Disability Benefits
In general, the North Carolina Workers Compensation Act deals with four types of disability.
The first kind is Temporary Total Disability (TTD). This is also known as TTD. When a worker is totally disabled for a non-permanent time, he or she is entitled to 2/3s of his or her average weekly wage during this period of disability. In this situation, it is anticipated that the worker will eventually get back to work.
The next kind is Temporary Partial Disability (TPD). This occurs when a worker is able to work at a reduced wage and is expected to recover fully and return to his or her original position. During this time period, he or she is entitled to 2/3s of the difference in wage earning capacity, subject to statutory limits.
Permanent partial disability (PPD) occurs when a worker suffers a permanent injury that prevents him or her from doing the original job that he or she was doing before. As a result, he or she has to work another type of job with a diminished amount of pay. In this situation, the Workers Compensation Act allows the employee to get 2/3s of the difference between what he or she was making before and after the injury for up to 300 weeks from the date of the injury. If the injury is considered one of the scheduled injuries, he or she may be entitled to the listed number of weeks of benefit as shown on the statute.
Permanent and total disability (PTD) is when an employee is incapable of earning any wages permanently. In this situation, the employee is entitled to 2/3s of his average weekly wage for a lifetime subject to the maximum weekly benefit amount for the year in which they were injured.
For the first 7 calendar days after injury, no compensation will be permitted under the North Carolina Workers Compensation Act unless the payments are medical compensation. If the injury comes from something that will cause a disability that lasts over 21 days however, compensation can be allowed from the date of the disability. It is important to note that the 21 days do not have to be consecutive days.