Holiday Driving Safety Tips

Tis the Season…

The holidays are full of hustle and bustle as we race around battling mall traffic, getting to school or church events, and attend holiday social gatherings. Sometimes during this time of year, we get our first taste of snow, or icy weather which makes travelling even more challenging! So, remember to take it slow on the roads, and be aware of other drivers who are looking for the store they need to buy that special gift at, and not at the road in front of them. Also, give yourself some extra time to get to where you are going, so you don’t find yourself rushing and cause an accident.

If you are attending a neighborhood, or work holiday party, make sure you are using a designated driver if you are going to be drinking. Dark, icy roads and alcohol can be a potentially lethal combination. If you are on the road at night on the weekends during the holidays, you need to be aware that others might not be choosing to act responsibly, and take extra care on the road.

If you get in an auto accident, or are injured on the job in North Carolina, or South Carolina during this joyous time, Tippens & Zurosky is available to serve your auto accident and workers’ compensation needs. Tippens & Zurosky has represented people involved in auto accidents, or hurt on the job in North Carolina and South Carolina for nearly twenty years. Let us answer any of your questions regarding any automobile accident, or work-related injury. Call us toll free at (877) 372-3580, or 704-343-0018 to schedule a consultation so that we may assist you.

Does A Injury At A Holiday Party Fall Under Workers Comp?

I Got Hurt at My Company Holiday Party – Is that Workers’ Compensation?

Many companies have a yearly holiday party, but what happens if you get injured at it.  Is your injury covered under workers’ compensation?  If you slip and break your ankle because you stepped in some spilled holiday punch, there are factors which dictate whether this is workers’ compensation or not.  The workers’ compensation laws of North Carolina and South Carolina construe what is in the course of your employment very broadly.

Factors that come into play for an injury that occurred at a company holiday party include:

Whether the party was sponsored, and paid for by your employer.

Whether you were paid wages for attending.

Whether the party was considered a fringe benefit of employment.

Whether attendance was mandatory, and whether there would be a penalty for not attending.

And, whether the purpose of the party was to benefit the employer, such as improving employer/employee relations.

So, if you have been hurt on the job during this holiday season, pick up the phone and call Tippens & Zurosky, so we can be your voice, answer all of your questions, and file your claim!  Tippens & Zurosky has knowledgeable, experienced attorneys who can fight for your rights during this often long and difficult workers' compensation process.  Call us toll-free at 877-372-3580, or at 704-343-0018, for a free consultation.  Let us help you!

Getting Injured on the Job During the Holidays

During this very busy and hectic time of year, the attorneys at Tippens & Zurosky will speak with people that have been injured on the job, but do not want to file a claim until after the holidays are over because they are afraid of losing their job. It is certainly understandable to want to be able to provide gifts for family and friends, but delaying, or simply not reporting your claim in a timely manner can have a seriously detrimental effect on your claim.

In North Carolina you have 30 days to notify your employer, and in South Carolina you have 90 days to do so. While this deadline can be excused in certain circumstances, if you are hurt on the job you need to report it immediately. Typically, the longer a person goes without reporting the claim the more scrutiny the claim gets from their employer, and their employer’s insurance company. In addition, people who may have witnessed your accident may leave the company, or simply not be able to remember what happened so clearly if they are asked down the line.

So, if you have been hurt on the job during this holiday season, pick up the phone and call Tippens & Zurosky, so we can be your voice, answer all of your questions, and file your claim! Tippens & Zurosky has knowledgeable, experienced attorneys who can fight for your rights during this often long and difficult workers' compensation process. Call us toll-free at 877-372-3580, or at 704-343-0018, for a free consultation. Let us help you!

Auto Accidents, Holiday Distractions & Weather.

Tis the Season…

The holidays are full of hustle and bustle as we race around battling mall traffic, getting to school or church events, and attend holiday social gatherings.  Sometimes during this time of year, we get our first taste of snow, or icy weather which makes travelling even more challenging!  So, remember to take it slow on the roads, and be aware of other drivers who are looking for the store they need to buy that special gift at, and not at the road in front of them.  Also, give yourself some extra time to get to where you are going, so you don’t find yourself rushing and cause an accident.

If you are attending a neighborhood, or work holiday party, make sure you are using a designated driver if you are going to be drinking.  Dark, icy roads and alcohol can be a potentially lethal combination.  If you are on the road at night on the weekends during the holidays, you need to be aware that others might not be choosing to act responsibly, and take extra care on the road.

