- Is my employer required to provide me Workers’ Compensation coverage?
- What should I do if I am injured on the job?
- Who pays for my medical treatment?
- When will I be paid and how much will I get?
- How long will I be eligible to receive weekly payments?
- Can I get reimbursed for my travel to the doctor?
- Doesn’t my employer have to pay for my chiropractic treatment?
- What should I do if my employer denies my claim for benefits?
- Is my rehab person allowed in the examining room while I am being examined by my doctor?
- My doctors say I can’t go back to my old job. What do I do now?
1. Is my employer required to provide me Workers’ Compensation coverage?
With some exceptions, most employers who employ three or more employees must provide Worker’s Compensation coverage. Top
2. What should I do if I am injured on the job?
Report the injury to your employer, in writing, immediately. If your injury is serious, you should also file a claim with the North Carolina Industrial Commission. Your employer should have forms for this purpose. Do not rely on statements from your employer or the insurance carrier that they’ll take care of everything. Sometimes they don’t. Top,
3. Who pays for my medical treatment?
The employer or its insurance company, subject to any Industrial Commission orders. The Commission may allow you to change physicians when good grounds are shown. However, it may take months to get the request approved. Top
4. When will I be paid and how much will I get?
The first check is due on the 14th day following the injury. No compensation is due for the first seven (7) days of time out of work unless your disability exceeds 21 days. Compensation is then paid weekly. The amount of your check equals 66 2/3% of your average weekly wage up to a maximum amount per week. For injuries occurring in 2004, the maximum amount is $688 and for injuries occurring in 2005, it’s $704. Top
5. How long will I be eligible to receive weekly payments?
Until you are able to return to work. Top
6. What should I do if my employer denies my claim for benefits?
When your claim is denied, you, your attorney, the Commission and all known providers of health care are supposed to be promptly notified of the denial. The denial must provide specific reasons for denying the claim.
You may request a hearing before the Industrial Commission by submitting a Form 33, Request for Hearing, or a letter requesting a hearing.
If you request a hearing before the Industrial Commission, your medical providers must wait until a decision has been rendered by the Commission before they can bill you. Top
7. Can I get reimbursed for my travel to the doctor?
You are entitled to 31 cents per mile for travel for medical treatment, provided you travel 20 miles or more round trip. Special consideration is given to workers who are totally disabled. Self-insurers and insurance carriers are permitted to pay drug and travel expenses directly to you without approval from the Commission. Top
8. Doesn’t my employer have to pay for my chiropractic treatment?
If your employer authorizes medical treatment from a chiropractor, you are entitled to payment for 30 visits, if those visits are medically necessary. If additional visits are needed, the chiropractor should request authorization from the employer. Top
9. Is my rehab person allowed in the examining room while I am being examined by my doctor?
No. You have the right to a private examination by your doctors. Top
10. My doctors say I can’t go back to my old job. What do I do now?
If your claim has been accepted, you are entitled to vocational rehabilitation services. Those services are designed to find you "suitable employment." Just what suitable employment means is a question that is still being worked out by the Commission and the courts. Top
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