When To Hire a Hickory NC Workers Comp Lawyer

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When To Hire a Hickory NC Workers Comp Lawyer

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If you have been injured on the job or have contracted an illness due to your work, you may be wondering when to hire a workers’ comp lawyer and why you should hire a workers comp lawyer.

One of the main reasons to hire a workers’ comp lawyer is to ensure that you receive the full benefits to which you are entitled. In many cases, workers’ compensation insurance companies will try to lowball injured workers to save money. A good lawyer will fight for you and ensure that you get the maximum possible benefit.

At The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor, our Hickory Workers’ Compensation lawyers value the attorney-client relationship and will do everything to protect your rights when you file a workers’ comp claim.

What is Workers’ Compensation in North Carolina?

In North Carolina, workers’ compensation is a system that provides benefits to employees who are injured or become ill as a result of their job. Workers’ comp covers medical expenses, income replacement, and death benefits.

Workers’ compensation is mandatory under the NC Workers’ Compensation Act. However, there are some exceptions. For example, if an employer has fewer than three employees, they may be exempt from the requirement to provide workers’ compensation insurance.

What to Do After a Work Injury

If you have been injured on the job, it is important to take certain steps to protect your rights. If you live in Hickory, you have multiple options. First, you’ll want to notify your employer of the injury or illness and they should direct you to a medical provider. If you need emergency care, youou can go to Catawba County EMS or Frye Regional Medical Center. After that, , you should contact an experienced workers’ compensation attorney to help you navigate the workers’ system going forward.

Who Can File a Workers’ Compensation Claim?

Generally speaking, any worker who is injured or becomes ill due to their job can file a workers’ compensation claim. This includes full-time, part-time, and temporary workers. In some cases, even family members of workers who have died due to their job may be eligible for benefits. If you are not sure whether or not you are eligible to file a claim, the best thing to do is speak with a workers’ compensation lawyer.

When Should You Hire a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer?

In general, an injured worker should consult with a workers’ compensation attorney as soon as they’ve been injured. Injured workers should also hire a workers’ comp lawyer if:

  • You have been injured at work and are not sure whether you are eligible for benefits
  • Your employer is contesting your claim for benefits
  • You are not receiving the full amount of benefits to which you are entitled

An experienced workers’ compensation attorney will be able to evaluate your claim and advise you of your options.

What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Workers’ Comp Attorney?

There are several benefits of hiring a workers’ compensation attorney.

Workers’ Comp Hearings

Workers’ compensation hearings are not always necessary. However, if the insurance company won’t settle or is only willing to make a minimal settlement offer, you will need to substantiate your claim and prove your case through a workers’ comp hearing. A workers’ comp lawyer will help you navigate the workers’ compensation system and ensure you have everything you need to make the hearing successful.

Negotiating with a Workers’ Compensation Insurance Company

Once you have filed a workers’ compensation claim, the insurance company will investigate your claim and determine whether or not they will provide benefits. In many cases, the insurance company will attempt to settle your claim for an amount that is less than what you are entitled to receive.

If the insurance company offers you a settlement, you should not accept it without first consulting with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney. An experienced workers’ compensation lawyer can help you determine whether they are offering you a fair settlement and can negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf to obtain a higher settlement amount.

Navigate the Complex Workers’ Compensation System

The workers’ compensation system can be complex. There are many rules and regulations that govern eligibility for benefits, the amount of benefits you can receive, and how long you have to file a claim. An experienced workers’ compensation attorney will be familiar with the rules and regulations governing workers’ compensation claims and will be able to help you navigate the system.

Obtain the Full Amount of Benefits to Which You Are Entitled

You may be entitled to more benefits than you realize. An experienced workers’ compensation attorney will know how to calculate the full value of your claim and will fight for you to obtain all of the benefits to which you are entitled.

Protect Your Rights if Your Employer Attempts to Retaliate Against You

It is illegal for your employer to retaliate against you for filing a workers’ compensation claim. If your employer attempts to retaliate against you, an experienced workers’ compensation attorney will be able to protect your rights and help you obtain the full amount of benefits to which you are entitled.

What Are the Benefits of Filing a Workers’ Compensation Claim?

