What Benefits Are Available Through North Carolina Workers’ Comp?

 Posted on May 10, 2021 in Personal Injury

Work-related injuries are unfortunately common, especially for employees in high-risk industries like construction and others that involve heavy equipment or physical strain. If you are injured on the job in North Carolina, you are usually entitled to benefits under your employer’s workers’ compensation coverage. However, it can be difficult to understand the full amount and types of benefits to which you are entitled in order to ensure that you receive them. An experienced attorney can help you ensure fair compensation, but it is also a good idea to educate yourself about the types of benefits available in North Carolina.

Types of Workers’ Compensation Benefits in North Carolina

North Carolina workers’ comp benefits help to reimburse you for many different economic losses associated with your injuries. Depending on the type of injury you have suffered and the severity of its effects, you may be owed compensation for one or more of the following:

• Medical treatment - Your employer is required to provide for the costs of all treatment deemed medically necessary for your injuries. This may include surgery, hospital stays, medication, rehabilitation, and up to 20 chiropractor visits. If you need to travel at least 20 miles round trip for your treatment, you will also be reimbursed at a rate of $0.56 per mile for travel in 2021.
• Lost wages - Workers’ compensation also provides benefits for lost wages, but only if your injury causes you to miss work for at least 7 days. These are also known as temporary disability benefits, and they are usually paid weekly at a rate of two-thirds of the wages lost. Temporary disability payments last until you are able to return to work at full capacity, or for up to 500 weeks.
• Permanent disability - If your injury has lasting effects from which you will never fully recover, you are entitled to permanent disability benefits. The amount is determined based on the type of injury and the impairment rating according to your doctor’s report, and it can be paid weekly or all at once. Some injuries, including severe brain and spinal cord injuries, severe burn injuries, and the loss of more than one eye or limb, are considered permanent total disabilities, and in this case, you can receive compensation for the rest of your life.
• Vocational rehabilitation - If your injury prevents you from returning to your previous job with at least 75 percent of your previous wages, you are entitled to vocational rehabilitation services, including training, education, and vocational assessment, to help you increase your earning capacity and find new work.
• Death benefits - If your spouse or someone upon whom you are financially dependent dies in a work-related accident, you are entitled to compensation for a portion of their lost wages, as well as up to $10,000 in funeral and burial expenses.

Contact a Raleigh, NC Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

At Vasquez Law Firm, PLLC, we are committed to helping injured workers and their families secure all of the compensation they deserve. We can represent you throughout the process of your workers’ compensation claim, and we may also be able to help you recover pain and suffering damages from a negligent third party who was responsible for your injuries. Contact our Wake County workers’ comp attorneys today at 1-844-YO-PELEO or 844-967-3536 for a free consultation. Hablamos español.

Sources:

http://www.ic.nc.gov/faqs.html

https://www.ncleg.net/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bychapter/chapter_97.html