What to Do After Work Accidents in Charlotte
Suffering an injury in the course of your employment can have a devastating impact on both your physical health and your livelihood. If you were injured in the normal course of your job duties, you are generally entitled to receive benefits designed to make you physically and financially whole. The goal of these benefits is to ensure you can effectively return to the workplace. In considering what to do after work accidents in Charlotte, you should remember to take a few steps to help you have an effective workers’ compensation claim. For more information, contact a knowledgeable workers’ compensation attorney who could help.
Duty to Inform an Employer of a Work Accident
Whether by written communication or direct verbal conversation, an injured worker has a duty to inform their employer that they were injured during the course of their employment. This is the first step an injured worker must take following a work accident in Charlotte.
The duty to notify the employer commences immediately upon injury. Failure to properly notify the employer of the injury may result in the inability to seek any kind of benefits. According to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 97-22, the injured worker must report their injury to their employer no later than 30 days from the date of the injury in order to receive any compensation.
How to Give Notice to a Charlotte Employer
When notice is given, whether in writing or orally, under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 97-23 the following information must be conveyed in the injury notice:
- Name and address of the employee
- Time and place of injury
- What caused the injury
- The nature of injury the worker suffered
If the notice is given orally, the injured worker should make a personal note explaining who they informed of the injury and what was said. If the notice is in writing, it must be signed by the injured worker and must be given to the employer or any of its agents who would be served a normal court complaint in North Carolina. Alternatively, the written notice can be sent by registered or certified mail to the employer at their last known residence or place of business.
Duty to Inform Commission
While the law requires notice of the actual injury be presented to the employer within about a month, according to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 97-24 a claim for compensation from the employer as the result of that injury must be made with the Workers’ Compensation Commission no later than two years from the date of the injury. This is the second step an injured worker must take following a work accident in Charlotte.
If the worker is claiming to have suffered an occupational disease, the time for filing such a claim may extend past the two-year deadline. Failing to place both the employer and the Commission on notice of the injury can adversely affect an injured worker’s claim for benefits. As such, an injured worker must place the Commission on notice following a work accident in Charlotte. Speak with a knowledgeable lawyer to learn more about what to do after work accidents in Charlotte.
An Attorney Could Explain What to do After Work Accidents in Charlotte
Filing a claim for workers’ compensation benefits is a legal way to mitigate the physical and financial pitfalls that may result when you are unable to work following a work accident.
It is important to place both your employer and the Workers’ Compensation Commission on notice of their injury within the specified time under the statute. If you have any questions of what to do after work accidents in Charlotte, contact an attorney who could help.
