Types of North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Benefits
North Carolina workers who are injured as a result of a workplace accident or who contract an occupational illness qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. The N.C. Industrial Commission administers the state’s workers’ compensation program.
These benefits can help injured workers pay medical bills, replace lost wages and cover income lost when disabled workers are unable to return to work on a temporary or permanent basis. Family members of a worker who has died because of an injury or illness may qualify for a workers’ compensation death benefit.
If you or someone you love has suffered a workplace injury or occupational disease that kept them from working in North Carolina, call the experienced workers’ compensation benefits lawyers at Hardison & Cochran toll-free at (800) 434-8399 or fill out our online contact form. You’ll get a response within 24 hours, and your initial consultation is always free.
Benefits Available through North Carolina Workers’ Compensation
The specific amounts of the various workers’ compensation benefits paid to injured and disabled workers are calculated with formulas set by state law. The following is a general outline of the types of North Carolina workers’ comp benefits:
Medical Benefits
Benefits may be paid for specific medical procedures from the emergency room through recovery, diagnostic tests and medications and the services of medical professionals (surgeon, assistant surgeon, physician, physician assistant, registered nurse, nurse practitioner, etc.).
Medical benefits may also be paid for:
- Palliative care
- Physical therapy
- Psychological therapy
- Chiropractic services
- Medical rehabilitation services
- Attendant care.
Vocational Rehabilitation Benefits
If a worker’s injuries mean they cannot return to the job they had and must accept a different kind of work or a job that pays less, they may qualify for vocational rehabilitation benefits. Vocational rehab benefits may be used to pay for costs of:
- On-the-job-training
- Transferrable-skills analysis
- Resume, interviewing and job application services
- Job search assistance
- Education and tuition expenses.
Disability Benefits
An injured worker may apply for disability benefits if doctors determine that he or she will not be able to return to their job. “Total disability” means a worker cannot earn a living. “Partial disability” means the worker can’t return to the line of work pursued prior to the injury and will not earn the rate of pay earned prior to his or her injury.
Payments are capped but should amount to 66.66 percent of the difference between the worker’s post- and pre-injury weekly income.
Disability benefits are classified as:
- Temporary Total Disability (TTD)
- Temporary Partial Disability (TPD)
- Permanent Partial Disability (PPD)
- Permanent Total Disability (PTD).
PPD payments are calculated according to a percentage of loss (disability), which is determined by the physician. That percentage is applied to PPD rates for specified injuries, such as partial loss of a finger or the loss of a hand. PTD payments are first provided for 500 weeks, but the disabled worker can apply to have payments extended.
Disfigurement Benefits
Compensation for scarring or damage to internal organs not specifically covered under PPD rules (above) may be up to $10,000.
Death Benefits
If a worker dies from an injury suffered in a workplace accident, his or her survivors may receive a death benefit from workers’ compensation. The amount of the benefit will be based on 66.66 percent of the deceased worker’s weekly salary plus an annual cost-of-living allowance (COLA) and be paid for up to 500 weeks. A workers’ compensation death benefit also includes up to $10,000 for burial expenses and reimbursement for medical expenses.
If a disabled employee dies because of his work-related injuries or illness, his minor child or disabled spouse may be entitled to receive benefits for up to 400 weeks.
Those who are unfamiliar with the voluminous and complex rules and regulations for North Carolina workers’ compensation benefits can easily be overwhelmed. It is easy to make a mistake when applying for benefits that will destroy a workers’ compensation case.
If your North Carolina workers’ compensation benefits are denied or do not fully address your injuries or illness, you have the right to appeal that decision. This can be a complex and often lengthy process.
Contact a North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Benefits Lawyer Today
The N.C. Workers’ Compensation Act is meant to protect employees who have been hurt or become ill on the job. But the process of filing a claim for benefits can be daunting. That’s why the workers’ compensation benefits attorneys at Hardison & Cochran are here to assist you through the entire process and make sure you get the compensation you deserve.
If you or someone you love has suffered a workplace injury or illness, call the experienced North Carolina workers’ compensation benefits lawyers at Hardison & Cochran toll-free at (800) 434-8399 or fill out our online contact form. You’ll get a response within 24 hours. We take every workers’ compensation claim seriously.
We provide dedicated services to injured workers across North Carolina, including in Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Wake County, Fayetteville, Dunn, Greensboro, Research Triangle Park, Wilmington, the Triangle, the Triad, Person County and Southern Pines. Let us help you today.
