North Carolina workers’ compensation law imposes strict, varying deadlines for a workplace injury, you must report it to your employer within 30 days and file a claim with the NC Industrial Commission (NCIC) within 2 years of the injury date; for occupational diseases and death, the filing deadline is 2 years from diagnosis/disablement/death or the date you knew (or should have known) the condition was work-related; and for repetitive motion injuries, you must file within 2 years of when you knew or should have known the injury was work-related, or up to 7 years from last occupational exposure, whichever is earlier in applicable cases, noting that the 30-day reporting to the employer is separate from and earlier than the 2-year filing deadline with the NCIC, and missing any deadline can permanently bar your right to benefits, making it crucial to contact Stewart Law Offices immediately after any workplace injury.