We Deliver Results That Mitigate Your North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Exposure
At Anderson Jones, PLLC, our workers’ compensation defense team is knowledgeable, experienced, and informed. From the foundations of the North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Act through major legislative reforms and ongoing legislative tweaks, our understanding of the Act is unsurpassed. With over 25 years of administrative and appellate litigation, there are few issues we have not encountered, and by staying apprised of administrative, appellate, and legislative developments, our advice to clients provides a current and accurate forecast of their workers’ compensation risk. Whether you have a single question or a host of claims, our team can provide reliable and innovative solutions for employers, insurers, and third-party administrators with North Carolina workers’ compensation exposure.
What to Know About Defending a Workers’ Comp Claim in North Carolina
The North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Act (the Act) strikes a balance between employers and employees injured at work. The Act internalizes wear and tear on human beings as a cost of production and distributes those costs through mandatory insurance requirements while limiting recovery to statutorily defined benefits. Decades of litigated claims, legislative revisions, and regulatory actions have established and refined this area of law. As a consequence, not all workplace injuries are compensable.
Defending a North Carolina workers’ compensation claim requires an understanding an employer’s rights and obligations under the Act. Employers subject to the Act must secure workers’ compensation benefits for employees through the purchase of insurance or by qualifying as a self-insurer. Compliant employers benefit from limited liability that is insured. Noncompliant employers do not fare so well.
Employers are primarily liable for workers’ compensation benefits, which for many injuries exceed most employers’ ability to pay. The Industrial Commission proactively enforces the insurance requirement and imposes penalties on noncompliant employers. It collaborates with the Departments of Labor, Revenue, and Employment Security for shared enforcement, and from 2021 to 2022, these branches of government assessed over fourteen million dollars in, penalties, taxes, unpaid wages, and interest.
Workers’ compensation insurance policies are established and approved by the North Carolina Rate Bureau and the Department of Insurance. The policies provide coverage to the full extent required by the Act, which includes a provision that notice to the employer is notice to its insurer. Defending your workers’ compensation claim begins with establishing good reporting practices, as important deadlines begin running once an employer knows or receives written notice of an injury or claim.
At Anderson Jones, PLLC, our familiarity with and experience in defending workers’ compensation claims is a resource on which you can rely. At any stage of a claim or claims, our workers’ compensation defense team will guide you toward a cost effective resolution.
We Represent Employers and Insurers in Workers’ Comp Mediation
Our North Carolina workers’ compensation defense lawyers are always prepared to take aggressive and proactive measures to protect the legal rights and financial interests of clients, including raising a zealous defense against a false or otherwise unsupported claim. At the same time, we are also experienced in mediation. In some cases, mediation is the most cost-effective, efficient way to defend a workers’ compensation claim. Our attorneys are always ready to help employers and insurers determine the best course of action.
Why Rely On the Workers’ Compensation Defense Attorneys at Anderson Jones
Defending a workers’ comp claim takes work. The right professional support can make a difference. At Anderson Jones, PLLC, we have specialized experience and expertise in workers’ comp law. Among other things, our North Carolina workers’ comp defense lawyers are ready to:
- Conduct a thorough review and assessment of the workers’ comp claim.
- Investigate the matter, gathering and organizing relevant evidence.
- Develop a workers’ comp defense strategy focused on getting the best outcome.
Contact Our NC Workers’ Compensation Defense Attorneys for Immediate Help
Contact us today for more information. Located in Raleigh, we keep apprised of the latest judicial, administrative, and legislative developments that impact claims, and every corner of North Carolina is within our practice area.