Get Experienced Help With North Carolina Workers’ Compensation
Last updated on April 17, 2026
If you have been injured in an industrial accident or other work-related accident, you don’t need to sue your employer to obtain benefits for lost wages or to get compensation for surgery bills, medical treatment and other medical bills. Workers’ compensation laws allow injured employees to recover money to pay for care from their employer’s workers’ compensation insurance.
At the law firm of R. Steve Bowden & Associates, our North Carolina workers’ compensation attorney can help you understand the process of submitting a workers’ compensation claim and obtaining benefits. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation.
Skilled Guidance Through Every Step Of The Process
Our lawyers assist people like you who find themselves a workers’ compensation claim. We can help you:
- Understand your rights after a work injury
- File the workers’ compensation claim
- Pursue additional personal injury benefits in a third-party claim
- Appeal a denied claim
- Appeal the termination of your benefits
- Navigate the mediation process
Whether you have a repetitive motion injury such as carpel tunnel syndrome, you have a preexisting condition that was made worse by your job, or you have any other type of workplace injury, our goal is to obtain all the benefits you deserve. These may include:
- Proper medical care
- Medical prescriptions
- Therapy
- Lost wages
- Other benefits
It can be challenging to manage a workers’ compensation claim by yourself. We are here to help guide you through the process.
What To Do After You’ve Been Injured At Work
A work accident that results in an injury can cause many issues at once. People are often unsure of what to do first. See the list below for the steps to take:
- The first step is to report the injury to your employer. You only have 30 days to provide a written statement, so it is important to report it right away. If you need to get medical attention immediately or your injury prevents you from reporting the incident, you can ask a friend, family member or doctor to make this report for you.
- You should also get medical care as soon as possible. If you need to go to a hospital or clinic offsite, do so. Your employer may want you to go to a specific place for treatment, so check with them first.
- When you see a doctor, let them know that you were injured at work and give them your employer’s name. Then the clinic or hospital can bill your care as a workers’ compensation claim.
- Make sure you follow your doctor’s care plan so you can recover as much as possible from your injury.
- Once you have filed a claim with your employer, contact our lawyers so we can help you with your workers’ compensation case. We will ensure that the paperwork is completed correctly. If there are issues, we will resolve them. If your claim is denied, we will appeal the denial.
Following these steps will make your workers’ compensation claim go more smoothly. Let us know if you have any questions about how we can help you through this process.
Understanding The Two-Year Filing Deadline In North Carolina
Time is critical in any workers’ compensation matter. Under the North Carolina statute of limitations, injured workers generally have two years from the date of the accident to file a claim with the Industrial Commission. If no claim is filed within that period, the right to compensation may be permanently barred.
That said, a prior denial or confusion about whether the injury “qualified” does not always mean the matter is over. If you were told your injury was not covered, your benefits were terminated or complications developed after the initial claim, our attorneys can reassess your situation. We can determine whether a path exists to open, reopen or pursue additional compensation, especially when treatment continued or prior payments were made. North Carolina law also recognizes deadlines tied to the last payment of medical compensation in certain circumstances.
A prompt legal review can make a significant difference in preserving your rights.
How The North Carolina Schedule Of Injuries Works
North Carolina uses a statutory Schedule of Injuries as a guideline to determine baseline compensation for certain permanent injuries. This schedule assigns a set number of weeks of wage compensation depending on the body part affected, in addition to the healing period.
Examples include:
- Loss of a thumb: 75 weeks
- Index finger: 45 weeks
- Middle finger: 40 weeks
- Ring finger: 25 weeks
- Little finger: 20 weeks
- Hand: 200 weeks
- Arm: 240 weeks
- Foot: 144 weeks
- Leg: 200 weeks
- Eye: 120 weeks
- Hearing loss in one ear: 70 weeks
Compensation is typically based on two-thirds of the employee’s average weekly wage, subject to state limits and case-specific findings. This schedule serves as a legal starting point, not an automatic guarantee of the exact amount you will receive.
Why Legal Review Still Matters
Not every work injury fits neatly within the statutory schedule. Back injuries, nerve damage, aggravation of prior conditions and complex multibody injuries often require deeper legal and medical analysis. Our Greensboro workers’ compensation attorneys help clients determine whether the scheduled injury framework applies, whether additional benefits may be available and whether the compensation offered truly reflects the severity of the injury.
The chart provides the courts with a baseline for compensation and timelines, but every case turns on its own facts. Our goal is to help you pursue the strongest possible outcome for your situation.
Workers’ Compensation Experience You Can Rely On
When a workers’ compensation claim is initially denied, the appeal is heard by the Industrial Commission, which determines whether to approve or deny benefits.
We have an attorney on staff who previously worked for a judge in the Industrial Commission. This experience enables him to understand what goes into the decision-making process, what goes into presenting a good claim and how to maximize his clients’ chances of success.
Let Us Help You Get The Compensation You Are Due
To learn more about how R. Steve Bowden & Associates can make a difference for you, call our Greensboro office at 336-285-0925 or send us an email. We gladly arrange home or hospital visits 24/7 and offer a free consultation.
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