How Light Duty Affects Your Workers’ Comp Benefits
While many workers who have been injured on the job have to take time off to fully recover while using workers’ compensation, there are some cases in which employers allow workers to return to work for “light duty.” Light duty can be granted after a medical evaluation determines how serious your injuries are and how…
Read MoreWhat to Do If Your Workers’ Comp Claim is Denied
If you’ve been injured or have fallen ill in a work-related accident, you may feel relieved when you discover that your employer has workers compensation insurance to provide a cushion while you recover. But what happens when your workers’ comp claim is denied? Though you may be feeling hopeless after a denial, the reality is…
Read MoreOccupational Diseases and Workers’ Compensation
We all understand that most workplace injuries are covered by workers’ compensation insurance, but you might not know of occupational diseases are covered as well. An occupational disease is a health condition or disorder that is developed during the course of performing work activities and are often the result of environmental conditions. Occupational illnesses can…
Read MoreI-40 is the Most Dangerous Highway in North Carolina
Last year, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) released a report examining the number of traffic crashes reported in 2017. According to the NCDOT, there were 275,067 motor vehicle collisions that resulted in 127,964 injuries and 1,396 fatalities. These alarming statistics account for more than just automobile accidents; they also include pedestrian-, motorcycle-, and bicycle-related collisions.…
Read MoreNorth Carolina Medical Payments Coverage
Medical payments coverage is optional coverage which provides certain protection to insureds under a policy who are injured in an automobile accident. It is designed to provide reimbursement of medical expenses up to the policy limits purchased. Common coverage amounts can be as little as $500 and as much as $1 million. Unlike a liability…
Read MoreRule 414: Evidence of Medical Expenses “Paid Versus Incurred”
Rule 414 of the North Carolina Evidence Code limits evidence offered to prove past medical expenses to evidence of the amounts actually paid to satisfy the bills that have been satisfied, regardless of the source of the payment, and evidence of the amounts actually necessary to satisfy the bills that have been incurred but not yet satisfied.…
Read MoreAm I Entitled to a Rental Car Following an Accident?
After a vehicle accident, a rental car may be provided in one of two ways. First, once a liability insurance carrier for an at-fault driver has accepted liability, they are responsible for paying the cost of a rental vehicle from the date of the accident. The length of time, however, depends on whether the vehicle is…
Read MoreNew Changes to § 6-21.1 Attorneys Fees in the “Small Case”
As part of a broader package of tort reforms passed by the North Carolina General Assembly in 2011, the legislature has modified North Carolina Gen. Statute § 6-21.1. The statute grants authority to a trial judge to award attorney fees as part of costs to a prevailing plaintiff. These costs are taxed to the defendant.…
Read MoreUnderstanding Uninsured Motorist Coverage vs. Underinsured Motorist Coverage in North Carolina
Uninsured motorist coverage or “UM” is coverage which protects you in the event you are struck by a motorist who does not have liability insurance. In determining whether or not the “at fault” vehicle is covered by liability insurance, it is first necessary to look for insurance coverage on the vehicle itself. If there is…
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