09/29/2026
Most injured workers in North Carolina cannot tell the difference between a claim that has been accepted and a claim that is being paid while the carrier decides whether to deny it. The form they file says which one you are in.
• Form 60 is an admission. The carrier accepts your claim as compensable.
• Form 63 is payment without prejudice. They pay while they investigate, and they can still deny the claim later.
Other things worth knowing before you talk to an adjuster:
• Where the right to compensation is admitted, the first payment is due by the 14th day after the employer has notice, and a 10% penalty applies to late installments (N.C.G.S. § 97-18)
• A recorded statement is not required by statute
• Form 24 is the application a carrier files to stop your weekly checks, and you have 14 days to object in writing
• If treatment is denied and there is no agreement within 14 days, you can ask the Industrial Commission to order a second opinion at the employer's expense (N.C.G.S. § 97-25)
None of this means the adjuster is doing anything improper. It means they are doing their job, which is not the same as looking after yours.
Trey Collier represented North Carolina employers and insurance carriers before he began representing injured workers. He is one of fewer than 200 attorneys in the state certified by the NC State Bar as a workers' compensation specialist.
Learn More on Our Website: collierlawpllc.com/workers-compensation-insurance-adjuster-tactics/
