This is an unpleasant, uncomfortable, but necessary subject. Suffering an injury at work in North Carolina is a setback. You may have to take time off, go through physical therapy or spend time in the hospital. You have to do whatever it takes to get better, but in the meantime, you cannot work or adhere to your usual routine. Not to mention the issues with your injury causing you a lot of pain. This can all add up to a situation that harms your mental health.
MarketWatch explains that being off work for more than a week due to a work-related injury increases your chances of overdosing or suicide by at least 50% if you are a man. If you are a woman, it triples your risk. These are alarming statistics because they stem from a situation that you have no control over. Anyone could find themselves on leave due to an injury.
The background
These statistics come with a pretty good explanation. Being off work and collecting workers’ compensation means that you earn less. This often causes financial issues, which then leads to elevated stress levels. In addition, an injury could make you dependent on others or unable to take care of your essential needs. A worker’s pain, disability, and frustration apply pressure to family members, and marriages often suffer.
An underappreciated factor is depression among seriously injured workers is social isolation. Contrary to the myth that those receiving workers’ compensation are enjoying their compensated time out of work, most injured workers are frustrated. For many adults, their primary source of social interaction is at work. Being stuck at home, especially when suffering pain and the inability to engage in normal activities, is very hard on most workers.
On top of these issues, studies found that other factors come into play. This includes dealing with the often-frustrating claims process. Feeling like you have to jump through hoops just to get compensation can really drag you down. This can easily lead to depression and other mental health issues.
The overdose risk has a link to pain medications. If you suffer extreme pain due to your injury, it is easy to accidentally take too much pain medication or become addicted to painkillers, which could lead to an overdose in the future.
After considering the stress and other aspects of a work injury, it is not a surprise that there is a higher risk for suicide or drug abuse. The only way to protect yourself is to be aware of these risks and take steps to prevent them.
It is not surprising that many injured workers end up taking medication and seeking counseling for depression. Many lawyers who represent them, including Jay Gervasi, have had sad experiences of client suicide, as well as, fortunately, some in which attempted suicide was avoided. The next time you hear someone talking about how workers’ compensation is an unjustified “gravy train,” please keep in your own mind the (not hypothetical) scenario in which a lawyer awakens to an email from a client that is actually a suicide note, then calls frantically to the client’s apartment complex, so that management can get ambulance personnel into the room, barely in time to take a client to the hospital. That was one of the “winning” situations that turned out well.
In any case of serious workplace injury, it is important for everyone—the injured worker, the worker’s family, the lawyer, the treating physicians, insurance personnel, medical and vocational rehabilitation specialists—to keep an eye out for warning signs, for depression and other mental disruption, as well as problems associated with the dangerous medications that are so often necessary in treatment.
What injuries are common in office settings?
Many industries are inherently dangerous, from construction to manufacturing to agriculture. However, you and other North Carolina residents can suffer a job-related injury or illness in any workplace setting – including those you might not expect to be hazardous. If you work in an office, you may be interested in learning about the numerous risks you can encounter at work each day.
The Albert Einstein College of Medicine has compiled a list of the most common injuries you may sustain working in an office setting. These include the following:
- Falling, the top cause of job injuries in an office
- Being struck by a flying or falling object
- Hitting your head on a stationary object, such as a cabinet
- Hurting your back from improper lifting or reaching
- Developing repetitive movement injuries from typing or operating office equipment
- Straining your eyes from the glare of a computer screen
It is also possible to get sick from an illness, such as norovirus or pneumonia, that spreads through the office building. Respiratory illnesses that are easily spread can cause people to miss significant amounts of work, especially those whose immune systems are compromised. Cleaning solvents, photocopier chemicals and other solutions commonly found in the office may also injure you or make you sick if you suffer an overexposure to these chemicals.
You may protect yourself and others in the office by observing safety standards and correcting hazards that you see in the workplace. However, if you are injured or become ill from a work-related incident, you are entitled to seek workers’ compensation. The information provided in this blog is meant to educate without replacing the advice of a lawyer.
Crane worksite safety guide
Working on or around cranes in North Carolina construction sites requires special training or safety preparations. It is essential that all workers follow the appropriate safety guidelines in order to reduce the likelihood of accidental injury.
General crane safety tips
Stevenson Crane notes that workers should read over any safety cards or checklists before operating a crane, and ensure that every item on those checklists is attended to. It is important not to rush through operations with such a massive piece of machinery, so supervisors should schedule enough time for things to be done right.
While the crane is operating, workers should not be working underneath the load. Even with this precaution being taken, it is still important to inspect the crane and the fastening of the load before setting it in motion. Also, the only workers who should be operating the crane are those who have been trained and certified to do so.
