You may have heard that the Huntersville hospital is looking to expand its capacity. Novant Health is seeking a $45.6 million grant to add a 3-story addition to the Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center. The hospital is currently functioning at or close to capacity, and hospital officials worry that if need continues at this rate, they won’t be able to accommodate all of the patients who come through the doors.

An expansion of the facility would also mean an increase in the number of jobs the center offers as well as those jobs needed to carry out such a project. The Huntersville Medical Center will need to recruit more nurses, and in order to complete the addition in the first place, construction jobs will be need to be filled. While it’s exciting to have added jobs, it’s also important to be mindful of the possibility of injuries. Medical professionals and construction workers are both fields that see an awful lot of workers’ compensation claims.

If you work in either of these fields, make sure that you’re taking the necessary steps to protect yourself at work. Are you following proper safety guidelines and regulations? Are you properly equipped and trained to handle the machinery? Are you seeking assistance when trying to lift people or objects that are too heavy for you to handle alone?

Even if you’re following best practices and safety guidelines, accidents still happen. If you’re injured at work, you should report your injury and take the necessary steps to file for workers’ compensation. Your employer takes out workers’ comp insurance in order to cover you in these situations. Make sure you’re protecting your rights, and claiming the benefits that you deserve.

Hospital workers and construction workers are professions with a high number of workers’ comp claims. If you’re injured at work, be sure to seek legal assistance from an experienced attorney who will fight for you.

When working certain jobs, you’re going to be exposed to certain dangers that you might not be exposed in everyday life. For instance, if you’re an electrician, chances are your probability of experiencing an electric shock is higher than that of someone who isn’t an electrician. The same is true of occupational diseases. You might have heard the term “occupational disease” and know that they’re covered by workers’ compensation. But what exactly are occupational diseases? Is it just a sickness you get while at work?

Well, not quite. You may catch the flu from a coworker and miss a week of work, but this does not mean that you are eligible for workers’ compensation. An occupational disease is a condition that disables you due to exposure to a hazard to which the general public is not equally exposed. It’s that last bit that rules out the flu. You could just as easily catch the flu by being out in public.

So what kinds of things do qualify? One famous example is a coal miner who developed black lung from working in a mine. More common examples would be something such as repetitive motion injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome or rotator cuff tears.

It is even possible to win a back injury as an occupational disease, but it’s very tough to do so. The problem is that there are special rules for back claims. The law gets very specific, very fast. Succeeding with these claims is pretty difficult unless you are very experienced in the law.

If you’ve developed an occupational disease as a result of your work, don’t hesitate to contact an experienced attorney. We can guide you through the process, and help you make your case.

An occupational disease is a condition caused directly by the work that you do. If you develop an occupational disease, be sure to contact an experienced attorney. You may qualify for benefits.

Building snowmen, going sledding, snowball fights, and days off from school might make some look forward to winter weather. But those who have to work in a winter wonderland might not embrace snow in the forecast with such joy. If this pertains to you, there are things you can do to protect yourself and your work station from the hazards of winter weather.

1. Avoid icy conditions. If you don’t have to go into work when there’s ice or snow on the roads, don’t! If it’s unavoidable, drive carefully and slowly. If you have snow tires, be sure to use them. Work on scaffolding should be suspended if at all possible. Watch out for black ice and places that might freeze before the ground does.
2. Be mindful of frozen pipes. We know it’s not always possible to protect exposed pipes from the elements. If your pipes freeze, make sure they are thawed by a trained employee using approved methods (such as space heaters or a heat gun).
3. Maintain machinery. Always check to make sure that heavy machinery has not been affected by the cold — especially equipment such as cranes that might require climbing. If ice accumulates on the ladder, it could cause you to slip and fall.
4. Dress appropriately. If you work outside, be sure to dress warmly: coat, hat, gloves, boots.
5. Take breaks to warm up. If you find yourself unable to feel your hands or feet, are having difficulty moving them, or are unable to stop shivering, take a break to go warm up! Hypothermia and frostbite are serious conditions, and you should take precautions against them. If you develop hypothermia or frostbite while on the job, you could be eligible for workers’ compensation.

When it comes to winter weather, don’t take chances. The best thing is to use precaution and your best judgment. If something seems unsafe, don’t do it. Your health and safety is more important than any job. If you have any questions, feel free to contact one of our experienced attorneys for a free consultation.

Winter weather increases the risk of an on-the-job injury. Be sure to stay safe, and don’t take unnecessary risks.

In order to keep your Social Security benefits, you’re going to need to prove to the Social Security Administration that your disabilities and symptoms are as severe as you claim. This can be difficult to prove when symptoms such as exhaustion, memory loss, and difficulties with communicating or your senses are based on your word. However, there are things you can do to prove that you are being adversely affected by your symptoms.

If you show that you are visiting a doctor and following their advice, it demonstrates that your symptoms are bad enough to require medical intervention. It also demonstrates the need for the advice in the first place. For instance, if your doctor prescribes that you wear a knee brace, wearing the brace will prove that your knee pain is bad enough to warrant one. On the other hand, if you are not seeking treatment or following advice, Social Security will assume that your injuries are not as bad as you say.

However, there are a few reasons that you might not follow your doctor’s advice, and Social Security does take these into consideration.

1. You are uninsured or unable to afford treatment.
2. Treatment worsens your condition (e.g. because of side effects).
3. Your doctor believes that treatment will not help you.
4. You find alternative treatments (e.g. changing routines to alleviate pain, exercising, etc.)
5. The prescribed treatment is against your religion.

Mental illness is considered a special case when dealing with Social Security Disability benefits. It is fairly common for those with mental illnesses to miss appointments or neglect treatment. In many cases, these are symptoms of their mental illness. Therefore, Social Security is likely to make exceptions for those with mental illnesses.

Seeking medical treatment and following your doctor’s advice is the best thing you can do to make sure you maintain your social security benefits. If you have any questions, be sure to contact an attorney for a free consultation.

This is a fair question. Especially because a claim denial probably means your budget is pretty tight — with potential lost wages and medical bills to deal with. However, the attorney’s fee is an important part of how most firms work.

When explaining why you need to pay an attorney’s fee, many attorneys give the “but for” answer: Basically you wouldn’t get anything but for the work that your attorney does for you. If you chose not to hire a lawyer and didn’t seek any kind of appeal, then you would definitely not be awarded any money.

However, if you hire an attorney, they may be able to convince the Industrial Commission to have our fees shifted to their insurance company for a frivolous denial. At Oxner + Permar, we do our best to make sure that you are not victimized by these frivolous denials. The law penalizes parties for “stubborn, unfounded litigiousness,” so we can be pretty aggressive about making sure that these penalties are enacted against wrongful denials.

Unfortunately, due to recent laws enacted by former Governor McCrory, there’s been a decline in these kinds of awards. This could be a temporary phase though. Regardless, we’re still filing claims when we think the defendants are being ridiculous. We know your rights and we’re passionate about defending them.