Injuries Covered by Workers' Compensation
If you suffered an injury on the job in North Carolina, you may be entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits. This compensation is available for many types of work-related injuries and illnesses, including ones caused by workplace accidents, repetitive motion, hazardous exposure, and occupational diseases.
Back Injuries
Back injuries are some of the most common workplace injuries, often affecting workers who lift heavy objects as part of their job duties. Construction, trucking, manufacturing, warehouse, and other manual labor workers frequently seek workers’ compensation for back injuries.
Many back injuries result from a one-time event, such as when muscles get strained or a disc becomes herniated when lifting something heavy. However, that’s not the only cause. They can also result from repetitive motions and standing for extended periods, though these may be harder to connect to work.
These injuries can result in a wide range of symptoms depending on whether the injury primarily affects the muscles, spinal discs, or spinal cord. Many back injuries result in chronic pain, but more severe injuries can even lead to paralysis.
Slip and Fall Injuries
Slips and falls are one of the leading causes of workers’ compensation injuries. These incidents impact workers across all industries and can result in injuries ranging from mild to severe.
On the severe end, falls can lead to spinal cord injuries resulting in paralysis, traumatic brain injuries causing permanent physical and cognitive disability, and even death. In fact, workplace falls are so dangerous that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says 20 to 30 percent cause moderate to severe injuries. Plus, 15 percent of all workplace deaths are from slips, trips, and falls.
Even falls that aren’t life-threatening can lead to injuries that require long-term physical therapy. For example, workers’ compensation settlements for knee injuries are common after slip and fall accidents.
Bone Fractures
Bone fractures can be serious injuries that may require surgery and extensive physical therapy. These injuries most frequently occur in workers with physically demanding jobs and those who work alongside heavy machinery.
Some of the frequent causes of bone fractures include falls, struck-by accidents, and crushing incidents. While the limbs are most at risk, any bone in the body can suffer a fracture under the right conditions. For instance, a delivery driver may suffer fractured ribs in a car crash.
Burns
Burns can occur in various ways. The most obvious is if a worker is exposed to fire or a hot surface, such as in commercial kitchens. However, workers exposed to certain chemicals can also suffer severe burns, as can those who experience electrocutions.
While the burn injury itself can be severe, that’s not the only thing victims need to worry about. Because these injuries damage multiple layers of skin, workers who suffer burns can also be susceptible to life-threatening infections.
These injuries often require surgeries, like skin grafts, and frequently result in permanent scarring or disfigurement.
Repetitive Motion Injuries
Repetitive motion injuries can affect workers in any industry but are most common in industries where workers perform the same motions repeatedly. For example, office employees who use computers all day may develop carpal tunnel syndrome. Assembly line workers may also develop tendonitis, like tennis elbow, from performing the same motions over long periods.
Connecting these injuries to your work can sometimes be challenging since they appear slowly over time and don’t result from a one-time accident. Some workers’ compensation insurance companies will try to argue that your injury could be related to activities you do outside of work.
Occupational Diseases
Occupational disease refers to illnesses that workers acquire due to work-related exposure. Workers who are exposed to asbestos through their work may contract mesothelioma, and miners may develop coal workers’ pneumoconiosis.
Much like with repetitive motion injuries, it’s important to be able to connect your occupational disease to your employment.
Types of Injuries Not Covered by Workers’ Compensation
Several types of injuries are not covered by workers’ compensation insurance. Some of the incidents it doesn’t cover include:
- Injuries resulting from impairment – Employees who suffer injuries on the job while under the influence of drugs or alcohol are not covered by workers’ compensation. The assumption is that the impairment is the primary cause of the incident.
- Injuries that were intentional – If an employee suffers purposefully self-inflicted injuries, workers’ compensation will not cover them. However, workers’ comp should cover injuries that result from workplace accidents, even if the employee was at fault.
- Injuries that occur while off the clock – Workers’ compensation may not cover injuries suffered while off the clock. For example, workers’ compensation generally does not cover an employee’s commute. If a worker takes a break off company property and suffers an injury, that also won’t be covered. However, slipping and falling in the break room may still count as a compensable accident for workers’ compensation.
Contact Our Workers’ Compensation Attorneys in Raleigh, NC
Did you suffer a work-related injury in Raleigh, North Carolina? Contact the experienced workers’ compensation attorneys of Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks, P.A. We’ll review your case, explain your legal options, and work to demand compensation for your injuries.
After a workers’ compensation injury, you need an attorney with the knowledge and experience to protect your legal rights. At Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks, P.A., our team will do everything they can to pursue the compensation you deserve. We personally handle every case with the care and attention it needs, and we have staff members who speak both English and Spanish in case you need translation help.
Our attorneys, David E. Vtipil and Chip Younce, are Board Certified Specialists in Workers’ Compensation Law. Mr. Vtipil has also been named among the nation’s Top 100 Injured Workers’ Attorneys and selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in the Workers’ Compensation Law field. One client says we were “always keeping [them] informed and going the extra mile for [their] needs” in their workers’ compensation claim.
Call our firm at 919-661-9000 for a free case evaluation to learn more about how our skilled legal team can help.
About the Author
Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks, P.A.
At Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks, P.A., our clients work closely with a legal team that is dedicated to providing outstanding client service and unflinching legal representation. The majority of our attorneys and support staff have worked with our firm for many years.
