Practice Areas

• Workers' Compensation
• Personal Injury
• Social Security Disability

Firm News

• Workers Compensation: North Carolina Industrial Commission shows we beat both AIG and Zurich in proving that this truck driver for a brick company had two separate accidents which both injured his knee, ultimately disabling him....
• Workers' Compensation: North Carolina Industrial Commission says Liberty Mutual must provide yardcare and housecleaning to an injured brickmason....
• Workers' Compensation: North Carolina Industrial Commission rules that a restaurant dishwasher who slipped and fell, and was taken straight to an emergency room has proven that he was injured on the job....
• Workers' Compensation: North Carolina Industrial Commission sanctions against the insurance company for failing to accept a claim when our client, an insulation installer, was in an auto accident....
• Workers' Compensation: North Carolina Industrial Commission: The Vocational Rehabilitation Professional, from Page Rehabilitation, had a "strained interpretation of suitable employment and the duration of her proposed job search raises serious questions as to whether her objective was to benefit plaintiff or defendants."...
• Workers' Compensation: North Carolina Industrial Commission rules against The Hartford Insurance Company and holds that a nurse who was still on her employer's property when she was hit by a car is within the course and scope of her employment and entitled to workers' compensation benefits....
• Workers' Compensation: North Carolina Industrial Commission finds that Diebold and Broadspire MUST pay weekly benefits even after they fired the injured worker from her "light duty" job....
• North Carolina Industrial Commission: OTP Lawyers stepped in to save an injured plumber whose original lawyer couldn't get the job done against Key Risk....
• North Carolina Industrial Commission: Facing down the Argonaut workers' compensation adjuster in a disputed carpal tunnel case...
• North Carolina Industrial Commission: In this case with Kemper Insurance company the NCIC found that the employer, Cintas, "schemed" to fire plaintiff while she was on light duty....

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Library

Workers' Compensation

• Workers' Comp Tips
• My Employer Says They Don't Have Workers Comp Insurance
• Ten Ways to Wreck Your Workers' Compensation Claim, Online Edition
• What is the Present Value of Money and Why Should I Care?
• Five Ways Doctors Can Hurt Your Case

Personal Injury

• How Uninsured Motorist Insurance protects you in a personal injury claim.

Social Security Disability

• Five Social Security Disability Tips
• What on Earth is a Workers' Compensation Offset?
• What People Applying For Disability Need To Know

General

• The Ten Worst Insurance Companies

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Testimonials

"From the initial interview until the check came I was treated like family. I have and will continue to recommend you to friends and family."

"I was impressed with your firm from the beginning... Although I'm sure you are totally busy with cases I always felt as though mine were the only one you were handling. All my calls were promptly returned and I really appreciate that."

"You were right up front about what the workers' compensation adjuster would try to do. I did not know anything about workers' compensation laws. I think your firm did an amazing job for me and my family."

"You were abale to spot the problems immediately and fix them."

"There's no way I could have gotten the same results without your help."

"Your office a very, very profesional office. You have always treated me with great respect, honesty, and integrity."

"You absolutely are the experts in Workers' Compensation law. You never made me feel foolish."

"You know every aspect of workers' comp and used that to my benefit."

"You were very knowledgeable and treated me with utmost respect."

"I never had another worry after hiring you."

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Document Library

On the page below you can find links to documents, reports, publications and discussions provided by Oxner Thomas + Permar.

The documents below are available to the public so that they can gain a better understanding of the legal challenges facing them, and why an experienced attorney is so important for success.

Contact us for a consultation today.