Several benefits come with filing a workers’ compensation claim. First and foremost, if your claim is approved, you will be compensated for your medical expenses. This can include the cost of hospitalization, surgery, medication, and rehabilitation. You will also be compensated at a compensation rate of 2/3  of your average weekly wage. aWorkers’ Compensation Benefits

In general, workers’ compensation benefits in North Carolina are divided into four categories: medical benefits, temporary income benefits, permanent partial impairment, and death  benefits.

Medical Benefits

Medical benefits are paid to cover the cost of medical treatment for your injury or illness. These benefits can include the cost of doctor’s visits, hospitalization, surgery, prescription medication, and rehabilitation.

Income Benefits

Income benefits are paid to replace a portion of your lost wages while you cannot work. These benefits are available to workers who are disabled for more than seven days due to their injury or illness. The amount of income benefits you receive will depend on your average weekly wage.

Permanent Partial Disability Benefits

At the conclusion of your medical treatment your doctor will place you at “maximum medical improvement” and assign a permanent impairment rating, if warranted.  This rating in conjunction with the Rating Guideline will aid in determining the amount you will receive for the permanence of your injury. 

Death Benefits

Death benefits are paid to the surviving spouse and dependent children of a worker who dies due to a work-related injury or illness. These benefits can also be paid to other dependents, such as parents if the deceased worker did not have a spouse or children.

Hickory, NC

Contact a Hickory Workers’ Compensation Attorney Today

If you have been injured on the job or have contracted an illness due to your job, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. However, the process of obtaining these benefits can be complex and confusing.

An experienced Hickory workers’ compensation attorney can help you navigate the process and ensure that you receive the full amount of benefits to which you are entitled. Contact an attorney at The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor today to schedule a consultation.

120 3rd St NE
Hickory, NC 28601

Phone: (828) 327-9004
Toll Free: (800) 351-3008

 

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120 3rd St NE
Hickory, NC 28601

Phone: (828) 327-9004
Toll Free: (800) 351-3008

301 S McDowell St #1016
Charlotte, NC 28204

Phone: (704) 676-1093
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Concord, NC 28025

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Hickory Injury Lawyers & Attorneys at Law

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Notice of Data Security Event
Updated March 28, 2025

The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor is providing notice of an event that may affect certain individuals’ information. Although we have no indication of identity theft or fraud in relation to this event, we are providing information about the event, our response, and additional measures individuals can take to help protect their information, should they feel it appropriate to do so.

What Happened? On October 28, 2024, The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor identified suspicious activity related to our email system. We quickly took steps to investigate and determined that an unknown actor may have accessed certain emails within our email system between August 7 and November 7, 2024. We then conducted a comprehensive review of the potentially affected emails and attachments to determine what information was contained therein and to whom the information related, which was completed on February 25, 2025. Unfortunately, we were unable to verify the addresses of certain affected individuals, so we are providing this notice to ensure potentially affected individuals receive information about the event.

What Information Was Involved? The information affected may include individuals’ Social Security number, driver’s license and state ID information, financial account number, and health information.

What We Are Doing. We are notifying individuals about this matter and providing guidance about free resources that are available to assist with monitoring relevant accounts, credit reports, and how to place a fraud alert or security freeze on one’s credit file. Further, as with our typical security practices, we will continue to evaluate our policies, procedures, staff training, and technical security measures to reduce the likelihood of an event like this reoccurring.

What Individuals Can Do. We encourage you to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing your account statements and monitoring your free credit reports for suspicious activity and to detect errors. We also recommend you review the below “Steps Individuals Can Take To Help Protect Personal Information”.

For More Information. If individuals have questions about this matter, we have a dedicated assistance line with agents ready to answer their questions. Please contact our toll-free dedicated assistance line at 1-800-939-4170, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. through 9 p.m., excluding holidays. You may also write to us at The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor, Attn: Compliance, P.O. Box 2688, Hickory, NC 28603.

Sincerely,

The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor

STEPS INDIVIDUALS CAN TAKE TO HELP PROTECT PERSONAL INFORMATION

Monitor Your Accounts

Under U.S. law, a consumer is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. To order a free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. Consumers may also directly contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below to request a free copy of their credit report.

Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended “fraud alert” on a credit file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer’s credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer’s credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer’s identity before extending new credit. If consumers are the victim of identity theft, they are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should consumers wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below.

