Raleigh North Carolina Workers' Compensation Lawyers
How Workers' Compensation in North Carolina Works
The law of workers' compensation is the requirement that an employer purchase insurance that provides medical benefits, wage replacement, and payment for permanent disability to cover an employee, if an employee is injured on the job. In exchange for purchasing workers' compensation insurance that would provide benefits as required by state law, the employer is generally not required to pay an injured employee other personal injury damages like pain and suffering, or punitive damages for negligence in causing a worker injury. Further, even if a work injury happened because of negligence of the employee, the employee will also still typically receive benefits. Throughout history, this no-fault tradeoff has often been called the "workers' compensation bargain." Workers' compensation laws are handled on a state by state basis, and beginning in 1929 with North Carolina's first Workers Compensation Act, this state has a long history of protecting injured workers.
North Carolina Workers' Compensation Benefits
North Carolina workers' compensation laws have evolved to accommodate the state's complex and growing economy. There are a few exceptions, but most on the job injuries are covered under workers' compensation. If you've been injured at work, you are generally to entitled benefits that include:
- Medical Treatment and Rehabilitation
- Replacement of Your Wages
- Payment for a Permanent Injury/Disability
If you are injured on the job, these benefits are required to be paid by the insurance company who insures your employer, not your employer, unless your employer is self-insured. It is illegal for your employer to terminate you or retaliate against you for filing a workers' compensation claim. If your employer terminates you in response to you filing a workers' compensation claim, you have the right to file a complaint with the North Carolina Department of Labor under the North Carolina Retaliatory Discrimination Act (REDA).
The North Carolina Workers' Compensation Law Firm of Hemmings & Stevens
The law firm of Hemmings & Stevens, PLLC is a small firm. We maintain our office in Raleigh, but we handle workers' compensation cases statewide in North Carolina. We believe in personal attention to our clients. Because each client presents with a unique set of circumstances, we have been successful in representing injured people in claims for workers' compensation by providing close individual attention to each client and aggressively representing his or her interests. We stay informed of changing workers' compensation laws and will take the time to fully understand your case in order to determine how we can best recover maximum benefits for you. We have experience in handling workers' compensation claims for a wide variety of workers in North Carolina who have suffered many different types of injuries. We offer free consultations, and there are no fees unless we make a recovery for you.
For more information about workers' compensation claims in North Carolina and to learn how we can help you, please review the links listed below:
- History of Workers' Compensation
- Video Introduction
- Starting a Workers' Compensation Claim
- Important Time Limits
- Recorded Statements in Workers' Compensation Cases
- Common Causes of Workplace Injuries
- Injuries Covered by Workers' Compensation
- Workers' Compensation Benefits & Payments
- Case Management Nurses
- Changing Your Doctor
- Vocational Rehabilitation
- Average Weekly Wage Calculation
- Key Workers' Compensation Terms
- Important Workers' Compensation Forms
- Third Party Claims
- About the NC Industrial Commission
- Workers' Compensation Hearings
- Workers' Compensation Mediation
- Settling Your Workers' Compensation Case
- Returning to Work
- Workers' Compensation Disability Ratings
- Why Hire a Workers' Compensation Lawyer?
- Workers' Compensation Attorney Fees
- Whom We Represent
- Workers' Compensation FAQ
Contact Our Workers' Compensation Lawyers
If you have questions about your workers' compensation claim, or have trouble understanding workers' compensation terms or navigating the workers' compensation system, call us at 919. 277.0161 or contact us online. Consultations with our lawyers about your case are free. We are happy provide an opinion about your case and discuss all of your options over the phone, in our office, or at your home if you cannot travel. There are no fees unless we make a recovery for you.