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!