Are You Dreaming of a White Christmas?

The National Weather Service maintains a thorough record of snowfall for Wilmington going all the way back 150 years! This is the most complete snowfall history for any station in Eastern North Carolina.  With such a long period of data, many interesting snowfall statistics can be generated for Wilmington concerning a “white Christmas.”

Who among you remembers 1989? It was 31 years ago, but for some it may seem like yesterday. It was the largest snowfall in the history of the Southeast coast of the United States. Over TWO FEET of fresh powder fell on Wilmington! Now, this was not Aspen…we are talking about our good old seaside area.

I don’t know what Christmas 2020 may bring, but maybe it has one mere surprise in store for us. Maybe just a couple of inches would be just fine. If and when you need my services in 2021 please google aldenbcole.com and call my cell number or the one at the office. Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year to all of my friends in the Wilmington area.

Social Security and Supplemental Security.

Just so you know, the Social Security and Supplemental Security Income disability programs are the largest of several different federal programs that provide assistance to people with disabilities throughout North Carolina and the nation. These two programs are different in many ways, however both are administered by the Social Security Administration.

For example, Social Security Disability Insurance pays benefits to you as well as certain members of your family if you are "insured." That means you have worked long enough and paid Social Security taxes. The difference is that Social Security Income pays benefits based on the financial needs of North Carolinians.

To sort this all out and make sure you get your fair share of the dollars available it might be a great idea to contact Wilmington, NC Social Security Disability lawyer Alden Cole. Attorney Cole deals with these issues every day. Check out his credentials on the internet by researching the website aldenbcole.com. Call his cell for assistance at (910) 231 - 2042.

Thank You for the Opportunity, but I am Leaving to Pursue Another Career.

It happens every day to some “upwardly mobile” North Carolinian. Honestly, it occurs more frequently than you might think, workers get injured after they have given notice but before they have worked their last day at a job. The fact is, accidents and injuries happen all the time, without regard to when people quit their jobs or give notice.

First things first…if you get injured after you have given notice, it is very important to report the injury right away to your employer! If you wait until after your last day to report it, your initial request for benefits is likely to be denied. Your medical restrictions may prevent you from doing your new job altogether.

If you or a loved one falls into this category, I may be able to help you get the compensation you deserve. I am North Carolina Workers’ Compensation attorney Alden Cole. I invite you to visit my website at aldenbcole.com. Call for a free consultation at (910) 231-2042 and we will meet at my Wilmington, NC office.

How Much Will This Cost?

It is a fair question. You may only file for Social Security Disability once in your life and you want to know the attorney’s bill up front if you can. I hope this helps…when you sign a fee agreement with a Social Security disability lawyer, the fee is limited to 25% of the past-due benefits you are awarded. That is a good rule of thumb.

The attorney will be paid only out of your past-due benefits, or "backpay." If no back-dated benefits are awarded, the attorney will not receive a fee unless he/she petitions Social Security. In other words, it doesn't usually cost you anything to hire a disability attorney; the fee will be paid out of the disability award you eventually receive.

That should allay any concerns you may have about calling me to review your case. As a North Carolina social security disability attorney for many years I have been helping citizens of The Tar Heel State receive the full amount due to them. Please call me, Alden Cole, at (910) 231-2042, and visit my website at aldenbcole.com.

How Does One Define a “Work-Related Accident?”

Let us go to the source. How does OSHA define it? The injury or illness is considered to be work-related if an event or exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to the resulting condition or significantly aggravated a pre-existing injury or illness. That seems rather black and white…doesn’t it?

Here are some notable exceptions –

 

1. At the time of the accident was the employee present as a member of the general public?
2. There were already symptoms outside of the work environment.
3. The injury or illness results from voluntary participation.
4. It resulted from an individual engaging in personal tasks at the job site.

There are many other gray areas that need to be examined to see if you or a loved one qualifies for Workers’ Comp. That is what I am here for. My name is Alden B. Cole, an experienced Workers’ Compensation attorney in Wilmington serving the great state of North Carolina. See my website at aldenbcole.com. Call me at (910) 231-2042.

It is Okay, I Probably Don’t Deserve It Anyway.

Those are famous last words for many people who rightly qualify for Social Security Disability. How many millions of dollars do Americans leave on the table every year? Well, let us take a simple, dispassionate look at how the law reads. Disability is the inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment.

Another factor that will be considered is that the impairment will last for a period of more that 12 months. That is quite a gray area! The Social Security Administration administers two programs that provide benefits based on disability. They are the Social Security disability insurance program and the Supplemental Security Income.

Without the help of an experienced Social Security Disability attorney your journey may be arduous and even impossible. That is why I am here to help. My name is Alden Cole an SSI lawyer for North Carolina. My office is at 206 N. 4th St. in Wilmington. See me at aldenbcole.com then call (910) 231-2042 for a free consultation.

Financial Compensation in an Auto Accident Case.

Perhaps you have heard that insurance adjusters use some sort of secret mathematical formula to figure out how much compensation should be paid in a particular personal injury settlement. The formula doesn’t actually determine how much compensation someone receives. It is just a device that insurance adjusters use to begin the process.

The insurance company must decide how much to pay the injured party for…

-Medical bills and related expenses

-Lost wages

-Pain and suffering

-Loss of family and other social experiences

-Any permanent disability

Let me help you sort all this out…and more. I practice injury law in the state of North Carolina. My name is Alden Cole. I will fight hard for you and not pass you along as some of the larger firms tend to do. Let us get together at my Wilmington, NC office and visit me on the web at aldenbcole.com. Please call me at (910) 231-2042.

Injured While Working at Home?

Stay-at-home and remote working have become our new reality in the midst of the coronavirus epidemic. An unexpected issue this raises for some remote workers is, what happens if you are injured while working from home? Does your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance still cover your injury, or is your private health insurance your only option?

Workers’ compensation is, by definition a no-fault system, which means that if you're injured in the "course and scope of employment," you are typically covered under your employer’s workers' comp insurance, regardless of whether your own negligence or someone else's played a part in the accident.

Was the employer benefiting from the employee’s actions when the injury occurred? Did the employer require the employee to engage in the injury-causing activity? Did the employer approve the off-site activity in advance? Check with Alden B. Cole. He may have the answers. Attorney Cole deals in workers’ comp cases throughout North Carolina. Call him today at his Wilmington office (910) 231-2042.