Charlotte Workers' Compensation Law Blog

According to recent trends in US workers' sleeping patterns, it seems that one thing is clear: Charlotte workers should focus on getting more sleep. Currently there are approximately 41 million workers in the US that do not get enough sleep. After a poor night's sleep, one might experienced an increased risk of serious or even fatal injury in the workplace.

When an individual is injured at work, whether it is caused by lack of sleep or some other safety issue, he or she is entitled to workers' compensation benefits. Depending upon the nature of the injury, injured workers may be entitled to income benefits, medical benefits or even permanent disability benefits. However, it is of course preferable to avoid injury in the first place. According to a recent study, lack of sleep may be leading to workplace accidents.

An earlier post in this blog mentioned the commonality amongst numerous North Carolina employers to refrain from purchasing workers' compensation insurance to protect their workers. Now, the North Carolina Industrial Commission is buckling down and taking action to ensure employers are purchasing insurance to supply their employees with income benefits, medical benefits and disability benefits following a workplace injury.

Each year, more than four million employees sustain an on-the-job injury or occupational disease. More than two million of these injured workers endure such serious injuries that they are forced to spend time away from work for their recovery. Therefore, it is essential that all employers carry the appropriate insurance to provide their employees with workers' compensation benefits.

Employees in North Carolina are being put at risk daily by thousands of employers who are making the decision to cut expenses by not purchasing workers' compensation insurance. Although this is against North Carolina law, the state's Industrial Commission is reportedly not doing much to enforce the law.

Under the law, businesses with at least three employees must buy insurance or prove to the state that they are able to cover costs of employee injuries. Employers are also required to inform the Industrial Commission that they have workers' compensation insurance. However, the Commission does not actually ask this to be done. Instead, the Industrial Commission has the North Carolina Rate Bureau provide them a list of employers that have purchased insurance. However, at no point does the Commission sift through this list and determine which businesses have or have not purchased workers' compensation insurance.

Late last year in our Charlotte NC Workers' Compensation Blog, we wrote about a local industrial worker who was killed in a workplace accident. The man worked at a cotton gin in Trenton, North Carolina. The 62-year-old man, of Trenton, suffered traumatic and fatal injuries to his face, head and side while driving a forklift in the company's warehouse in November.

Now, North Carolina's labor department will fine the cotton gin for two major occupational safety hazards. The cotton gin has been ordered to pay $4,900 for the infractions. The money will benefit the Civil Penalties and Forfeitures Fund, which then will be dispersed to the state's public school fund and for school technology.