Charlotte Workplace Accidents and Compensation

Just like in any other major city, Charlotte sees its fair share of workplace accidents and injuries. From construction injuries on new buildings, roofers falling, or truckers getting into wrecks, it’s everything you would and wouldn’t expect. For full compensation, however, you’ll need to go a bit beyond the extent of your workers’ compensation application.

Workers’ comp in North Carolina don’t have a solid approval rate, and often companies will attempt to deny or argue claims. The process involves stepping up for yourself, but how should anyone expect you to do that while you’re injured? Unfortunately, that’s exactly what workers’ compensation companies bet on. If you’ve been injured while on the clock, an experienced workers’ compensation attorney in North Carolina can help.

Do Employers Have to Carry Workers’ Comp Insurance?

An employer in North Carolina must provide employees with access to workers’ compensation insurance. But there are sometimes when an employer doesn’t’ have to provide workers’ comp for their staff. These exceptions are where many employers will attempt to extort the system and avoid getting workers’ comp.

If an employer has fewer than a handful of employees (3), is self-insured, has domestic servants, the employees are casual employees, and farm laborers, then those employers aren’t required to meet basic standards. It’s not likely that you’ll fall into one of these categories, and it’s very likely that your employer has workers’ compensation insurance.

What Can You Do About Workplace Accidents?

Accidents on the clock should fall under workers’ compensation; however, there can be some hiccups. If you were acting unsafely, intended to get hurt, etc., in an effort to defraud your workers’ compensation insurance, then that would be an issue. There’s also the belief that a “bad employee” can’t receive benefits for workers’ comp because it’s probably fraudulent.

The things are that nearly every accident should be covered under the workers’ compensation insurance through your employer. Now in the event that you receive a denial, which is pretty likely in North Carolina, then you can go through and explore your alternative options.

You should file your workers’ comp appeal in North Carolina. But, you should also get the help of a Charlotte workers’ comp attorney. If your employer’s insurance is denying you coverage, then it won’t be simple to disprove.

During all this time, you should be seeking the full damages or losses suffered because of the on-the-job accident. An accident, including the loss of a limb or use of a sense, should have the loss calculated by a professional. To some extent, most workers’ compensation insurance providers simply aren’t prepared to calculate these losses.

Do You Work in a High-Risk Industry?

If you do work in a high-risk injury industry, then you should know the common injuries suffered and what you can do to report unsafe conditions immediately. The National Center for Biotechnology Information or NCBI captures data on the riskiest industries in the U.S., and you’ll find that a vast majority of them are in full swing right in North Carolina.

The sectors with the biggest risks include forestry, construction, manufacturing, agriculture, transportation, and fishing. North Carolina is huge in nearly all of those industries, and that means that it’s critical that those employees are properly represented when they’re injured.

Working in a high-risk injury means that your likely part of or will eventually become part of the 2.8 million non-fatal accidents that happen each year. Although working in a high-risk industry doesn’t mean that you’re necessarily at “higher risk,” it’s clear that the odds are against you. What can put you at higher risk is being a vulnerable worker. As a vulnerable worker, newer employees or people newer to the industry are at higher risk.

For example, an electrician is not inherently at higher risk just because they work in construction environments. But, a new electrician is a high risk for accidents as they often aren’t confident or sure of what they’re doing. The result is more injuries, more accidents, and more people requiring compensation for their injuries. A newer worker could even cause an accident that leads to experienced workers getting hurt.

Know the Workplace Accidents and Injuries That Happen in Your Industry

With a North Carolina workers’ compensation law firm, you can meet with a local attorney to discuss your injuries. Workplace accidents happen to all of us, and that means that you should have full coverage for your on-the-job incident. However, there are many issues that arise during these claims, and North Carolina has a generally high denial rate for workers’ compensation claims.

Get in touch with our offices straight away to begin handling your workers’ compensation claim with purpose.