Workers’ Comp Lawyer: Greenville, NC
Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Can Help You Try to Get All the Benefits You May Deserve.
Workplace injuries and the risk for having one are an unfortunate reality that workers all over the country must face on a daily basis. Besides the pain and discomfort, serious injuries might make it impossible for you to work, which can put a huge strain on you and your family’s finances.
If you’ve been hurt at work, you may be entitled to benefits to cover your medical expenses and to make up for lost wages. However, you have to seek out and often fight for all the benefits you may deserve.
It’s hard enough when you’ve been injured on the job. You shouldn’t have to also worry about whether you’ll receive all the benefits you may be owed. Unfortunately, filing a workers’ compensation claim in North Carolina can be a confusing, frustrating, and even intimidating experience.
The workers’ compensation lawyers at James Scott Farrin can help.
Please be aware that your employer is not doing you a favor by advancing your claim. The workers’ compensation system benefits both employees and employers if engaged with in good faith.
Accidents on the job happen all the time, and you don’t have to work with heavy machinery to be at risk. You could trip over a printer cord or slip on a bathroom tile. And if you suffered injuries as a result, a workers’ compensation lawyer may be able to help.
The top three industries in Greenville, North Carolina are:
- Office and admin support (12.5%);
- Sales (11%); and
- Healthcare (10.9%)
Whether you work in one of these industries, food prep, education, or anything else, you have rights if you are injured on the job. If your employer is not engaging in good faith, a workers’ comp lawyer in Greenville, NC can help.
What Types of Workers’ Compensation Benefits Am I Entitled to?
There are three types of workers’ compensation benefits that you may be entitled to following an on the job injury.
Payment for Medical Bills
The first benefit eligible workers receive after suffering an injury on the job is payment for medical bills. This includes coverage for treatment and pain management, as well as secondary costs like travel expenses. Medical care from an approved doctor will be fully covered, with no copays or deductibles.
Coverage of Lost Wages
The second potential benefit is coverage for your lost wages. This may include the time you had to take off or the reduction in hours related to your recovery. Payment for missed work is typically two-thirds of your average weekly wage leading up to the injury.
Compensation for Permanent Disability
The third benefit you may deserve is compensation for the permanent damage you suffered. Benefits for an injured body part are calculated as follows:
- The length of benefits (i.e. the number of weeks of benefits) is based on the disability rating you receive from your doctor.
- The amount of benefits is generally two-thirds of your average weekly wage leading up to your injury.
Am I Eligible for Workers’ Compensation Benefits?
An on the job injury is defined as an unexpected incident outside your normal work routine, like a slip and fall resulting in a broken leg.
Negative impacts to your health from work may also arise from repeated exposure as opposed to a single incident. This type of injury, called an occupational disease, is covered under the scope of NC workers’ compensation, as well. A common example of an occupational disease would be a worker developing mesothelioma following extended exposure to asbestos.
Employers with three or more regular employees are generally required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. So long as you were sober and did not harm yourself intentionally, you’re likely covered by your employer’s workers’ comp.
If you are injured on the job:
- Notify your employer in writing within 30 days of the injury.
- File a claim with the North Carolina Industrial Commission, the agency responsible for administering workers’ comp in the state.
- Wait for your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance company to investigate your claim and either accept or deny it.
When Can I Go Back to Work After My Injury?
Working ensures your livelihood, and you may even enjoy it. For many employees, one of the key questions they have is, “When can I go back to work?”
At a certain point in your recovery, your doctor will determine that you have reached “maximum medical improvement” (MMI). This means your doctor has done everything they can for you. Hopefully, you’ve made a full recovery and you’ll be released to resume your pre-injury responsibilities.
Sometimes, unfortunately, maximum medical improvement and full recovery aren’t the same thing. You may be released back to work, but not to the same job. “Light duty” work and work accommodations for your permanent impairment may be options that allow you to return to work once you’ve reached MMI.
If you have a permanent impairment or disability following MMI, you will be assigned a permanent impairment rating. This rating is intended to reflect (as a percentage) the amount of change in function from pre- to post-injury. This rating directly affects the length of your benefits, while the amount is generally based on two-thirds of your average weekly wage. Short of full recovery, you may still be released back to work while receiving benefits for a limited time for your permanent partial impairment. This can often be the optimal solution.
How Long Do Workers’ Compensation Checks Last?
Under North Carolina law, the maximum number of weeks of compensation is set by body part (really). For example, total loss of function for an injured worker’s back would entitle them to 300 weeks of benefits. If you, thankfully, have only a 10% loss of function or weakness in your back (based on your doctor’s impairment rating), then you would generally be entitled to 30 weeks of benefits at two-thirds of your average weekly wage.
How Can a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer in Greenville Help Me?
Insurance companies are overwhelmingly for-profit companies, and their agenda is their bottom line.
Don’t rely on the friendliness of an insurance adjuster. Some insurance companies may delay your benefits or send you the wrong amount. You want someone with the experience and skill to go toe-to-toe with the insurance company while looking out for your bottom line.
For the insurance adjuster, your case is one of many that day. For you, whether or not you get benefits may determine your ability to put food on the table. You deserve an attorney whose agenda is completely in sync with your own. That’s why we don’t collect an attorney’s fee unless we win compensation for you.2
Why Should You Hire a Greenville Workers’ Compensation Lawyer?
Here are three powerful reasons to hire one of our workers’ compensation lawyers in Greenville:
- We have attorneys on the team who worked for the North Carolina Industrial Commission (the workers’ compensation court). We know the law and can handle what comes our way.
- Several of our attorneys and paralegals used to work for insurance defense firms. That inside knowledge has helped us fight for our clients as they seek maximum compensation.
- Last but certainly not least, we have several North Carolina State Bar Board-Certified Specialists in workers’ compensation law fighting for clients as part of our battle-tested workers’ comp team.
Who’s on Your Side? Your Workers’ Comp Lawyer – Greenville, NC
If you’ve suffered an injury in the workplace, you’re dealing with a tremendous amount of pressure and stress — and that’s on top of your physical pain. Put your faith in the experienced attorneys at the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin while you focus on your recovery.
To claim your free case evaluation, you can contact us online or schedule an appointment at our Greenville office. You can also call us right now at 1-866-900-7078. Someone is standing by to take your call.
Call as soon as possible, and before it’s too late.
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