Topics employees should be trained on
All supervisors should ensure that their employees are trained on the key topics stated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. One of these is the list of requirements for equipment maintenance and inspection.
Workers should also be educated about safe rigging practices to ensure that loads are secured properly. In addition to the proper rigging of loads, those loading and operating the crane should be aware of the machine’s load limits. Finally, there should be a set of equipment operator instructions that every crane operator is made privy to.
Summer in North Carolina is unquestionably when companies often complete their largest construction projects. Every summer, many buildings get remodeled or built from the ground up. However, thanks, in part, to mild winter weather conditions, many companies continue to build and work on residential and commercial properties in North Carolina regardless of the weather.
The precipitation and storm conditions that may roll in during the less favorable seasons may not be as dangerous as blizzard conditions and, arguably, may be less of a risk than severe heat, which can quickly become dangerous for workers and persist for weeks. However, the wet weather that often accompanies the cooler seasons can create its own set of risks for construction employee injuries.
Rain increases the risk of slipping or equipment losing traction
The single biggest risk of death for construction workers in the United States is the potential for a fall. When you have to work on surfaces that are wet and slippery, the potential risk goes up. Even with non-slip soles, you could lose traction and fall during work. The only way to avoid these risks is to ensure that all workers at any height during wet or slippery weather conditions have restraints such as harnesses in place that will prevent them from falling if they slip.
Of course, people aren’t the only thing that can slip and fall during wet weather conditions. Equipment, supplies and machinery can also slip, meaning that they may pose a hazard to workers nearby. Falling supplies or equipment could land on someone. Workers attempting to stop slipping machinery could also wind up being pulled down, which means they fall and get injured as a result.
Properly restraining workers, equipment and machinery, even if the weather is clear, can reduce the risk of wet weather and winds moving people or equipment and endangering workers, since weather can change quickly.
If there is lightning, you shouldn’t be outside working
With heavy rains comes the potential for lightning. Electrical activity and clouds can affect people miles away from the origin storm. If any workers are outside, your employer should have a policy in place that protects you from potential lightning-related injuries. Your employer should cease outdoor construction, particularly for workers at greater heights.
Unfortunately, many people will continue working if their employer requires it, potentially leaving themselves at risk for severe injuries that will prevent them from continuing to work in the future.
Workers who get hurt during rain storms or thunderstorms at construction sites in North Carolina have rights under the law. Depending on the specifics of your case, you may be able to receive workers’ compensation benefits. In situations that involve an employer putting workers at unnecessary risk, it may be possible to also take legal action against your employer if workers’ compensation doesn’t cover the financial impact of your injuries.
When you get hurt on the job in North Carolina, you have the right to file a claim and seek protections under the state’s workers’ compensation insurance program. The benefits that this program provides can help you secure whatever medical care you need, including corrective surgery, physical therapy, or expensive pain management, while also helping to replace a portion of your lost wages while you recover, and sometimes compensating you for permanent injury.
The same benefits are available, if you develop an occupational illness, rather than an injury by accident.
However, in order to connect with the benefits you need to stay financially solvent after an injury or illness related to work, you will need to comply with the state requirements for documentation and claims paperwork. Mistakes in reporting and filing your application or appeal can lead to an unnecessary denial of your benefits.
You need to file with both the state and with your employer
In most cases, your best option for connecting with workers’ compensation benefits involves immediately 1) notifying your employer of the injury, preferably in writing, and 2) filing an accident report with the North Carolina Industrial Commission, if you get injured on the job. However, not all serious workplace medical issues result from a sudden injury or accident. Instead, they may involve the exposure to hazardous chemicals or the slow development of a repetitive stress injury.
In that scenario, you should file a report with your employer as soon as you begin recognizing symptoms or receive a diagnosis related to your job. As with any other type of case, you should notify your employer and file your claim with the Industrial Commission as soon as you can.
Filing documentation with the Industrial Commission, in a North Carolina claim, often has a firm deadline of two years from the date of injury. Waiting any longer could result in an immediate denial of the benefits you need. It is extremely important that you not delay, because the start of the two year period can be complicated, especially in occupational disease cases. Also, if more time has passed, again especially in an occupational disease case, but also in some others, it is sometimes possible to make your claim, anyway. You should call a lawyer, if you have any questions about that.
Working with a lawyer can help you avoid making preventable mistakes
Issues with paperwork and missing deadlines are often reasons North Carolina workers’ compensation claims wind up denied. The best way to avoid these errors is to educate yourself about the system and comply with all legal requirements.
