurt at work in Charlotte, North Carolina, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation. Being hurt at work can be a scary thing. It can result in loss of wages, a permanent injury, and confusion about where you stand with your employer. This is why it is important to speak to a qualified North Carolina workers’ comp lawyer if you have been hurt on the job and need advice on how to proceed.
What is Workers’ Compensation?
North Carolina law states that most employers legally must carry workers’ compensation insurance. The types of employers who are exempt from these laws include farm laborers, federal employees, and most domestic workers.
If you have been hurt on the job in Charlotte, NC, you are legally entitled to rehabilitation services, compensation for lost wages and medical treatment. Your employer is responsible for choosing the provider of your medical treatment. If you have been hurt on the job, you must file a report with your employer within 30 days of the accident. Once you have filed the report with your employer, you have up to two years to file a claim with the state of North Carolina.
How Do I File a Workers’ Compensation Claim in Charlotte, North Carolina?
If you have been hurt at work, it is important that you understand the process you must follow to report your injury and begin your workers’ compensation claim. You may be confused about where to begin or if you’re even eligible to file for workers’ compensation. If you have been hurt on the job, there are a few steps that need to be taken to start the process:
- See your doctor immediately to treat your injury. Ensure that your doctor records your injury in his or her medical files and that it is recorded that your injury was caused by a workplace incident
- Ensure that you file an accident report with your employer within 30 days of the accident. The report has to state the date of the injury and how it happened. When your employer receives the report, it is their responsibility to contact their workers’ compensation insurance provider to start the process.
- File a claim with the NC Industrial Commission using a Form 18. You must file this claim within two years of the date of the injury. Once you have filed the claim with the NC Industrial Commission, you must send a copy of the form to your lawyer and also keep one for your own records.
Filing a report with your employer and, eventually, a claim with the NC Industrial Commission may seem like overwhelming tasks if you are new to the process and don’t have much experience filing any types of claims. This is why you should contact an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer in Charlotte, North Carolina who can help walk you through the process, fill out any necessary forms, and help you receive the compensation to which you are entitled.
What Benefits Will I Receive if I’ve Been Hurt on the Job?
If your claim has been approved, you are eligible to start receiving benefits. These benefits will include income compensation for the wages you have lost, medical treatment, and permanent disability compensation if it applies to you.
Your employer will be responsible for covering the costs of your medical care as well as your medications. Your employer also has the right to assign a certain doctor or clinic to you for treatment.
If you are temporarily unable to work for more than seven days due to your injury, you will be eligible to receive temporary benefits, which encompass 66 ⅔% of the weekly wages you have lost. You stop receiving these benefits when you are able to return to work or when your condition has reached its maximum medical improvement. In the case that you are able to work, but only in a modified state, you may still be eligible to receive partial benefits.
In the event that you are permanently disabled, your employer will provide you with benefits for the rest of your life at your temporary disability rate.
Reach Out to a Charlotte Workers’ Comp Attorney if You Are Hurt on the Job
The lawyers at Ted A. Greve & Associates can help you file your workers’ compensation claim and get you the benefits you deserve. If you have been hurt on the job in Charlotte, North Carolina, it may be difficult and confusing to navigate through the process. A North Carolina workers compensation lawyer at Ted A. Greve & Associates can help explain what benefits you are entitled to, help file any claims, and answer any questions you may have about the process.
