I hope you're finding my series of tips about worker's compensation and benefits available to injured and disabled workers law helpful.

I've been sharing information about things that doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers can do to help injured patients as they navigate the complicated workers' comp system in North Carolina. There are quite a few unique benefits available to injured workers, but without a doctor's recommendation patients may not be able to receive these benefits.

My aim is to arm health care professionals with the information they need so they can attend to the unique needs of injured workers while providing them with medical treatment.

Did you know, for instance, that:

• Injured workers may be entitled to additional benefits beyond compensation for lost wages and traditional medical care. The standard in North Carolina is whether or not the recommended treatment is reasonably likely to effect a cure, give relief from symptoms (including pain relief) or lessen the period of disability. Under this standard, in cases of catastrophic injury, North Carolina’s workers’ compensation law allows for things like home and vehicle modifications, medical devices in the home such as hospital beds, in-home attendant care, motorized wheelchairs, etc. So long as these devices/modifications meet the standard recited above and are prescribed by a treating physician, they should be covered by the Workers’ Compensation insurance company.