Start with a plan to sit down with an attorney who has experience navigating the complex workers’ compensation insurance program. From there, you can work on gathering the necessary documentation and putting together your claim or appeal as necessary. An attorney can help you avoid the mistakes that often cost people the benefits that they and their family will need in order to bounce back after a workplace injury or illness.
In a scenario that is not uncommon, you slip on a spill at your local supermarket and fall, spraining your back and cracking your head. Your recovery has resulted in time off work and significant medical bills. You may think that receiving compensation for the accident is as simple as filing a personal injury claim, but at the law office of Jay Gervasi, P.A., we know that the opposite is true. When dealing with personal injury claims in North Carolina, the other party is likely to attempt to prove they were not responsible for the accident and try to avoid liability.
According to FindLaw, you will need to prove that the grocery store was negligent in providing a safe place for customers by knowing about an existing dangerous condition (or if they should have known, which often requires the injured person to prove how long the dangerous condition was present) and failing to correct it, by creating the hazard or by failing to inform others that a risk was present. You stand a better chance of success if store personnel knew about the spill but did not clean and dry the area or did not put up wet floor signs.
Importantly, under North Carolina law, the duty of a premises owner to warn or make safe a condition generally arises when the hazard is not obvious. Except under unusual circumstances, the premises owner is not liable, if the injured person could have seen the hazardous condition, if he or she had been looking.
However, the opposing insurer and legal counsel may look for evidence to avoid responsibility, such as the state of your shoes’ repair when you slipped or whether you knowingly disregarded caution signs.
Our premises liability page further describes the responsibilities of property owners in maintaining safe conditions for visitors. While it may be a complex matter to seek compensation after an injury, you have the right to pursue action if you believe an accident was not your fault and could have been prevented.
If you suffer a workplace injury, you may find it necessary to file a workers’ compensation claim. This allows you to receive regular payments until you’re able to return to work, among other benefits.
While you hope that your initial workers’ compensation claim is approved, you should prepare for a denial. Doing so will ensure that you’re in a position to take the appropriate steps to protect your legal rights.
There are various reasons for a workers’ compensation denial, with these among the most common:
You did not seek medical treatment
You should receive medical treatment after suffering an on-the-job injury. Furthermore, you should do so as quickly as possible. In addition to being essential for producing the best result for your health, early medical care helps support your claim, by corroborating your report of how you were injured. Be sure to give the doctors and other health care providers detailed and careful information about how your injury happened. Do not just assume that they already know or will be particularly interested in how you got hurt.
You did not file the claim on time
You shouldn’t wait to file a workers’ compensation claim, as there are deadlines in place. Doing it too late could result in an immediate denial. You must file it with the Industrial Commission, as your employer’s report does not satisfy your obligation. You don’t want to take the chance that something will slip up down the road and kill your case, on the technicality that you did not file.
You did not report your injury
One of the first things you should do after a workplace accident is to report it to your employer. It is best to give notice in writing, but giving a verbal report generally does not get in the way of a claim. Having it in writing provides documented evidence of the report. Always make sure to get a copy of any written report you give. It is helpful to tell as many supervisors as you can.
A detailed report immediately after an injury, along with doctors’ notes, bolsters the credibility of your claim. Remember that while you may think your request is compensable, carelessness in reporting can make it hard to prove your claim, if the employer resists it.
Your employer disputed your claim
A denial commonly happens if your employer believes your injury does not qualify for workers’ compensation for some reason. For example, under North Carolina law, if you injure your back at work while performing a routine activity, that injury is usually covered. However, for other body parts, the injury must usually be caused by an unforeseen event or an interruption of your work routine.
On the other hand, if there is something unusual about how you were picking it up, that could be considered may be an accident. In short, the employer may dispute the claim, but that does not mean that the employer is correct.
What can you do about it?
If you receive a denial, your first step is finding out the reason. Knowing why your employer denied your claim allows you to take immediate action. In many cases, providing additional information will result in approval.
Depending on the circumstances, you may need to appeal a workers’ compensation denial. Just the same as making a claim, take action as quickly as possible.
The assistance of a workers’ compensation attorney will give you peace of mind as you fight to protect your legal rights during this challenging time of your life.
Recently, North Carolina church and labor leaders and families gathered at Raleigh’s Old State Capitol for an interfaith memorial service to call attention to job-related deaths in the state.
A bell rang 183 times, once for each worker death in North Carolina in 2017, the most recent year of available statistics. More North Carolina workers died from job related causes in 2017 than in any year since 2008.
Workers’ compensation can pay death benefits
The families of some employees who die from workplace injuries or illnesses may receive workers’ compensation insurance benefits.
