Talk with a top-rated attorney in Concord to learn about your workers’ compensation benefits.
If you’ve been hurt on the job while working in Concord, North Carolina, then you deserve an attorney who will fight for your rights and benefits. The Wilder Pantazis Law Group knows you need the best representation available and our attorneys will go to great lengths to secure the financial and medical coverage you’ve worked your whole life to earn.
Accidents happen every day to workers in Concord, and having a team of skilled North Carolina attorneys working on your behalf is your best bet for an outcome that is satisfactory for you and your family’s financial future. Terrible accidents can happen to employees working hard, dirty jobs day in and day out. Accidents are a fact of life, but sometimes the injury can result in death. If the worst has happened to you or a loved one, reach out to us for your free consultation to find out how we can help.
Our Concord work injury attorneys understand the law inside and out, and we know how to leverage local statutes to deliver maximum benefit to our clients. A work injury doesn’t mean your career has to come to a screeching stop. It’s not over; you simply need the best team available working on your behalf to see you through the medical and financial recovery process.
Visit our law firm near Concord, NC
Address
3501 Monroe Rd
Charlotte, NC 28205
Hours
9:00am - 5:00pm (M-F)
Closed Saturday and Sunday
Our law firm is located 30 miles southwest of downtown Concord, in the Echo Hills neighborhood of Charlotte. To visit our office, hop on I-85 S, take exit 38 for I-77 S/US-21 S toward Columbia, then take the exit for I-277 S/NC-16 S. Use the left lane to take exit 2B to merge onto US-74 E/Independence Blvd for 2 miles, then turn right on Briar Creek Drive. After half a mile, turn left on Monroe Rd and look for our office on the left.
Get legal advice from a top-rated North Carolina lawyer
In the last decade, I’ve represented hundreds of injury victims across North and South Carolina, including in Concord and Cabarrus County. If your livelihood and financial future are on the line, my team and I want to help explore your options and fight to secure the benefits you deserve. You deserve nothing but the best.” – Attorney Beau Wilder
A brief guide to workers’ compensation in Concord
Suffering a workplace injury can leave you feeling helpless, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Our attorneys fully understand how workers’ compensation works and can explain the next best steps.
Concord, NC workers’ comp laws
According to North Carolina’s Workers’ Compensation Act, any business that employs 3 or more employees—even those operating as sole proprietorships, corporations or limited liability companies (LLCs)—must purchase and carry workers’ compensation insurance at all times.
There are only a few exceptions to this rule, such as employees of railroads, “casual employees” who are not working in the usual course of trade, business or occupation of the employer, domestic workers directly employed by the household, most farm laborers and federal government employees.
Statute of limitations
The statute of limitations is the time limit (deadline) set on work injury claims, and it’s the same in both North and South Carolina. Injured employees have just 2 years from the date of the injury to file for workers’ compensation benefits. However, employees only have 30 days to notify their employer when they sustain an on-the-job injury.
Any delay whatsoever in filing your claim will be viewed skeptically by the insurance company or your employer. Plus, building a strong case on your behalf takes time and effort. The sooner you can consult with our experienced attorneys about your case, the better.
Types of damages available
There are a number of ways an injured worker can be compensated for their work-related injury or illness:
- Lost wages. Employees who qualify for workers’ compensation benefits can expect two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to a maximum rate that changes regularly based on inflation.
- Medical reimbursement. Qualified employees will have medical expenses and treatments covered, as well as any travel that’s further than 20 miles round trip at the rate of 54 cents per mile (as of 2016).
- Disability. You may be entitled to benefits (financial and medical) if you are unable to heal sufficiently enough to return to work.
- Vocational rehabilitation. If your injury or illness is so debilitating that you can’t return to your old job or are earning less income as a result, you may be eligible for vocational rehabilitation services.
- Death benefits. If a loved one passed away due to a fatal workplace accident or job-related illness, then their surviving spouse, children and other family members may have access to wrongful death benefits, including two-thirds of the deceased’s pre-injury average weekly wage for 500 weeks, in addition to funeral and burial expenses totaling up to $10,000.
What to do after a workplace accident
If your injury is severe enough, seek medical treatment immediately. Some work-related injuries occur over time from constant repetitive motion and an emergency room visit might not be needed. But if you are in immediate distress, call 911.
The next step is to report your injury to your manager or supervisor. Starting a paper trail is key to securing your workers’ compensation benefits, so put the notification in writing. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that telling a coworker about your injury is enough. If you wait more than 30 days to report your injury to your employer, you could lose out on the ability to receive full benefits.
