How Do I Know If My Employer Has Workers’ Compensation Insurance in North Carolina?
If you get hurt on the job in North Carolina, one of the first questions that comes up is: does my employer have workers’ compensation insurance? The answer matters a lot because it determines who pays for your medical care, whether you’ll get wage replacement, and how your claim moves forward.
Below, we’ll walk through how to find out, where to check, and what to do if your employer doesn’t have coverage.
Why Confirming Your Employers Workers’ Compensation Coverage Matters
If there’s an active policy: Your medical bills and wage replacement usually go through the insurance company, and the claim gets processed by the North Carolina Industrial Commission.
If there’s no policy: Things work differently. Employers who should have insurance but don’t can face penalties, and you’ll need to follow a different process to pursue benefits.
Coverage status shapes everything: It affects how quickly you can get treatment, how smoothly your claim moves, and whether you’ll need legal help to push things forward.
Who Has To Carry Workers’ Comp Coverage in NC?
In North Carolina, most employers with three or more employees are required to have workers’ comp insurance. They also have to list that coverage with the North Carolina Industrial Commission. The registry includes both the employer and the insurance company.
This rule also applies to some out-of-state businesses that have employees working within the state.
Where To Check To See If Your Employer Had Workers’ Comp Insurance When You Were Injured
The Industrial Commission runs an online database where you can look up employers and see if they had an active policy on the date of your injury. That’s your best starting point.
Search the coverage database here
When you use the database, here are a few tips:
- Enter your employer’s full legal name if you have it.
- Check the effective dates of the policy and make sure it covers the exact day you got hurt.
- Having extra details like the employer’s address, the date of your injury, or identifying numbers can help you pull up the right record.
How policies work
- Most workers’ comp policies run year-to-year.
- They can either be renewed or canceled before they expire.
- Always check the dates of coverage if you search the database.
What To Do If You Can’t Find Your Employer’s Workers Comp Coverage In The Database
If the database doesn’t show anything for your employer, you can call the Industrial Commission directly. Have as much info handy as possible:
- Employer’s name
- Date of injury
- Location of your workplace
- Any documents you already have (like pay stubs, accident reports, or messages from your employer)
Their staff can often track things down if you’re hitting a dead end. You’ll find their contact info at www.ic.nc.gov
What To Do If You Discover Your Employer Did Not Have Workers’ Comp Insurance When You Were Injured
If it turns out your employer wasn’t covered when they should have been:
- Document everything. Keep your medical records, proof of missed work, and anything your employer has told you in writing.
- Report it. Let the Industrial Commission know. The law has procedures for dealing with uninsured employers.
- Get legal help. An attorney can step in to make sure your rights are protected and help you figure out the next steps.
Contact Hardison & Cochran
If you’re having trouble confirming coverage, or if you just need help moving your claim forward, our Workers’ Compensation attorneys are here to help you. Our firm helps individuals who have been injured at work throughout the whole state of North Carolina. If you have questions or concerns about your employer’s Workers’ Compensation coverage or general questions about North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Claims, contact us online or by dialing 800-434-8399
