How Much Are Workers’ Compensation Benefits in North Carolina?

A work-related injury or illness can cause major disruptions to your health, finances, and overall well-being. The North Carolina workers' compensation system is designed to compensate you for some of those losses and help you get back to work as soon as possible.

This article explains the most important workers' comp benefits available in the state.

Temporary Disability Benefits

If you aren't able to work at all while you're recovering from your work-related injury or illness, you'll be entitled to temporary total disability (TTD) benefits. However, these benefits aren't paid for the first seven days of disability, unless you end up being away from work more than 21 days.

TTD benefits amount to two-thirds of your average weekly wages at the time of your injury, up to the legal maximum for the year when you were hurt or became disabled. For injuries that happened in 2023, the maximum benefit is $1,254 per week. (You can find a list of the maximum weekly rates for other years at the website of the North Carolina Industrial Commission.) There's also a minimum amount: $30 per week.

You may receive temporary partial disability benefits if you're able to return to work in some capacity, but not at the same level as before your injury. Except for injuries to one of the body parts in North Carolina's schedule of injuries for permanent partial disability (discussed below), temporary partial disability benefits are equal to two-thirds of the difference between your pre-injury wages and what you're able to earn now.

For example, if you earned $1,200 a week before your injury but are currently earning $600 on light duty, you would receive $400 a week in benefits. If you have a scheduled injury, you may receive benefits at the full TTD rate during your healing period.

Generally, there's a 500-week limit on how long you can receive total and/or partial temporary disability benefits. You may apply for an extension of TTD benefits, but you will have to prove that you're still completely unable to work.

If you're getting full Social Security retirement benefits, your TTD benefits will be reduced by the amount of the Social Security payments. (N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 97-28, 97-29, 97-30, 97-31 (2023).)

Permanent Disability Benefits

After your doctor finds that you've reached "maximum medical improvement" (meaning that you aren't likely to get better, even with further medical treatment), you'll be evaluated to see whether your work-related injury or illness has caused long-lasting limitations.

The type and amount of permanent disability benefits will depend on the part of your body that's affected, as well as your impairment rating (generally expressed in a percentage).

Scheduled Loss of Use Awards

If you've permanently lost vision, hearing, or the use of certain body parts (fingers, hands, arms, toes, feet, legs, or back), your permanent partial disability benefit will be based on a schedule that lists the maximum number of weeks for each of these body parts or senses.

The award is calculated as two-thirds of your average weekly wages multiplied by the appropriate number of weeks in proportion to your impairment rating. For example, the schedule in North Carolina law lists 200 weeks for the total loss of a hand.

If you've lost 50% of the use of your hand as a result of your injury, you would receive 100 weeks' worth of payments. In the case of a back injury, however, partial loss of 75% or more will be compensated at the same level as total lost use.

These weekly payments are subject to the same maximum and minimum as TTD benefits. (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 97-31 (2023).)

As part of a settlement of your workers' comp case in North Carolina, you may agree to receive these permanent disability benefits in a lump sum rather than in weekly payments.

If you still have reduced earning capacity after you've been assigned a permanent partial impairment rating for a scheduled loss of use, you may opt to continue receiving temporary partial disability benefits (based on the difference between your pre-injury wages and current earning capacity).

Unscheduled Permanent Partial Disability Awards

North Carolina law also allows lump-sum awards for other types of partial disability:

• Loss of, or permanent injury to, an important internal or external organ, or any other part of the body not covered by the schedule: up to $20,000.
• Serious disfigurement to the head or face: up to $20,000.
• Serious disfigurement to another part of the body (not covered by a scheduled loss): up to $10,000.

Permanent Total Disability Benefits

You may be eligible to receive permanent total disability benefits for the rest of your life—at the same rate as TTD benefits—if you have one or more of the following serious injuries:

• the loss of both eyes, hands, arms, feet, or legs (or a combination of any two)
• a severe brain injury
• a severe spinal injury that results in permanent paralysis of both arms, both legs, or the trunk; or
• second- or third-degree burns to at least a third of your body.

(N.C. Gen. Stat. § 97-29(d) (2023).)

Additional Workers' Comp Benefits in North Carolina

North Carolina workers' compensation also provides additional benefits, including:

• Medical care. Workers' comp pays for all reasonable and necessary medical treatment related to a work injury, as well as reasonable travel expenses to get that treatment. (Learn more about how to get medical treatment through workers' comp.)
• Vocational rehabilitation. If haven't been able to return to work at 75% or more of your pre-injury wages, you may request vocational rehabilitation services, including education or retraining. Unless you're receiving extended TTD or permanent total disability benefits, your employer may also initiate vocational rehabilitation assessment and services.
• Death benefits and funeral expenses. When an employee dies as a result of a work injury or illness, the surviving spouse, children, or other dependents may receive death benefits at the TTD rate, generally for 500 weeks. Workers' comp also pays up to $10,000 for the deceased employee's burial expenses.

Getting Help Collecting Workers' Comp Benefits

If your employer's insurance company has denied your workers' comp claim, is holding back benefits, or won't authorize needed medical treatment, you should probably speak with a workers' comp lawyer.

A North Carolina attorney who's experienced in this area can evaluate your case, give you advice as to whether it's worth filing an appeal, and help you get all of the benefits you deserve. (Learn more about how a good workers' comp lawyer can help.)