Proceed to get a list from your employer of approved doctors (or “panel of physicians”) that you are allowed to visit. If you balk at using the doctors or specialists on the list and proceed to use your own doctor, then your employer and their insurance company may use that as an excuse to deny your benefits.
Next, print Form 18 from the North Carolina Industrial Commission and submit the completed form to forms@ic.nc.gov. (Further details and a step-by-step description of the process necessary to complete can be found here.)
Once you’ve taken these steps and started down this path, it’s time to reach out to an attorney so that you can bring their knowledge and expertise to bear, and secure all possible benefits.
When you’ve enlisted our help, we’ll ask your employer for copies of all documents they have filed regarding your case or on your behalf, including a written report of the incident. If they will not write one, we can help you do so.
Following that, keep your attorney and employer in the loop at every step of the process. If your doctor issues a stay-at-home order, excuses you from work or gives restrictions on the type of work you can perform, ask for this in writing and notify your legal counsel immediately. We can verify that your employer’s insurance company has been properly notified and a claim started. We’ll speak directly with the insurance adjuster to negotiate on your behalf.
Hiring an experienced workers’ compensation attorney in your state ensures you receive proper treatment for your injuries and full compensation for lost wages.
About Concord, North Carolina
Concord is the largest city in Cabarrus County and is estimated to be home to about 100,000 people, which makes it the 10th most populous city in North Carolina.
The name of the town, which means “harmony,” was agreed upon by both the Scots-Irish and German settlers, and the town was incorporated in 1806. The area grew as a farming community and experienced industrialization following the Civil War.
Through the early 20th century, the town of Concord grew steadily as more people moved into the area and the Charlotte job market became a juggernaut. The population stalled out in the 1970s and 80s and even contracted slightly, hitting just 18,500 residents, but since then Concord has seen huge population growth starting in 1990 with 27,000 people, 56,000 in 2000 and nearly 80,000 in 2010.
A few famous faces who have called Concord home include bluegrass-rock musicians The Avett Brothers, NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace, actor Skeet Ulrich, pro basketball player Ish Smith, pro baseball players Billy Goodman and Corey and Kyle Seager, as well as pro football players Lamont Reid, Bradley Pinion, Lance Lewis and Jimmy Hitchcock.
Top employers and industries in Concord, NC
A few of the top employers in the city of Concord and in nearby counties include Atrium Health Cabarrus with more than 4,500 employees, Cabarrus County Schools with more than 3,800 employees, the City of Concord and surrounding Cabarrus County government with just over 2,000 employees, footwear retailer Shoe Show with 800 employees, the North Carolina state government with just under 800 employees, Kannapolis City Schools with 750 employees, S&D Coffee and Tea with about 630 employees and Sysco Corporation with just over 500 employees.
A few other notable local companies include Roush Fenway Racing, Motor Racing Network, Celgard LLC, Windstream Communications (also known as CT Comm or Concord Telephone) and ACN Inc., a marketing company.
Concord is also home to a large downtown shopping district with a variety of local merchants offering arts, crafts, antiques and collectibles. Two other large employers and venues in Concord include the Charlotte Motor Speedway, used for NASCAR races and other big events, and the large retail venue Concord Mills, a 1.4 million-square-foot shopping mall.
Local resources for Concord, NC residents
Official government websites
Local legal resources
Cabarrus County Courthouse
77 Union St S
Concord, NC 28025
(704) 262-5500
North Carolina Industrial Commission
430 N Salisbury St
Raleigh, NC 27603
(919) 716-1700
North Carolina State Bar
217 E Edenton St
Raleigh, NC 27601
(919) 828-4620
Cabarrus County Bar Association
(704) 786-5161
Local community resources
Concord City Clerk
35 Cabarrus Ave W
Concord, NC 28025
(704) 920-5215
Concord Police Department
P.O. Box 308
41 Cabarrus Ave W
Concord, NC 28026
(704) 920-5007
Concord City Hall
35 Cabarrus Ave W
Concord, NC 28025
(704) 920-5555
Concord Community Resource Guide
Cabarrus County Schools
4401 Old Airport Rd
Concord, NC 28025
(704) 260-5600
Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce
3003 Dale Earnhardt Blvd, Suite 2
Kannapolis, NC 28083
(704) 782-4000
Cabarrus County Library (Concord location)
27 Union St N
Concord, NC 28025
(704) 920-2050
Cabarrus County Convention & Visitors Bureau
10099 Weddington Rd Ext.
Concord, NC 28027
Food delivery services
Gas stations