• Workers' Compensation
• Personal Injury
• Social Security Disability
• General

Workers' Compensation

• Workers' Comp Tips
  Here's some pretty basic ideas about your workers' compensation claim. This is a fine place to start but it's a lot less detailed than any of the other articles in the library.
• My Employer Says They Don't Have Workers Comp Insurance [PDF]
  In North Carolina all employers are required to carry workers compensation insurance. Many fail to do so. Additionally, many unscrupulous workers comp insurance companies unfairly and improperly cancel the workers compensation insurance leaving both the employer and the injured employee without benefits.
• Ten Ways to Wreck Your Workers' Compensation Claim, Online Edition [PDF]
  In North Carolina the workers' compensation adjsuster has a single job: to spend as little money on your medical treatment, weekly benefits, and eventual settlement as possible. They will use the Industrial Commission to their advantage at every step of the way. Educate yourself to their traps and you may well win your claim.
• What is the Present Value of Money and Why Should I Care? [PDF]
  North Carolina workers compensation insurance companies place settlement value on an injured workers compensation claim by looking at how much the case could cost them in the future. The workers compensation adjuster then determines how much they need to set aside in today's money to pay the injured worker's claim.
• Five Ways Doctors Can Hurt Your Case
  Five Ways Doctors Can Hurt Your Claim provides information to injured workers in North Carolina to help them with their workers compensation claims. Whether they have an workans comp attorney or are dealing with the workers compensation adjuster on their own this information is helpful in understanding North Carolina Workers Compensation laws.
• An Eleventh Way to Wreck a Workers' Comp Claim
  Every injured worker should be aware that workers' compensation adjusters often use private investigators to try catching you acting like you're not hurt. In most cases this is usually more of an irritation than real trouble as long as you follow our advice on the subject.
• How the North Carolina Legislature Made It Worse to Be an Injured Worker
  In 2005 the North Carolina State legislature passed a "reform" of the Workers' Compensation Act. In doing so they took a law which almost uniformly favors employers and their insurance companies and made it worse.
• How Much Will I Pay for A Workers' Compensation Attorney
  How do workers compensation attorneys get paid? How much will it cost me? And can I wait until the end of the claim to pay the attorney?
• The Dreaded Functional Capacities Evaluation
  The Functional Capacities Evaluation tests what you are capable of doing. It's virtually impossible to "beat" the system by appearing to be more disabled than you really are. On the other hand it's all too possible to make it look like you're faking simply because you don't understand how the test is designed.
• Eight Misconceptions About Workers' Compensation
  There are a lot of misconceptions flying around about workers' compensation. Here's eight of them that we set straight.
• Who's Paying For Your Gas?
  Has your workers' comp adjuster told you that you can be reimbursed for your mileage to doctor's visits and vocational rehabilitation meetings? If she has you're lucky because we see far fewer than half who do. Here's the whole story.
• Nine Steps to How We Work
  Do you wonder how exactly we operate? What steps we take when we agree to represent an injured worker in a workers' comp claim? These Nine Steps take you from beginning to end of our representation.
• Here's A Trap Workers' Comp Adjuster Have Been Setting Lately
  This is a trick which some adjusters have been playing lately. If you've got a minor injury and aren't going to need surgery or miss time from work you might not get burned by it. But if you have a more serious case you could be in for a rude awakening.
• Eight Steps to Better Treatment with Your Workers' Comp Doctor
  It's frustrating when it seems like the doctor isn't paying attention to you. Even if he you want to be sure to get the most out of your medical treatment. Here are eight specific steps you can take to do this.
• Form 18, An Employee's Report of Injury [PDF]
  This is the first form that you should file if you have been injured at work. Give a copy to your employer and send a copy to the Industrial Commission. Definitely save a copy for yourself as well.
• Form 19, Employer's Report of Injury [PDF]
  This is the form which your employer should file acknowledging that you have reported a workers compensation claim, saying you were hurt at work. This does not require them to do anything.
• Form 21, Agreement for Compensation for Disability [PDF]
  The workers compensation form used most often to pay a rating for your on the job injury. It can also be used to pay weekly benefits if you are disabled but it is rarely used for that anymore.
• Form 22, Statement of Days Worked and Earnings of Injured Employee [PDF]
  This is the workers compensation form used to determine your average weekly wage. The average weekly wage is the fundamental building block for all workers' compensation claims.
• Form 24, Application to Terminate or Suspend Payment of Compensation [PDF]
