Back Injury at Work

North Carolina Back Injuries and Workers’ Compensation

Back injuries can not only be debilitating and incredibly distracting, but they can also interfere with your ability to continue working. Injuries like a broken back, a muscle strain, or a ruptured or herniated disc can greatly impact your ability to perform routine daily tasks. If you hurt your back on the job, you are entitled to compensation for your injuries, lost wages, and medical expenses. The compensation you are entitled to could be significant.

Some of the most common industries where back injuries occur include:

Manufacturing
Retail
Education
Trucking
Construction
Furniture delivery and moving
Warehouse and distribution centers
Nursing

What to Do If You’ve Suffered a Back Injury at Work

If you were injured while working, it is important that you inform your employer right away, and seek counsel with an attorney. A North Carolina workers’ compensation lawyer will:

Ensure that you receive all compensation you are entitled to under the North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Act
Hold negligent third parties accountable for the physical pain and suffering you have endured

Read more about what to do if you've been hurt at work.

In North Carolina, employees injured on the job will be compensated for their lost wages.

Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Back Injury

You may receive compensation to cover medical bills, including physical therapy, pain management — in the most serious — back or neck surgery. You may also be compensated for any permanent impairment or disability that results from a severe injury. Workers’ compensation insurance will pay for your treatment if your claim is accepted, but the insurance company does have some say on which doctors you see and which procedures will be covered approved.

In North Carolina, employees injured on the job will be compensated for their lost wages in the event the injury prevents them from returning to work. Workers injured on the job can expect to receive two-thirds of their average weekly earnings, which is based on your earnings for the year leading up to the injury. Benefits are paid if the injured worker is written out of work by a doctor authorized by the insurance company. In most cases, the insurance company should instruct you on where to go and who you should see for medical treatment.

A North Carolina workers’ compensation lawyer will assure that you receive all compensation you are entitled to.

Back Injuries Covered Under Workers’ Comp Law

An injury to the “back” in North Carolina is considered an injury to your vertebrae, discs, ligaments, muscles, nerves, or spinal cord. This may include, but is not limited to, back injuries that are a result of lifting or moving heavy objects, slipping, or falling. Workers’ compensation law in North Carolina provides that a back injury is compensable when it:

Arises out of the work being done for the employer and
Is the direct result of a “specific traumatic incident” of the work assigned.

You must be able to identify when the injury occurred. A vague notion that the back injury probably happened at work because of the nature of the job will not suffice. Courts look for a “judicially cognizable” time of occurrence, or a statement of when and how the injury was sustained.

Contact an Experienced Attorney

Don’t lose your job after being hurt at work

Work-related injuries can be complicated, but if you’re smart during the workers’ compensation process, you can avoid losing your income and potentially losing your job.

We will FIGHT for you.

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The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established.