WORKERS COMPENSATION CLAIMS
Under North Carolina law, employers must provide workers compensation where there are 3 or more regular employees. The benefits are payable to employees who are out of work for longer than a week due to an on-the-job injury or an illness caused by occupational exposure. It also provides coverage for any medical expenses for such injuries and illnesses. If you suffered permanent partial disability of any sort, additional benefits are available. If coverage is denied by your employer, or its insurance carrier, or if there is disability, you should obtain the services of a lawyer. No attorney fees are payable up front as all attorney fees must be approved by the Industrial Commission. My attorney fees are set at a percentage of the present value of any recovery, and are contingent upon there being a recovery of benefits. This means no attorney fee is payable unless you win. For more information on attorney fees, see section under General Information. It is possible that you might have both a Workers Compensation claim and Social Security Disability claim, if your on-the-job injury or occupational illness is expected to keep you out of work for a year or longer or result in death. In those cases, your workers compensation benefits can reduce the amount of Social Security benefits you would otherwise be eligible for, and for this reason it may be possible for the workers compensation claim to be settled in a manner (by appropriate language in the settlement agreement) that minimizes any such reduction in benefits. Paul C. Shepard, Attorney at Law 8 West Third Street, Suite 245 Winston-Salem, NC 27101 Phone: (336) 727-1364 Fax: (336) 727-1365