On October 7, 2021, Deputy Commissioner Wes Saunders issued an Opinion and Award in Tapper v. Penske Logistics, LLC, awarding the claimant extended benefits. This is the seventh decision on extended benefits that has been issued at the Deputy Commissioner level. By way of background, the claimant sustained two compensable injuries to his back while…
North Carolina Supreme Court remands Lauziere v. Stanley Martin Communities, LLC, 376 N.C. 789, 854 S.E.2d 579 (2021) to the Full Commission for further findings. In a recent decision issued by the North Carolina Supreme Court, the judges remanded a case back to the Full Commission where a plaintiff’s case was dismissed with prejudice for…
The day is finally here and your case is settled. But is it really over? Let’s go over some key issues in regards to mutual consent in settlement agreements and make sure. First things first, a settlement agreement is a contract, to be interpreted and tested by established rules relating to contracts. A valid contract…
While the North Carolina Industrial Commission has not yet issued any decisions specifically related to COVID-19, there are prior cases that have considered whether a claimant is entitled to indemnity benefits when their disability is the result of economic conditions. In general, when a claimant’s disability is due to an economic downturn, rather than a…
The North Carolina Court of Appeals recently released two decisions that impact the state’s exclusive remedy doctrine. Under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 97-10.1, the North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Act provides an exclusive remedy for unintentional work-related injuries. This provision affords North Carolina employers “limited” liability and allows employers to more accurately calculate their exposures, unlike…
The Court of Appeals recently released two decisions that analyzed issues relating to disability – specifically, the burden of proving futility – post-Wilkes v. City of Greenville. In Adame v. Aerotek, an unpublished decision, Plaintiff sustained a low back injury in June 2013. After receiving conservative treatment with multiple doctors, Plaintiff was ultimately released with…
In Ball v. Bayada Home Health Care, Plaintiff worked for Bayada as a certified nurse’s assistant for nine months before she was transferred to a new location and began working with a single client. As a result of this change, Plaintiff’s hourly wage and number of hours increased. Plaintiff sustained a work-related injury on February…
The North Carolina Court of Appeals left the Industrial Commission scrambling when it issued its September 20, 2016, Opinion in Bentley v. Jonathan Piner Construction, holding the plain language of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 97-84 was violated when the Commission based its Opinion and Award on an Opinion issued by a deputy commissioner who was…
In Holmes v. Associate Pipe Line Contractors, Inc., the Court of Appeals determined that post-offer contingencies, such as background checks and drug testing, constitute the “last act” necessary to create a contract of employment. On October 29, 2013, Plaintiff, who was living in North Carolina, was contacted via telephone by a union representative and offered…
