Avoid Having to File for North Carolina Workers’ Compensation – Be Alert to Warning Signs
The last thing most employees want to do is have to go on North Carolina workers’ compensation. No one wants to be injured. Few enjoy the hassle of filing claims and dealing with less than cooperative insurance companies and employers. Some on the job accidents and illnesses are unavoidable. For instance, say your delivery van gets sideswiped by a semi-truck, and the resulting accident gives you serious whiplash. There is no way you could possibly anticipate that kind of accident. But other at-work accidents can be more easily avoided:
1. Typing Injuries
Warning Signs: You feel numbness and tingling in your fingers, your arms ache or throb at the end of the day, you notice that you are adopting “crutches” such as typing with your non-dominant hand or intentionally “slacking off” so that you don’t have to type as much.
Solution: Talk to your employer about a better ergonomic set-up. Improve your posture and muscular conditioning. Take frequent breaks. See a physical therapist to treat your “trigger points” with modalities like acupuncture, massage, and microstretching.
2. Slip and Falls Waiting to Happen
Warning Signs: “Near misses” in which you and or other employees “almost” get into serious injuries, jokes around the office that a piece of equipment is an “accident waiting to happen” or a “fire trap.”
Solution: As quickly as possible, bring the problem to the attention of your boss and/or manager. Document any or all attempts you make to get the problems fixed. If your immediate manager won’t help, consider going up the chain of command to complain.
3. Exposure to Chronic Toxins
Warning Signs: If you work with chemicals, and you come home with a headache or being unable to breathe; if you notice that you are getting a rash or other allergic reaction to chemicals, glass, plastics, or other materials used at your work; if you get dizzy or feel sick at work when you use a certain piece of equipment or a certain kind of chemical or material.
Solution: Report the problem to your manager as soon as possible. You might be able to solve this by wearing better safety equipment, such as a ventilator or mask. Alternatively, you may need to stop using whatever product or material is causing the allergic or toxic reaction.
If it’s too late – and you’ve already been injured or gotten an occupational disease – and you need assistance with a North Carolina workers’ compensation issue, it behooves you to consult with an experienced law firm that specializes in North Carolina workers’ compensation. The faster you get professional legal assistance, the easier it will likely be to start collecting benefits.
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