Experienced Personal Injury Lawyers

STEP 1

Seek Medical Attention

Your personal health and well-being should be of utmost importance. Once you have verbally told your boss or employer about your injury or accident, they should give you instructions on visiting an approved doctor. You may also see your own doctor for a second opinion but know that this visit may not be covered by workers’ compensation. If your workplace has a healthcare provider on-site, see that individual. If the injury is an emergency, go to the nearest hospital or emergency care facility immediately and worry about telling your employer later. When at the doctor’s office,

1. Explain your work-related injury or illness to the physician.
2. Explain how it happened or when you first noticed the symptoms.
3. Make sure that the doctor has the name of your employer and knows that you will be filing a workers’ compensation claim.

It’s Important To:

• Follow all of the doctor’s orders regarding treatment for your injury or illness, and attend any follow-up appointments that may be recommended.
• Failing to obey medical instructions or attend follow-up appointments can jeopardize your workers’ compensation claim and give the insurance company a reason to deny your benefits.

STEP 2

Notify Your Employer

Always follow up with a written notice to your immediate supervisor or to the human resources (HR) department, after verbally telling your employer about your injury prior to seeking medical treatment. North Carolina law gives you 30 days from the date of your accident to report any injury to your employer in writing. The sooner you can provide written notice, the better because any delays will look suspicious to the insurance company.

Even though you or a coworker likely already verbally told your employer about your injury prior to seeking medical treatment, it’s important that you follow up with a written notice to your immediate supervisor or to the human resources (HR) department. North Carolina law says that you have 30 days from the date of your accident to report any injury to your employer in writing. The sooner you can provide written notice, the better — as any delays will look suspicious to the insurance company.

If your injury prevents you from giving written notice, ask a friend or a coworker to tell your employer what happened and that you will give written notice as soon as you are able to do so. Also, it’s a good idea to tell your coworkers what happened in case your supervisor later tries to deny receiving notice of your claim.

STEP 3

Notify Your Employer

You have 2 years from the date of your injury to file a Form 18. The Form 18 is the Notice of Accident to Employer and Claim of Employee, Representative or Dependent for NC Workers’ Compensation Benefits — is the document that must be filed with the North Carolina Industrial Commission (NCIC) within 2 years from the date of your injury.

We encourage injured workers to submit this form within 30 days, you technically have 2 years to do so before your claim will be disqualified from receiving workers’ compensation benefits. The longer you wait to submit this form, the greater the risk that the insurance company will dispute or deny your claim.

You can contact an attorney from our firm, a friend, or the North Carolina Industrial Commission for help filling out this form. The phone number for the NCIC is (800) 688-8349.

The insurance company should make a decision and provide written notice of whether it is accepting or denying your claim within 14 days of receiving your Form 18. (In some cases, the insurer will file a conditional acceptance if it needs more time to investigate the claim.) If the insurance company accepts your claim and your costs are fully covered, you should receive a Form 60 — Employer’s Admission of Employee’s Right to Compensation — or Form 63 — Notice To Employee of Payment without Prejudice.