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THE WORK COMP BLOG

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If You Are Collecting Workers Compensation Benefits and Are Out of Work, You May be Out of Luck

If you were laid off but are collecting workers compensation benefits, expect those payments to come under scrutiny. The state Appeals Court recently issued a decision (Medlin v. Weaver Cooke Construction) that could possibly result in the loss of those benefits.

Claude Medlin worked as a project manager and estimator for Weaver Cooke Construction. He was hired in 2006. He injured his right shoulder while moving furniture at a worksite in May 2008. He continued to work until being laid off in November 2008.

The following month Weaver accepted plaintiff’s injury as compensable and he began receiving medical treatment. In January 2009, Medlin started collecting unemployment benefits and in February 2009 he started collecting both workers compensation and temporary total disability benefits.

Medlin had surgery and physical therapy and was released to return to work. He subsequently felt more pain and a second physician assigned permanent work restrictions. He sought work but was not successful.

The need to prove work related disability is cause of unemployment.

Weaver sought to have Medlin’s workers compensation benefits ended in December 2010. It claimed Medlin couldn’t establish a work related disability and the poor economy was the reason he wasn’t working, not his injury. The full Commission agreed and Medlin appealed.

The Court of Appeals agreed with that decision, stating that an injured worker must prove that his injury caused his inability to find work. The judges ruled Medlin failed to do that because of evidence he was physically able to work, but couldn’t, because of the slow economy. Though he showed evidence of a diligent job search, it wasn’t relevant. In prior decisions, the Court has tended to consider extent of “diligent” job searches, economic conditions, and the actual job availability. If this decisions stands, these factors will have much less or no importance is reviews of ongoing disability.

A large part of my practice involves helping injured workers obtain and maintain workers compensation benefits. I believe that the Medlin case may encourage more insurance companies to move to cut off disability payments using the slow economy argument. If you find yourself in the same situation, or a similar situation as Mr. Medlin, where you’re collecting workers compensation benefits while you’re unemployed and your former employer wants to end those benefits, contact my office to discuss what’s going on and your legal options.

P: 828-252-2852

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FREQUENTLY ASKED WORKERS' COMPENSATION QUESTIONS

Q. What can I do if my workers’ compensation checks are late?

A. You should call the insurance carrier and ask (1) whether your check was mailed? and (2) if so, when it was mailed?. Weekly workers’ compensation checks are generally late because either the postal service is slow or your check has "fallen off the diary". Insurance company program computer to print checks according to an automatic diary for a specific number of weeks. When that number of weeks is over, your check “falls off the diary” and must be reset for additional weeks if checks continue to be due. An immediate call to the insurance adjuster should be sufficient to reset the check diary. If checks are regularly late, you should consult a qualified lawyer to take more aggressive action through the NC Industrial Commission.

Q. If I make a settlement in a personal injury arising out of a work injury, do I have to pay the workers’ compensation insurance back for money they have already paid me?

A. Sometimes. NC law is very complicated on these obligations. A Superior Court Judge can be asked to set what, if any, lien is due the workers’ compensation insurance carrier when a settlement is proposed on a civil lawsuit over the same accident. Once the Superior Court Judge sets the amount of the lien that is due, the NC Industrial Commission will issue an ORDER concerning disbursement of future workers’ compensation payments. You should consult a specialist in workers’ compensation law to avoid potential liens and pay back requirements.

Q. What type of physical ailments are considered disabling under WC law?

A. The key to the question of whether you are disabled under WC law or not is based on how the physical or mental ailment(s) you have impact your ability to earn money. No exact listing or threshold exists in NC law for what determines a disability. If you are unable to work at the same job you held down before the accident, you are likely disabled under our law. NC law recognizes both physical and mental disabilities.

Q. What injuries are covered by Workers’ Compensation?

A. Workers’ Compensation law covers any accident on the job. An “accident” covered by Workers’ Compensation law includes any unusual or unexpected injury, not only accidents in the sense most of us think of them. Health problems related to work conditions that are developed over time are also covered. Back injuries that can be traced to work are also covered under NC law. You should consult a qualified lawyer to determine whether your work injury is covered by Workers’ Compensation law.

Do Undocumented Workers Qualify for Workers Compensation?

Immigration reform and enforcement of immigration laws have become a political hot topic, especially in light of Arizona’s enactment of several laws aimed at getting more undocumented residents to leave the state. In North Carolina, that debate hasn’t impacted the state’s workers' compensation laws. Under §97-2 of the state’s Workers' Compensation Act, the definition of “employee” states in part, (E)very person engaged in an employment under any appointment or contract of hire or apprenticeship, express or implied, oral or written, including aliens, and also minors, whether lawfully or unlawfully employed, but excluding persons whose employment is both casual and not in the course of the trade, business, profession, or occupation of his employer… The key language is that the law covers “aliens…whether lawfully or unlawfully employed…” Big picture, national immigration issues took a back seat (if they were thought of at all) when the legislature wrote this section and when...

Q. Can I draw Workers’ Compensation weekly checks and Social Security checks at the same time?

A. Yes, but your Social Security check will be reduced or offset by the amount of your Workers’ Compensation check. Social Security law mandates an offset of disability checks when your combined income totals 80% of more of your pre injury earnings. Federal law requires that you report all income or benefits that you receive while receiving Social Security checks. The offset or reduction in Social Security benefits can be lessened or minimized by careful planning and legal wording in your Workers’ Compensation settlement. You should consult a qualified lawyer to help you maximize your payments from each source.

Our Video Library is not closed-captioned.  Instead of embedding our videos, we have created posts for them, where full transcripts of can be found.
Click on the links below to view the video and its transcript.

Workers’ Compensation Overview on Vimeo

Workers Compensation Overview

Workers’ Compensation Injuries and the Complex nature of the law on Vimeo

Workers’ Compensation Injuries and the Complex Nature of the Law

Waiting Periods for Workers’ Compensation Benefit Payments

Waiting Periods for Workers’ Compensation Benefits

NC Workers’ Compensation Elements of Settlement

NC Workers’ Compensation Elements of Settlement

Settlements of Workers’ Compensation Claims on Vimeo

Settlement of Workers’ Compensation Claims in North Carolina

Pre Existing Conditions and Work Comp in North Carolina

Pre-existing Conditions and Workers’ Compensation Claims

NC Workers’ Comp Covers Many Different Kinds of Injuries

NC Workers’ Comp Covers Many Different Kinds of Injuries

Reopening Workers’ Compensation Cases

Reopening Workers’ Compensation Cases

Can’t Return To Work After an Injury

Workers’ Compensation Benefits When You Cannot Return to Work

Specific Traumatic Injuries

Specific Traumatic Injuries Under Workers’ Compensation

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