Most employees in North Carolina are covered under the workers' compensation program. This program helps those who are injured in workplace accidents by compensating for medical expenses and lost wages. For many people, this program makes the difference between financial survival and financial ruin when a person cannot work. This compensation can be forthcoming no matter how odd the accident was in nature.

Back in October, a Burlington Recreation and Parks Department employee was hit in the head with a baseball bat that had flown out of a player's hands. The bat flew through the air, slipped between a chain link fence and struck the man in the head. He was further injured when he fell to the ground. In a news article, a supervisor called it a "freak accident."

This 42-year-old recreation and parks' employee is still recovering from his injuries at an area hospital. According to a news report, the man is making progress, but it is taking time. The worker is reported to be partially paralyzed on his left side, unable to move his left arm or leg voluntarily. The man has undergone several surgeries and is relying on a tracheal tube for the time being.

While this specific workplace accident is not very typical because the man was on duty at the time of the accident, his medical bills and expenses are fully covered under workers' compensation. The same type of benefits may be available for other North Carolina residents who may have been injured in workplace accidents. For assistance in filing for benefits or disputing a denial of benefits, residents may wish to consider working with a legal professional.

Source: The Times News, "Burlington employee on slow mend after softball injury," Michael D. Abernethy, Dec. 22, 2011