Construction work can be dangerous! If you have been injured and need a Construction Accident Attorney, The Bishop Law Firm can help.
We represent injured construction workers in North Carolina and do not get paid unless we win your case.
You can call us for your free case review at 919-615-3095 or start online now.
Do you have a Workers' Comp or Personal Injury Claim?
This post covers North Carolina Construction Accidents in the work context. If you suffered an injury on a construction site and you are not employed there but are a lawful visitor, you may have an NC Personal Injury Claim.
If you are injured in a car accident by a 3rd party while working on a construction site, you may have a personal injury case as well as a workers’ comp claim.
Our firm handles both construction accident workers' comp claims and personal injury claims.
Construction Accidents in North Carolina
In July 2025, there were 282,000 construction jobs in North Carolina, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In addition, in 2023, the construction sector had the highest number of fatalities at 43, with 20 of those deaths resulting from falls, slips, and trips (bls.gov).
Unfortunately, construction sites are rife with hazards that can cause severe injury.
Scaffolding or trench collapses, extreme heights, arc flashes, improper temporary wiring, crane accidents, falling debris, and hazardous machinery are all potential dangers.
Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injury, crushing injuries, broken bones, and torn ligaments are all possible injuries.
If you have been injured on a construction site in North Carolina, you are not alone. In 2023, private industry employers reported 68,600 non-fatal workplace injuries and illnesses, according 2023 to bls.gov.
NC Workers’ Compensation Law as it Relates to Construction Workers
While the construction industry employs contractors and subcontractors, North Carolina Workers’ Compensation benefits are available only to injured employees.
Employee vs. Independent Contractor
Independent contractors (who file Form 1099 on their taxes) are generally not covered under Workers’ Comp in North Carolina.
Still, the North Carolina Industrial Commission (NCIC) makes the final determination of whether someone is an employee or a general contractor.
The NCIC distinguishes employees from independent contractors by the "degree of control" the employer exerts over their work.
Employers with three or more employees must carry workers’ comp insurance per NC Law. If an employer misclassifies their employee as an independent contractor, they may be found to be fraudulent per the NCIC.
What benefits are available to employees or their families?
In North Carolina, state law provides medical compensation and wage loss benefits for non-fatal injuries and death benefits for fatal injuries.
Pain and Suffering damages are not compensated for under North Carolina Workers' Compensation.
Medical Expenses
Medical compensation includes medical treatment and mileage reimbursement for the treatment of your construction injury.
Who pays for the medical treatment initially depends on whether the claim is accepted or denied (see below on accepted and denied claims).
Lost Wages
Lost Wage benefits provide monetary compensation due to your inability to earn wages because of your accident. Workers' Compensation pays 2/3 (or 66.67%) of your average weekly wage.
Your claim must be accepted for you to receive weekly workers' compensation checks (see below for accepted and denied claims).
Permanent Impairment
Compensation is also provided for the permanent physical impairment of the injured body part. A doctor must assign a percentage of impairment (called a rating).
Also see our post on Disability Ratings in NC Workers' Compensation.
Death Benefits
If an employee is killed in a work accident, their family will receive the same weekly benefits that the worker would have, and burial expenses (not to exceed $10,000.00) per 97-38.
What to Do If You’re Hurt on a Construction Site
If you are hurt on a construction site, you need to:
- Report the injury to your employer immediately and follow your employer’s recommendation for where to seek medical treatment.
- AVOID SOCIAL MEDIA.
- Take photographs of the scene of the workplace accident and your injuries, if possible.
- Follow all medical advice and keep your employer informed of the progress of your injury.
- Give all work excuse notes to your employer and keep a copy for yourself.
- If you are missing work, you should document the days you have missed and how much your pay would have been for those days.
- You should notify your employer in writing of your accident within 30 days of the accident and also inform the North Carolina Industrial Commission (NCIC).
Your employer should inform their workers’ compensation insurance carrier of your construction accident.
An insurance carrier employee, called an adjuster, should contact you to gather details about your accident.
The adjuster may ask you to give a recorded statement.
The decision for an injured worker to give a recorded statement should be discussed with an NC Construction Accident Lawyer.
Accepted and Denied Claims
The insurance company will accept or deny your workers' comp claim.
- In accepted claims, the insurance adjuster has decided to pay your claim, but the insurance company can still refuse to pay for specific medical treatment. In addition, in accepted claims, the insurance controls your medical treatment. Doctors who work for the insurance company can — and often do — view serious injury differently than a physician who is independent or paid by the construction worker. You may need to seek a second opinion regarding your treatment or the severity of your work injury.
- In denied claims, the insurance company is denying that you have a covered workers’ compensation injury. In denied cases, an injured worker must file a hearing request with the NCIC to have a chance at obtaining compensation. If your construction accident claim has been delayed or denied, calling an NC Construction Injury Lawyer should be your next move.
Do you need a Construction Accident Attorney Raleigh?
A Raleigh Construction Accident Lawyer can help you recover your medical expenses, lost wages, and any future losses caused by a temporary or permanent disability.
Depending on your injury from the construction site accident, your ability to work in the future can be severely impacted.
Unfortunately, some insurance companies would rather hire an expensive lawyer to deny your claim than pay legitimate workers’ compensation benefits or provide the medical treatment you need for your workers' compensation injury.
The Bishop Law Firm represents injured workers with denied NC Workers’ Comp claims in Raleigh, Cary, Fayetteville, Durham, Rocky Mount, Wilson, Smithfield, Louisburg, Chapel Hill, Roanoke Rapids, and surrounding areas in North Carolina.
We do not get paid unless we win your case, and we offer free phone case reviews at (919) 615-3095 or you can start online now.
Also read: Steps of NC Workers’ Compensation Claim.
