Filing All Appropriate Worker’s Compensation Forms
All workers’ compensation forms can be located on the North Carolina Industrial Commission’s website. However, before downloading, filling out, and filing any forms, it is recommended that you seek help from an experienced worker’s compensation attorney.
It is important to ask for and reach out to our experienced attorneys to get some help when dealing with a worker’s compensation claim because in North Carolina it is very complex and can be confusing.
Description of the Forms
- Form 18 – filled out within 2 years of an injury by the injured worker or their attorney to put their employer and the Industrial Commission on notice of any worker’s compensation claim.
- Form 18B – a claim for lung disease, which would be considered Asbestosis or Silicosis. It would need to be filed as soon as the person has a diagnosis of the potential lung disease.
- Form 18M – a claim filed once it becomes apparent to the treating physicians that the individual will need continued medical care beyond the normal two-year period.
- Form 19 – the first report of injury that the employer must file this form within a two-year period from the day of the injury.
- Form 25C – used to receive reimbursement for mileage expenses for those that traveled more than 20 miles for doctors visits.
Additional forms are necessary for litigation but do not necessarily needed to be filed or signed by the injured worker. There are also certain forms that can be filed for the reimbursement of prescriptions costs that are not covered by the initial payment of medical care.
Purpose
The purpose of filing all of the forms accurately and in a timely manner is to shorten the processing time. Since everything is based on the form-based practice with the Industrial Commission, it standardizes many of the processes involved in disputes over the claim, notices of the claim, or continuation of medical care beyond the claim’s statutes.
If forms are not filed properly, it may be able to give the employee or the claimant some advantage. The North Carolina Industrial Commission is very strict in having their rules followed. If employees do not follow the rules, they can suffer consequences, which could have an adverse impact on their case.
Filing on Time
All forms that are filed with the Industrial Commission have the filing instructions on the bottom of the form that allows the person filing out a form to know where to send it and whether or not there needs to be a copy sent. The North Carolina Industrial Commission is located in downtown Raleigh at 430 North Salisbury Street so, if necessary, an injured worker can always submit the forms in person if they do not have access to the internet.
Certain forms must be filed to meet certain deadlines. For example, Form 18 must be filed within two years of the injury. So, it is always good to check with a North Carolina-based worker’s compensation attorney to find if there are any other requirements or any other forms that must be filed during the course of an injured worker’s case.
If Claims Are Not Filed
There is no reason that the employer or the claimant should not file all the appropriate forms with the North Carolina Industrial Commission. The claimant or employer may give up certain rights and privileges that may have had with their claim if they do not file the proper forms. In some of the worst case scenarios, they might not be able to pursue their claim if all of the proper forms have not been filed.
The claimant should seek legal help if the claimant is not receiving benefits due to an employer not filing the appropriate forms. The injured worker must get medical care and an experienced attorney can help make sure that anything that can be done gets done in order to process their claim as quickly as possible.