As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a “credit freeze” on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumer’s express authorization. The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in a consumer’s name without consent. However, consumers should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in their credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application they make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, consumers cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on their credit report. To request a credit freeze, individuals may need to provide some or all of the following information:

1. Full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
2. Social Security number;
3. Date of birth;
4. Addresses for the prior two to five years;
5. Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
6. A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver’s license or ID card, etc.); and
7. A copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft if they are a victim of identity theft.

Should consumers wish to place a credit freeze or fraud alert, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below:

Equifax Experian TransUnion
https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/ https://www.experian.com/help/

https://www.transunion.com/credit-help
1-888-298-0045 1-888-397-3742 1-800-916-8800
Equifax Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 105069 Atlanta, GA 30348-5069 Experian Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 TransUnion Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016
Equifax Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348-5788 Experian Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 TransUnion Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 160, Woodlyn, PA 19094

Additional Information

Consumers may further educate themselves regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps they can take to protect their personal information by contacting the consumer reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission, or their state attorney general. The Federal Trade Commission may be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. Consumers can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. Consumers have the right to file a police report if they ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, consumers will likely need to provide some proof that they have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and the relevant state attorney general. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement.

For District of Columbia residents, the District of Columbia Attorney General may be contacted at: 400 6th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001; 1-202-442-9828; and oag.dc.gov.

For Maryland residents, the Maryland Attorney General may be contacted at: 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202; 1-410-576-6300 or 1-888-743-0023; and https://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/.

For New Mexico residents, consumers have rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, such as the right to be told if information in their credit file has been used against them, the right to know what is in their credit file, the right to ask for their credit score, and the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information. Further, pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the consumer reporting bureaus must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information; consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information; access to consumers’ files is limited; consumers must give consent for credit reports to be provided to employers; consumers may limit “prescreened” offers of credit and insurance based on information in their credit report; and consumers may seek damages from violators. Consumers may have additional rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act not summarized here. Identity theft victims and active-duty military personnel have specific additional rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. We encourage consumers to review their rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act by visiting www.consumerfinance.gov/f/201504_cfpb_summary_your-rights-under-fcra.pdf, or by writing Consumer Response Center, Room 130-A, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20580.

For New York residents, the New York Attorney General may be contacted at: Office of the Attorney General, The Capitol, Albany, NY 12224-0341; 1-800-771-7755; or https://ag.ny.gov.

For North Carolina residents, the North Carolina Attorney General may be contacted at: 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; 1-877-566-7226 or 1-919-716-6000; and www.ncdoj.gov.

For Rhode Island residents, the Rhode Island Attorney General may be reached at: 150 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903; 1-401-274-4400; and www.riag.ri.gov. Under Rhode Island law, individuals have the right to obtain any police report filed in regard to this event.
STEPS INDIVIDUALS CAN TAKE TO HELP PROTECT A MINOR DEPENDENT’S PERSONAL INFORMATION

Typically, credit reporting agencies do not have a credit report in a minor’s name. To find out if a minor has a credit report or to request a manual search for a minor’s Social Security number each credit bureau has its own process. To learn more about these processes or request these services, consumers may contact the credit bureaus by phone, writing, or online:
Equifax Experian TransUnion
https://www.equifax.com/personal/help/article-list/-/h/a/request-child-credit-report/
https://www.experian.com/help/minor-request.html
https://www.transunion.com/fraud-victim-resources/child-identity-theft

1-800-685-1111 1-888-397-3742 1-800-916-8800
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, GA 30348-5788 P.O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013 P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016

To request information about the existence of a credit file in a minor’s name, search for a minor’s Social Security number, place a security freeze or fraud alert on a minor’s credit report (if one exists), or request a copy of a minor’s credit report consumers may be required to provide the following information:
● A copy of their driver’s license or another government issued identification card, such as a state identification card, etc.;
● Proof of address, such as a copy of a bank statement, utility bill, insurance statement, etc.;
● A copy of the minor’s birth certificate;
● A copy of the minor’s Social Security card;
● The minor’s full name, including middle initial and generation, such as JR, SR, II, III, etc.;
● The minor’s date of birth; and
● The minor’s previous addresses for the past two years.

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