Wilmington Workers' Compensation Law Blog

Imagine seeking a coworker fall into a vat of acid. It would almost appear like a scene out of a movie, but that's exactly what happened in another state earlier this week. The workplace accident happened when a man somehow fell through a roof that he was working on and into an open vat of nitric acid. His coworker immediately sprung into action to save the man who was later listed in critical condition at a hospital.

It is unclear what caused the man to fall through the roof, but whatever the cause, he will likely be entitled to receive workers' compensation benefits to pay for his injuries and hospital bills. The man, who assisted his fallen coworker, could also be eligible to receive this compensation for his medical bills. Because the acid was very concentrated, the men likely suffered chemical burns on their skin.

A couple of weeks ago, we wrote about how state officials had been spurred by news reports that tens of thousands of North Carolina businesses shirk their obligation to provide workers' compensation insurance for their employees. Developments on that story suggest regulators are not only looking into the issue, but taking action.

Officials with the state's Industrial Commission now say that they have called more than a dozen employers to appear before a special hearing on May 22. The purpose of the session will be to resolve workers' compensation claims that have been dragging on for years. It's not clear from the reports what companies are being called, but officials say if the employers fail to take appear, they'll be arrested. And officials say more hearings will be called down the road.

Employers in North Carolina have an obligation to insure their workers so that if they are injured on the job they have recourse to recover lost wages and get all the health care they need. Unfortunately, as has been reported recently, tens of thousands of businesses have been skating on their obligations to provide workers' compensation coverage for their employees.

According to the The News & Observer of Raleigh, there are about 170,000 companies registered in North Carolina. Of that number, the paper says about 140,000 have workers' compensation insurance. By state law, all but the smallest of businesses are required to have workers' compensation insurance or verify they can cover valid claims for workplace injury victims.

Construction work is rife with perils on any given day. The heavy equipment used and sometimes even the hand tools wielded, have a way of becoming the source of significant injuries in the workplace. Employers in North Carolina are obliged to take precautions to prevent accidents and keep workers safe, but there can be circumstances that no one anticipates that result in serious workplace injuries.

Just such a situation unfolded this week in Asheville. Authorities say that while there were a lot of elements involved in the sequence of events, the whole thing probably only took about two or three minutes. In the end, three construction workers and a drug suspect wound up injured.