Part of our practice-area guides. Injured workers often ask AI the same day they get hurt, before they report the injury, and the first answer they read can decide whether they meet a deadline.
The questions workers' compensation clients ask
- How long do I have to report a work injury?
- What is the deadline to file a workers' comp claim?
- Can I pick my own doctor?
- Can my employer fire me for filing a claim?
- What if my claim is denied?
- How much does a workers' comp lawyer cost?
We cover how these questions show up in AI answers in what injured workers ask AI before filing a claim.
Why state detail decides citations
Every state answers "how long do I have" differently, and the agency name changes too. In North Carolina, claims go to the North Carolina Industrial Commission, created by G.S. 97-77(a). Under G.S. 97-22, the employee must give the employer written notice of the accident, and no compensation is payable unless that notice is given within 30 days, unless the worker shows a reasonable excuse to the Commission's satisfaction and the Commission is satisfied the employer was not prejudiced. G.S. 97-24(a) bars the claim unless it is filed with the Commission, or compensation is paid, within two years after the accident, with a separate rule tied to the last payment of medical compensation.
Virginia uses a different agency name. Va. Code 65.2-101 defines the Commission as the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission, formerly the Virginia Industrial Commission, and Va. Code 65.2-601 bars the right to compensation unless a claim is filed with the Commission within two years after the accident. A page that says "your state's industrial commission" is wrong for one of these two neighbors. The North Carolina guide and the Virginia guide cover each state's advertising rules.
Pages we build for workers' compensation firms
- Notice and deadline pages that name your state's agency and cite the statute for each clock
- Claim process pages from the first report to a hearing, written for your state's forms
- Denied claim pages that explain the next step and the time limit for it
- Injury and industry pages for the work your clients do
- Fee explainers that state how attorney fees are set and approved in your state
Each page states the deadline early and follows the answer-first structure in AEO for law firms.
Advertising care points
Fee claims need precision. In North Carolina, G.S. 97-90(a) makes attorney fees under the Workers' Compensation Act subject to the approval of the Commission, so a page that quotes a percentage without that context can mislead. State your fee terms accurately and say who approves them.
Results and settlement figures carry the same risk as in any injury practice. North Carolina Rule 7.1 treats a statement likely to create an unjustified expectation about results as misleading, and an assistant may quote the figure without the facts. Many injured workers also ask about third-party claims or longer-term disability; link your personal injury pages and your Social Security disability pages where your firm handles both.
Common questions
Should a workers' comp page give the filing deadline?
Yes, with the statute named and the conditions stated. In North Carolina, for example, G.S. 97-22 sets a 30-day written notice rule with an excuse provision, and G.S. 97-24 sets the two-year claim deadline. Check them at each review.
Do we need a page for each state we practice in?
If you handle claims in more than one state, yes. The agency, forms, and deadlines differ, and one page that blends them gives an assistant nothing accurate to quote.
Keep reading
Sources
- N.C. Gen. Stat. 97-77, North Carolina Industrial Commission created
- N.C. Gen. Stat. 97-22, Notice of accident to employer (linked above)
- N.C. Gen. Stat. 97-24, Right to compensation barred after two years
- N.C. Gen. Stat. 97-90, Legal and medical fees to be approved by Commission
- Code of Virginia 65.2-101, Definitions
- Code of Virginia 65.2-601, Time for filing claim
- North Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 7.1