Workers' compensation is a system of compensation for employees that provides cash benefits and medical care if an employee becomes disabled because of workplace injuries, regardless of fault. The Law Offices of Richard Flexner is serious about helping victims of on-the-job accidents. Rich Flexner is a North Carolina trial attorney with more than 25 years of experience.

We serve the residents of Wilmington, New Hanover County, Wrightsville Beach, Oak Island, Brunswick County, Kure Beach, Pender County, Carolina Beach, Columbus County, Burgaw, Southport, Bladen County, Elizabethtown, Bolivia, Whiteville, and throughout North Carolina. To us, every client matters. We work hard for the people we represent.

Workers' compensation benefits entitle you to medical treatment to cure and relieve the effects of your workplace injury. Treatment may include consultations, physical therapy, surgery, hospitalization, drug treatment, and nursing care, as well as physical and vocational rehabilitation services. You are entitled to be reimbursed for costs of mileage going to and from your medical appointments. The injured employee may also be entitled to lost wages.

Job Site Accidents
The National Academy of Social Insurance cites workers' compensation as the third-largest source of support for injured workers (behind Medicare and Social Security). The Workers' Compensation Act requires all businesses with three or more employees (whether part-time or full-time) to maintain workers' compensation insurance. This is a no-fault insurance system designed to provide employees who are injured or disabled on-the-job with medical care, disability benefits and/or rehabilitation. The program also provides for the dependents of workers killed or disabled in work-related accidents. In the majority of cases, workers' compensation laws provide a layer of protection for employers since employees are prevented from filing negligence lawsuits by the statute. It is the employee's responsibility to report any work-related injury, and it is the employer's role to take important actions upon receiving the injury report.

Industrial Accidents 
Injuries resulting from industrial accidents can range in severity from slight to lethal. The cause of an industrial accident can include malfunctioning equipment, explosions, electrocution, and falls. Contributing factors to industrial accidents include workers' negligence, poor safety standards, and fatigue. Depending upon the cause and severity of the industrial accident, recovery can be swift, or a long process. Those persons who have been injured in an industrial accident may never return to their full capacity, affecting their physical and psychological health. Victims of industrial accidents may also suffer long-term financial losses due to their inability to work.

If you were in an industrial accident and suspect that the fault lies with someone other than your employer, the industrial accident may qualify for a personal injury lawsuit. Personal injury suits concerning industrial accidents can recover financial losses, pay for medical care, and compensate victims for other resulting damages. Industrial accident law can be complicated. An attorney at The Law Offices of Richard Flexner who is familiar with industrial accident law may be able to help you make key decisions regarding your case.

Construction Accidents
Owners and general contractors have an obligation to keep the work site safe. If there is an accident, in many cases a worker will be able to bring a claim against the owner or general contractor in addition to a workers' compensation claim. The law requires that construction companies ensure a reasonably safe site, develop and implement safety programs, inspect each site for safety compliance, coordinate job safety, warn of hazards related to the site and work, and prescribe the necessary protective equipment. Despite these regulations, construction site work remains one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States today, with the majority of injuries and fatalities associated with electrocutions and falls. Other hazards at construction sites include dangerous and defective machines, crane and scaffolding accidents, mechanical and chemical handling of compressed gas, logging accidents, and welding, cutting and brazing injuries.

On the Job Car and Truck Accidents 
Most on-the-job injuries from work-related car and truck accidents are covered, regardless of fault. To be eligible for workers' compensation benefits, the worker must have been injured while working within the scope of his or her employment. Generally, any injury suffered by an employee at the employer's place of business during working hours qualifies. An injury that occurs while traveling to and from work usually does not qualify. However, if the employer provides transportation to a work site and the injury occurs while in route, the injury is within the scope of employment. Whether an accident occurs within the scope of employment depends on how much control the employer had over the circumstances when the accident occurred.

If you feel that you have the basis for a workers' compensation claim, contact us immediately. Our goal is to get you the maximum possible settlement or award for your injuries. Please call The Law Offices of Richard Flexner at 1-800-FLEXNER or 910-794-3221, for your free legal consultation. You may also contact us through our online form.

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