Amber May appointed as the NCIC’s Chief Operating Office Effective June 1, 2023 The Industrial Commission announced that Amber May will serve as its Chief Operating Officer effective June 1, 2023. May currently serves as the Commission’s General Counsel, having returned to the Commission in March of 2022 after eight years as Rules Review Commission…
Starting February 20, 2023, the Industrial Commission will begin emailing Report of Mediator fee invoices at the time the mediator is appointed. This new procedure will not impact the fee’s due date but is being introduced in an effort to allow additional time for processing and payment. The $200 fee can be paid either online…
Carolyn J. Thompson Appointed to Serve as Deputy Commissioner Carolyn J. Thompson was appointed to serve as a Deputy Commissioner and her term began on January 2, 2023. Thompson previously served as a District Court judge and then a Resident Superior Court judge in the 9th Judicial District of North Carolina for a total of…
Revised Guidelines for In-Person Industrial Commission Hearings The Industrial Commission has revised its in-person hearing guidelines to reflect the most recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). In-Person Deputy Commissioner Hearing Guidelines Any person with symptoms of COVID-19 who has not had a COVID-19 viral test following onset of symptoms shall not attend…
On July 26, 2022, the Full Commission issued another extended benefits decision, Messick v. Walmart Stores, Inc. The panel consisted of Vice-Chair Griffin, Commissioner Taylor and Commissioner Goodman. In this case, the Full Commission awarded the claimant extended benefits. The issue of extended benefits was not an issue at the Deputy Commissioner level. The Deputy…
On May 4, 2022, Commissioners Griffin, Gillen and Phillips affirmed Deputy Commissioner Howell’s August 11, 2021 decision to deny claimant’s request for extended benefits in George E. Tyson, Jr. v. North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and CCMSI. The claimant sustained a compensable injury to his lower back on October 8, 2011, while…
In a recent decision issued by the North Carolina Court of Appeals, Judge Chris Dillion remanded Blackwell v. N.C. Dep’t of Pub. Instruction back to the Full Commission where a claimant’s appeal to convert her weekly benefits to a single, lump-sum award was denied. Background of the Case The claimant was a former high school…
Mary Betts v. North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services – Cherry Hospital On February 1, 2022, the North Carolina Full Commission released a decision in the second extended benefits case since the Reform in 2011. The case was originally heard by Deputy Commissioner Robert Harris, who found that the claimant had proven by…
As part of the employer’s and carrier’s prompt investigation of a claim, NCIC Rule 608 allows the taking of a recorded statement to determine the facts and circumstances surrounding the injury. Rule 608 is broad in scope. It requires the adjuster to tell the claimant the statement they are giving may be used to determine…
On September 29, 2021, the Full Commission entered an Opinion and Award in Milton Nobles v. North Carolina DHHS and CCMSI. The Full Commission reversed Deputy Commissioner Harris’ Opinion and Award and denied claimant’s right to extended benefits beyond the 500 weeks, as well as his claim for PTSD. The Full Commission panel consisted of Commissioner…