Two return to work decisions were recently handed down from the North Carolina Court of Appeals, both of which are helpful in determining how the Court is currently examining disability issues. The first case, Geraldine Cromartie v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Inc., involved a machine operator who sustained a laceration to the right hand.…
A recent May 2022 decision from the North Carolina Court of Appeals provides a refresher on the “eggshell plaintiff rule” and taking your claimant how you find them. In Kluttz-Ellison v. Noah’s Playloft Preschool, the claimant sustained two separate incidents to the knees while working as the owner and director of a preschool. One incident…
The North Carolina Court of Appeals issued a new decision concerning medical treatment, and what evidence is necessary to prove causation and establish compensability. In Mahone v. Home Fix Custom Remodeling, the claimant worked for a home remodeling company. On July 24, 2018, the claimant climbed into the attic of a potential customer to take…
The most recent case to analyze futility has been issued by the North Carolina Court of Appeals. The case, Monroe v. MV Transportation, relies heavily on the Griffin v. Absolute Fire Control, Inc. case that came down last year to support its findings. In Monroe, the claimant was in her late 40’s when she sustained…
Last Updated: February 2, 2022 The North Carolina Industrial Commission has recently issued decisions in the first round of extended benefits cases, in which claimants are arguing entitlement to temporary total disability benefits past the 500-week cap on benefits. Six cases have been heard and decided at the Deputy Commissioner level, and four of those…
While COVID-19 continues to spread, many businesses are working to keep their doors open and stave off another shutdown. As part of that effort, and because of the recent full FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine, we are seeing a trend toward mandatory vaccination policies. This raises questions about how mandatory vaccines, and possible adverse…
The Commission has recently issued decisions in the first extended benefits cases, in which plaintiffs are arguing entitlement to benefits past the 500-week cap provided in the 2011 reform. The cases have only been heard at the Deputy Commissioner level but give some additional insight into how they may be treated in the near future…
A decision has been an issued by the North Carolina Supreme Court in a case that we have been following for quite a few years: Griffin v. Absolute Fire Control, Inc. The Supreme Court affirmed the ruling from the Court of Appeals that was issued in January 2020. The case is now remanded back to…
The Industrial Commission recently passed a number of rule changes which were scheduled to go into effect on two different dates. The first set of rule changes went into effect on December 1, 2020. The rules that went into effect on December 1 included changing the medical charge threshold from $2,000 to $4,000 to dictate…
The North Carolina Industrial Commission recently passed a number of rule changes, which will go into effect on two different dates over the next few months. The first effective date is December 1, 2020, and those rule changes are discussed below. The first significant rule change is to 11 NCAC 23A.0104, which dictates when employers…