Specific Traumatic Injuries Under Workers’ Compensation

David Gantt is a North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in Workers Compensation Law. He represents individuals in matters regarding workers’ compensation and Social Security Disability benefits. Contact David Gantt at 828-252-2852 to schedule a consultation about your matter.

Transcript of Video

North Carolina law covers back injuries. It has always covered back injuries when you slip and have an accident; you slip on a banana peel and hurt your back or you fall off a ladder. North Carolina law has also in the General Assembly several years ago increased the coverage of back injuries to include a concept called “specific traumatic injury.” Specific traumatic injuries mean that you don’t have an accident that happens in an instant, but you do have a back injury over time. Now if you back gets injured over 20 years of hard work, that’s not what they’re talking about. They are talking about a pretty limited period of time where you can pinpoint your back got hurt during that activity. There’s no time set for this, but I think the more compact the time or the shorter the time period, the better your chances of winning your case. It is a complicated area of law and there are hundreds of cases interpreting what is too long and what is not long enough. You need to consult an attorney who is familiar with the area in specializes in workers compensation law.