If you are employed in the state of North Carolina and were injured on the job, you are required to file Form 18 which serves as a legal claim of injury. You can access Form 18 by clicking here. You do have two years from the date of the injury to get this form filed, however, our Wilmington, North Carolina accident attorneys advise that you notify the Industrial Commission as soon as possible. Sometimes, an employee might file this form later on in the event they developed an illness from their work environment but learned about it months after.
Something else an injured employee must do after engaging in a work accident is notify their employer. You can fulfill the written request you are expected to provide to your employer by giving them a copy of Form 18 within 30 days from when the accident transpired.
Once your Form 18 is received by the Industrial Commission and processed, you will be mailed an acknowledgement letter. This acknowledgment letter will also be mailed to your employer or the workers’ compensation insurance carrier they are contracted with. Once they receive that notification, you will be contacted by either your employer or their insurance carrier and made aware of whether compensation is going to be paid voluntarily. The time is takes to process your form will depend on the workload the Commission has at the time.
What if my injury has caused me to miss days from work?
Having to take a few days off work is something that often occurs after an employee becomes injured while on the job. Some work accidents lead to back, neck, or even a leg injuries which requires the worker to take some time where they are able to seek medical attention as well as begin the recovery process. If you did miss more than one day from work because of your injury or your injury has resulted in more than $2,000 in medical bills, your employer is required to file Form 19.
When your employer files Form 19, this doesn’t mean they have fulfilled the requirement to get a workers’ compensation claim filed. They are still going to need to take the necessary measures to ensure a claim is filed for you. A workers’ compensation claim will allow you to receive the necessary benefits you need whether it is for medical bills, to cover a portion of your salary while you are out of work, or to even pay death benefits in the event you are requesting a claim be filed for a work accident that killed your loved one.
Why might you need to enlist the help of one of our accident attorneys in Wilmington, NC?
Although your employer may have already assisted you in getting a claim filed and the Industrial Commission has provided you with the necessary information you might need, there might come a point in the claims process where you may need some legal advice.
Our accident and injury attorneys in Wilmington are able to help you if:
- Your claim is being delayed.
- the insurance company isn’t providing you with the compensation they claimed you would receive.
- You want a second opinion on what you are entitled to and if there is any further action that you need to take.
USAttorneys.com can help you get connected with a lawyer now who understands workers’ comp law and can assure your claim is being handled fairly and accordingly.