If you get in an auto accident, or are injured on the job in North Carolina, or South Carolina during this joyous time, Tippens & Zurosky is available to serve your auto accident and workers’ compensation needs.  Tippens & Zurosky has represented people involved in auto accidents, or hurt on the job in North Carolina and South Carolina for nearly twenty years.

Let us answer any of your questions regarding any automobile accident, or work-related injury.  Call us toll free at (877) 372-3580, or 704-343-0018 to schedule a consultation so that we may assist you. 

Weather-Related Car Accident, Tippens & Zurosky Can Help.

Time, time, time…

Every Fall season, when we turn back the clocks the days instantly seem longer as we go to work when it is barely light out, and return home from work, and school activities as the sun is setting.  Likewise, traffic seems to have increased no matter where you live, and we seem to be rushing to get to the same old places we always go because even though we have turned back the clocks we are somehow more pressed for time.  But, don’t get caught in the time trap.

Give yourself more time in the morning to get your kids off to school, and yourself off to work.  At the end of the day when the sky is dark, pay a little more attention to your surroundings, and if you are passing a school, recreational park, or playground be extra cautious of children that may be playing, or practicing sports for their school, church, or club.  If you are travelling through a parking lot, take care to look in each and every direction to make sure you are aware of someone who might be going a little too fast because they ran out of time.

Daylight Savings Time also changes our work routines.  If you are working outside, you may find yourself racing against the sun to finish the job.  Take a deep breath and slow down as rushing may lead to an injury on the job that could cost you a whole lot more than time.  With the shortening of the days comes the cold weather, so be aware that the first frost may bring the hazards of ice, hard ground, and wind.

If you find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time, and get in an auto accident, or are injured on the job in North Carolina, or South Carolina, Tippens & Zurosky has time for you, and your questions.  Tippens & Zurosky has represented people involved in auto accidents, or hurt on the job in North Carolina and South Carolina for nearly twenty years.  Let us answer any of your questions regarding any automobile accident, or work-related injury.  Call us toll free at (877) 372-3580, or 704-343-0018 to schedule a consultation so that we may assist you. 

It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask…

When someone is hurt on the job, or injured in an automobile accident in North Carolina, or South Carolina, they usually have lots and lots of questions about their actual legal rights.  Usually, their friends, family, and coworkers are willing to offer advice to the person injured on the job, or hurt in an automobile accident.  But, as the old maxim goes—a little bit of information is dangerous.

Automobile accident laws, often called negligence, or tort laws, vary from state to state, and circumstance to circumstance.  What seems to be an insignificant bit of information might actually be crucial to the disposition of the case.  Listening to advice from a nonlawyer from someone “who has been through it before,” might have a detrimental effect on the claim.

In our experience, there is a great deal of misinformation folks can hear when they get injured on the job—sometimes this misinformation comes from their own family members, or employers!  Workers’ compensations laws are complicated and inadvertently saying the wrong thing, or listening to the person who is giving you the wrong advice could be fatal to your case.  It is crucial to speak with a qualified workers’ compensation attorney, if you are injured on the job to make sure you get the right information.

At Tippens & Zurosky, we tell our clients, and prospective clients that the only bad question is the question that isn’t asked of us.  Tippens & Zurosky has represented people involved in auto accidents, or hurt on the job in North Carolina and South Carolina for nearly twenty years.  Let us answer any of your questions regarding any automobile accident, or work-related injury.  Call us toll free at (877) 372-3580, or 704-343-0018 to schedule a consultation so that we may assist you. 

Injured In A Car Accident, Or Hurt At Work? Be Careful What You Post Online.

Social Media and Personal Injury, or Workers’ Compensation Claims – What Prying Eyes want to Know

In today’s day and age, social media is everywhere as many of us eagerly post to and check Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram, and many other sites.  In fact, it is rare to be somewhere in public such as a restaurant, the grocery store, or gas station, and have people not be using their phones for this purpose.  At the click of a button, we can update our personal pages with minute by minute pictures or commentary of our every waking moment.  But how should you treat so called social media if you are in the middle of a personal injury action, or a workers’ compensation claim?

No matter how private your settings are, and no matter how much you think you are being careful, if you are in the middle of a case the prying eyes of the insurance companies and their attorneys are on you.  A seemingly innocent post taken out of context can have a seriously detrimental outcome on your case.  A moment of frustration, or poor judgment can lead to a picture being posted that simply does not present the best side of you.  So, if you have any type of litigation going on, or even a claim where everything is going smoothly, it is in your best interest to suspend all activities on social media.

