The shoulder is one of the most important parts of the body. Just think of the myriad of things you’ll be unable to do without a well functioning shoulder. You can’t lift a cup to drink coffee, you can’t hug your kids to show them some love, you’ll even have difficulty eating. In essence, you can’t do much with a shoulder injury.
Unfortunately, shoulder injuries are one of the most common types of injuries in the workplace. This is especially if you’re working at a place that requires physical exertion. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, shoulder injuries made workers lose a median of 26 days of work. This is more than any other body part.
So, if you’re to have any injury at work, the odds are that it is a shoulder injury. It would also keep you out of work for a long time.
There’s one burning question though. After suffering a shoulder injury, how much are you likely to get for your troubles?
Categories of Workers Compensation for Shoulder Injuries in North Carolina
To first understand how much you’re likely to get from North Carolina Workers Compensation for your shoulder injury, you need to understand the categories of compensation available in North Carolina.
Workers compensation benefits in North Carolina are categorized along the following lines:
- Medical Treatment: This is the first thing workers compensation would take care of. It essentially covers the bills you incurred as a result of the treatment of the shoulder injury. If your medical treatment is a long term one, then you might get regular workers compensation benefits to cover this.
- Lost Wages: If you’re unable to work during the period of your injury, then you’ll get workers compensation benefits. This also applies if your injury is one that causes you to work for a lower wage.
- Death Benefits: This happens in cases where the person affected dies. In this instance, the benefits would be paid to the family of the deceased.
- Vocational Rehabilitation: If your injury is one that makes it impossible to continue your current line of work, then your workers compensation benefit can take care of the costs for training to go into another line of work.
- Payment for Permanent Impairment: If your injury is so extensive, like the loss of sight in both eyes, the loss of a hand, second or third degree burns, and so on, you’ll be entitled to this category of workers compensation in North Carolina.
To be eligible for workers compensation, you have to prove that you sustained the injury while you were working for your employer. Employers in North Carolina who have a minimum of three employees are expected to take out workers compensation insurance. So, in the long run, you’ll have to deal with insurance companies.
How Much Will Workers Comp Pay for a Shoulder Injury in North Carolina?
How much you’ll finally get for workers compensation for a shoulder injury in North Carolina depends on a lot of the factors stated above. Your compensation would cover your lost wages, medical treatment, and so much more.
Calculating the specific figure you’ll get is not so straightforward as there are a lot of moving variables. Also, since your employer has taken out insurance for workers compensation, you’ll have to deal with insurance companies. In order to maximize your compensation it is imperative that you partner with an experienced workers comp attorney in North Carolina.
Contact a Workers Compensation Lawyer in North Carolina
Calculating your workers compensation benefit and dealing with insurance companies is something you shouldn’t do without expert help.
Which is why you should get in touch with Attorney John Hedrick. Our law firm has experience dealing with workers compensation cases. We have been doing this for the best part of two decades. So, you can be sure that with us, you’ll get the best workers compensation benefit for shoulder injuries in North Carolina.