  This is the workers compensation form used when an insurance adjuster or your employer wants to cut off your weekly compensation checks.
• Form 25C, Authorization for Rehabilitation Professional to Obtain Medical Records of Current Treatment [PDF]
  This is the workers compensation form used to give a rehabilitation professional permission to get your medical records.
• Form 25P, Itemized Statement of Charges for Drugs [PDF]
  This is the workers compensation form which is used to get reimbursement if you pay for your own prescriptions after you were hurt at work.
• Form 25R, Evaluation for Permanent Impairment [PDF]
  This is the workers compensation for your doctor will use to document your permanent partial disability or impairment after your on the job injury. It is not always used and the rating may just appear in his notes.
• Form 25T, Itemized Statement of Charges for Travel [PDF]
  This is the workers compensation form which is used to get mileage reimbursement for trips to the doctor which are 10 miles or more one way.
• Form 28, Return to Work Report [PDF]
  This is the workers compensation form used to document that you have returned to work. Most often it is used if you have a full duty return to work release.
• Form 28B, Report of Employer or Carrier/Administrator of Compensation and Medical Compensation Paid and Notice of Right to Additional Medical Compensation [PDF]
  This is the workers compensation form used to notify and injured worker that the adjuster has made her last payment of weekly benefits as well as medical benefits.
• Form 25C, Report of Employer or Carrier/Administrator of Compensation and Medical Compensation Paid Pursuant to a Compromise Settlement Agreement [PDF]
  This is the workers compensation form the adjuster uses to stop paying an injured worker's weekly checks. It is used when they begin a trial return to work on light duty.
• Form 28U, Employee’s Request That Compensation Be Reinstated After Unsuccessful Trial Return to Work [PDF]
  This workers compensation form is used when an injured worker cannot continue his trial return to work. This form is signed by the treating doctor and returned to the adjuster.
• Form 33, Request That Claim Be Assigned for Hearing [PDF]
  This is the workers compensation form used to request a hearing before the Industrial Commission.
• Form 60, Employer’s Admission of Employee’s Right to Compensation Pursuant to G.S. §97-18(b) [PDF]
  This is the workers compensation form which an adjuster uses to accept a claim and begin paying compensation. It can also be marked "medical only" if no weekly benefits are going to be paid but medical treatment is being paid by the employer and/or insurance company.
• Form 61, Denial of Workers’ Compensation Claim [PDF]
  This is the workers compensation form used by an adjuster to document that your claim is being denied.
• Form 63, Notice to Employee of Payment of Compensation Without Prejudice (G.S. §97-18(d)) or Payment of Medical Compensation Without Prejudice [PDF]
  This is the workers compensation form an adjuster uses to being making payment of weekly benefits or medical benefits while reserving the right to investigate and possibly deny the claim within 90 days. That time frame can be extended to 120 days.
• Form 90, Report of Earnings [PDF]
  This is the workers compensation form used by an adjuster to ask if you have been working.
• Workers’ Compensation Medical Status Questionnaire. [PDF]
  This is the workers compensation form letter used by adjusters and employers to ask certain questions of your doctors. It is designed to be a "neutral" form which prevents the adjuster from trying to influence the doctor's answer.
• Here are seven things which let a workers compensatio adjuster know she'll probably win your claim
  Here are seven things which make workers' compensation adjusters happy. Whether its having a doctor who gives full-duty release to work, employers who create light duty jobs, or attorneys who don't do much for their clients each of these let an adjuster know they've got the upper hand.

Personal Injury

• How Uninsured Motorist Insurance protects you in a personal injury claim.
  If you are injured in an auto accident the other driver's insurance, such as Geico, Nationwide, Allstate, or State Farm, may not pay enought to cover your lost wages, pain and suffering, hospital bills and permanent disability. That is why it is important you carry Uninsured Motorist Coverage.

Social Security Disability

• Five Social Security Disability Tips
  If you read only one article on Social Security Disability read this one (or read this one first).
• What on Earth is a Workers' Compensation Offset? [PDF]
  What happens when you are drawing workers' compensation benefits and also social security disability benefits? How can a lawyer help you get the best settlement in workers' compensation and also increase the amount you get each month from Social Security?
• What People Applying For Disability Need To Know
  Social security claimants face long waits and family hardship as they wait for their disability claims to be reviewed. There are several ways to apply, including on line or over the telephone, but no system is quick and easy.

General

• The Ten Worst Insurance Companies [PDF]
  These ten insurance companies collect billions in premiums and make billions in profits. All the while they deprive injured people of the insurance benefits they are entitled to.