You might think of worker’s comp as a way for employees with job-related injuries or disabilities to pay medical bills or make up for lost wages.
Perhaps thankfully, the death benefits usually covered by workers’ comp are not often top of mind.
Who is covered?
North Carolina requires almost all employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance plans and such plans must cover death benefits.
Employers aren’t required to carry workers’ comp for some kinds of North Carolina workers. Domestic workers such as nannies, home health aides and senior caregivers or housekeepers don’t have to be covered. Neither do farm workers.
Federal employees are also exempt in North Carolina but are likely to be covered by the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA).
What is covered?
Compensation won’t be paid if the employee was under the influence of alcohol (unless supplied by the employer) or drugs (unless prescribed) at the time of the accident.
Ordinarily, benefits will also not be paid if the worker intentionally commits suicide. However, there are important exceptions.
Mental illness and psychological trauma can be occupational injuries according to North Carolina courts. If survivors and their attorneys can prove that the job contributed to a mental condition that caused the suicide, workers’ comp benefits can result.
Disputes sometimes arise about whether a worker’s death was work related or whether the employer’s insurance should not pay for some reason. North Carolina laws specify procedures for such disputes.
Anyone likely to receive death benefits under workers’ comp insurance probably should also consider whether it makes sense to file a wrongful death suit against the employer.
For motorcycle riders in North Carolina, 2018 proved to be a particularly dangerous year. There were 170 motorcycle fatalities in 2018, which was nearly a 21 percent increase from the previous year.
A spokesperson from AAA Carolinas stated the company did not know for certain what caused the increase in deaths, but believed it could at least be partly due to increased distractions while people drive. The roadside safety company cautioned that with spring just around the corner, there will be more motorcyclists on the road. She recommended that drivers keep their eyes open for motorcyclists, and remember that even a minor accident with a person on a motorcycle can prove deadly since they have less protection.
Motorcyclists need to remain vigilant as well. Here are few safety tips as you get out on your motorcycle this season:
- Keep five to six seconds behind an automobile you are going to pass. Check for oncoming traffic from the left side, signal your turn and then check for traffic again before you pass.
- Do not drink and ride.
- Wear some piece of brightly colored clothing. You do not need to dress head to toe in neon, but wear a brightly colored hat, bandana or even gloves. Add something that will make drivers notice you.
- Only ride with other motorcyclists you trust. Riding next to someone who is inexperienced, showing off or intoxicated puts you in danger. Do not put yourself in that situation.
- Look at where you want you and your motorcycle to go. If you are looking at the side of the road, you are more likely to veer that direction. You should instead be looking for the next turn or the next open spot. This helps keep you focused and confident.
- Wear all the proper safety gear like gloves, closed footwear and pants. You can even buy Kevlar-reinforced denim that looks like a regular pair of jeans, but offers much more protection if you are in a crash.
- Always wear a helmet. Helmet technology improves every year. Helmets come in super lightweight fiberglass or thermoplastic materials designed to disperse the energy of impact from an accident. Some helmet shields also include anti-fog and anti-scratch protections to ensure you can always see the road ahead of you.
Riding on a motorcycle is inherently more dangerous than riding in a car. However, if you exercise a little extra caution, make yourself visible and invest in good safety gear, you can reduce your chance of crashing while you are out enjoying the open road.
A study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has found that drivers are 57% more likely to use their phones for texting, sending emails and surfing the web than for actually making a call. North Carolina residents should know that this means drivers are using their phones in riskier ways than before.
The study was based on observations of drivers in four Northern Virginia communities as they moved to, and stopped at, red lights. There were two observational surveys, one made in 2014 and the other in 2018. While researchers noted the rise in risky phone use, they did not find any evidence of an increase in driver distraction in general.
Manipulating a phone, rather than simply talking on it, raises the risk for a crash. In fact, it raises the chances of a fatal car crash by 66%. The IIHS estimates that more than 800 crash deaths in 2017 were the result of drivers manipulating their phones. These activities take drivers’ eyes off the road, and even when they are talking on the phone, drivers will tend to focus on the center of the road and ignore the periphery.
Distracted driving, said to account for 10% of car crash deaths, is actually an underreported phenomenon. Many drivers refuse to hand their phones over to police.
When it is proven that distracted drivers caused motor vehicle accidents, then those who were the innocent victims might consider filing a claim. After all, if their injuries were severe, they might be left with medical bills and even a diminished capacity to earn a living. This is where legal representation may be of benefit. A lawyer may negotiate for a fair settlement, and if the other side won’t cooperate, then the lawyer may prepare for a trial.
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