The last thing you want to have to do is turn over your entire social media life to the insurance companies and their attorneys so that they can pick and choose the parts that are favorable to them, and rest assured, detrimental to you, to show to a jury, or workers’ compensation commissioner.  Social media sites are designed for the sole purpose of “sharing,” and some courts have found that there is no expectation of privacy if you post something on a social media site, and have required Plaintiffs to turn over their entire social media lives to the defendants.  The law is going to continue to evolve and change in this area as technology continues to advance.  It is likely to think the trend for allowing disclosure of this type of information will lean increasingly toward allowing it to be available to the prying eyes, and not toward protecting personal privacy.  So, if you have an auto accident claim, or workers’ compensation claim, pick up a book, and put down your phone!

Tippens & Zurosky has knowledgeable, experienced attorneys who can fight for your rights if you have been injured on the job, or in an automobile accident in North Carolina, or South Carolina.  Call us toll-free at 877-372-3580, or at704-343-0018, for a free consultation or visit us online at www.tandzlaw.com.  Let us help you!

Teen Drivers And Auto Crashes, The Risk Is Real.

Are You Ready for Back to School?

After a hopefully long summer of enjoying time with family, vacations, and beautiful weather, at the end of August most of North Carolina and South Carolina gears up for the dreaded back to school routine.  If you have children, you are going to be back to getting them to school, to their after school activities, and yourself to work.   Even if you don’t have children, you are going to be dealing with extra traffic on the road as thousands and thousands of people are adjusting to new routines both during rush hour and the afternoon commute home.

So do yourself a favor, and leave earlier than normal to ensure that you will not be hurrying and possibly making a bad judgment call that results in you being responsible for an automobile accident.  Also, be aware of school buses as both North Carolina and South Carolina levy heavy points on your drivers’ license if you pass a stopped school bus with its signal lights flashing and caution arm engaged.  Take note of any school bus stops on your commute route, and make a mental note to proceed with extra caution when passing them as they will be filled with children of all ages who may not be paying attention to where they are standing, and what they are doing.

Don’t forget that joining you on the road will be thousands of new, inexperienced drivers who either just got their learners’ permits and are driving with their parents or guardians supervising them, or those teens that just got their drivers’ licenses, and are on the road for the first time all by themselves.  Young drivers can be impulsive, make poor judgments, or simply freeze, or panic when an unexpected traffic circumstance occurs.  It is best to be alert and patient all at the same time.  For example, if you see an obviously teen driver trying to merge into your lane, wave them in and slow down thus avoiding any potential disaster from the get go.  Things usually settle down a little bit once a month or two has passed, and everyone is used to where they are now going.  So keep it safe out there!  The attorneys of Tippens & Zurosky wish you the best for a happy and prosperous new school year.  

Tippens & Zurosky has represented people involved in auto accidents in North Carolina and South Carolina for nearly twenty years.  Let us answer any of your questions regarding any automobile accident.  Call us toll free at (877) 372-3580, or 704-343-0018 to schedule a free consultation so that we may assist you.  

Do I Need To Talk To An Attorney About My Car Accident?

Signing Can Be Hazardous to Your Case

When you are in an automobile accident and the liability insurance company has accepted responsibility, it is easy to think that they will do “the right thing” and it is perfectly harmless to sign any documents that they send you.  Often, you will speak with a friendly and seemingly helpful insurance adjuster that assures you that the liability insurance company will take care of everything, and that they are just going to put some documents in the mail for you to sign to move your case forward.  But, be warned—signing can be hazardous to your case!

Routinely liability insurance companies will send out for your signature open ended medical authorizations that let them acquire your entire medical history, including past or present treatment that has nothing to do with your case, past or present treatment that might be highly personal in nature, or past or present treatment that could be used by the liability insurance company as a reason for why they are paying you very little or nothing at all.

Another document that people who are injured in an automobile accident sign without really knowing the consequences of what they are signing is called a scheduled release. This document is often explained as a way the liability insurance company is paying your medical bills, but in actuality it acts to only pay your medical treatment to a certain threshold amount, and compensates you with a very minimal number for your pain and suffering.

Tippens & Zurosky has represented people involved in auto accidents in North Carolina and South Carolina for nearly twenty years.  Let us answer any of your questions regarding your automobile accident before you sign your name to any document the liability insurance company sends you.  Call us toll free at (877) 372-3580, or 704-343-0018 to schedule a consultation so that we may assist you.  

What Does Fair Market Value Mean In A Car Accident?

When someone is in an automobile accident in North Carolina or South Carolina and their vehicle is deemed a total loss, questions arise as to what the liability insurance company has to pay.  Common misconceptions are that the liability insurance company has to find and purchase you a new car, or pay off the loan of your totaled vehicle.  Neither one of these things are true.

The liability insurance company has to pay the fair market value of your vehicle, which can be simply explained as the price you could have sold the vehicle for right before the accident happened.  Because automobile loans are typically front loaded with interest, if your car has been recently purchased there is often a gap between the value of the car and the amount of your car loan.  The best way to protect yourself is to purchase “GAP” coverage when you buy your car, which will play off the difference between what the liability insurance company pays the bank or lien holder where you financed the car and the car loan itself.

The attorneys at Tippens& Zurosky have represented people involved in auto accidents in North Carolina and South Carolina for nearly twenty years.  Let us answer any of your questions regarding your automobile accident.  Call us toll free at (877) 372-3580, or 704-343-0018 to schedule a consultation so that we may assist you.    

Why You Need a Workers’ Compensation Attorney - Words Matter

When you are injured on the job in North Carolina or South Carolina, Workers’ Compensation is the means by which you are compensated for your lost time from work, your injuries, and get medical treatment.

However, the laws of workers’ compensation are incredibly complex and vary from North Carolina to South Carolina.  The words you use to report your injury to your employer, or put down in an accident report can sometimes be the reason why your claim is accepted, or denied.  Sometimes your manager or supervisor’s salary or bonuses is tied in to the amount of time lost in on the job accidents that happen on their watch.  Unfortunately, some managers or supervisors harm employees’ workers’ compensation claims by having the employees fill out accident reports in ways that lead to the employee’s case being denied.

Therefore, it is crucial you speak with an attorney as soon as possible, ideally before you speak with the insurance company, or fill out an accident report.  Simply put, words matter, and it is best to let Tippens and Zurosky be your voice in any North Carolina or South Carolina workers’ compensation matter.  Call us toll-free at 877-372-3580, or at 704-343-0018, for a free consultation.  Let us help you!

Honesty Is the Best Policy In Workers Compensation Cases

Most folks growing up had the experience where they heard from their parents, teachers, pastors, or coaches that honesty is the best policy.  That same time tested maxim applies to workers’ compensation claims as well.



Of course, if you are injured on the job you need to immediately report the injury and make sure your supervisor or manager does a written report of the accident or injury.  It is critical you get a copy of this report for your records, and your attorney.  Ask your employer to send you to the company physician immediately.

But sometimes when a worker gets hurt on the job, other factors come into play the moment the worker tries to report the injury to their supervisor.  Numerous times we have received calls from injured workers who when hurt on the job were told by their employers that if they filed the claim they would be summarily terminated.  In that scenario, the injured worker would keep working as best they could with their injury, and either never get medical care, or file health insurance and simply not inform their doctor that they were hurt in the job.  Inevitably, the call we get is when the person gets terminated anyway, and conveniently for their employer there is no documentation at work, or in the medical records that the injury occurred on the job.



Another situation an injured worker may find themselves in when they get hurt on the job is when their employer tells them they will continue to pay their full wages, and all of their medical expenses, but to go to the hospital and tell the doctor that they were hurt at home, or somewhere else other than the job.  The employer then denies the accident ever happened, and when the employer’s workers’ compensation insurance company gets the hospital records predictably they deny the claim because the medical records do not document that an injury happened at work.  The injured worker then has a huge and often insurmountable uphill climb to prove their accident happened on the job.



So, if you are hurt on the job, honesty is the best policy.  Make sure your claim is reported and documented even if your employer is threatening your job status.  Tell your doctors that the accident happened on the job, and don’t delay in getting medical treatment.  Go to the doctors as soon as possible!  Because you simply cannot afford to assume that your employer will do the “right thing.”  Your employer will take care of his/her own interests, and you need to take care of your interests.   Tippens & Zurosky has knowledgeable, experienced attorneys who can fight for your rights during this often long and difficult workers' compensation process.  Call us toll-free at 877-372-3580, or at 704-343-0018, for a free consultation.  Let us help you!

What Should I Do If I'm Hurt On The Job?

Workers’ Compensation and Your Rights In North and South Carolina

The last thing most folks think about when they go to work on any given day is that they will get hurt on that job.  But, what should you do, if you do get hurt on the job?

There are many different types of workers' compensation claims. An injury by accident is generally a slip, trip, fall, or accident caused by a co-worker that injures you in some way.  For example, slipping on a wet or greasy floor and breaking your ankle is an injury by accident.  A specific traumatic incident is an injury to your back, or neck caused typically by lifting something such as a heavy box.  An occupational disease which includes things like tendinitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome, is caused by repetitive motion, which means doing the same task over and over again over time.  All of these things are workers' compensation claims.

If you are injured on the job, immediately report the injury and make sure your supervisor or manager does a written report of the accident or injury.  It is critical you get a copy of this report for your records, and your attorney.  Ask your employer to send you to the company physician immediately.

Your company, or their workers' compensation insurance company has to pay for your medical care 100 percent, but they get to choose what physician you see.  You may be entitled to receive compensation for being out of work if the doctor says you cannot work, or puts work restrictions on you that the company cannot meet.  If this is the case you are entitled to receive two thirds of your average weekly wage.  The final component of workers' compensation is receiving an award for a disability rating to your injured body part.  For example after a surgery to a broken arm, your doctor may say you have an impairment rating which may entitle you to receive a settlement award from your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance company.

Workers' compensation can be confusing, and companies often are more concerned with the bottom line, and not their injured workers. Tippens & Zurosky has knowledgeable, experienced attorneys who can fight for your rights during this often long and difficult workers' compensation process.  Call us toll-free at 877-372-3580, or at 704-343-0018, for a free consultation.  Let us help you!

What Should I Do If I Am Involved In An Car Accident?

Be Prepared for the Unexpected

Most people wake up every morning focused on getting their children off to school, and themselves off to work.  The basics of life are putting food on the table, and keeping a roof over our heads.  We do not get the benefit of knowing what life has in store for us.  We don’t get a notice in the mail, or an e-mail or text message, telling us that today we will be involved in a potentially life changing automobile accident.

So, what should you do if you are involved in an automobile accident in North Carolina? The first thing is: Stay as calm as possible.  When an automobile accident happens, adrenaline kicks in, and the heart starts pumping, especially when our loved ones are involved.  Don’t let your emotions get the best of you!  Instead follow these steps to be prepared, and keep the legal rights of you and your loved ones protected.

Check on your passengers and the drivers, assess how serious the injuries are to those involved, and see how bad the damage is to your own car.  Call for medical attention immediately.  Do not try to move someone complaining of an injury, especially if it is to their neck and back.  However if the car is on fire, or they are near, or lying in a flammable liquid such as gas or oil that may ignite, you may have no choice but to carefully move them to save them from certain harm, or death.
   

Immediately call the police and if the police officers are not doing a report, request that one be done. Make sure you get the names and badge numbers of the police officers, state troopers, or sheriff’s deputies that have responded to your accident.  Do not move your vehicle until directed to do by the responding police officer.  

Gather as much information as possible at the scene, including obtaining personal information from the driver that hit you.  If they are denying responsibility for the accident, take pictures of the accident scene, and the vehicles – ideally before the vehicles are moved, and speak with independent witnesses who saw the accident.  Get their names, addresses, and phone numbers, and when you speak to the investigating police officer, make sure that he or she has this information and preferably talks to the witnesses at the scene.

After the accident, and after you have sought the necessary medical attention, contact Tippens & Zurosky toll free at (877) 372-3580, or 704-343-0018 to schedule a consultation so that we may assist you.  We will deal with the insurance company for the person that hit you, and also investigate if there are benefits under your own insurance policy that you may be eligible to receive such as medical payments, or personal injury protection coverage.

If you do not contact our office immediately, make sure you follow up and get the medical attention you need, and keep track of the doctors you have seen.  If your car is drivable, get two or three property damage estimates.  Above all, be careful discussing the accident with anyone other than an attorney.  In cases where the person that hit you does not have valid auto insurance, your insurance company may have to pay you benefits under your uninsured coverage.  If the person that hit you does have valid insurance, be on guard for quick settlement offers.  Don’t sign anything until you have consulted an attorney.

Tippens & Zurosky in Charlotte has represented people involved in auto accidents in North Carolina and South Carolina for nearly twenty years.  Let us help you deal with the unexpected, and get your life back on track.  Call us toll free at (877) 372-3580, or 704-343-0018 or visit us online at www.tandzlaw.com to schedule a consultation so that we may assist you.