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Legislative Update: Status of Workers’ Compensation in North Carolina
Today I am attending a Workers’ Compensation Roundtable at the North Carolina Advocates of Justice in Raleigh, NC. After lunch, Gina Cammarano provided us with a legislative update regarding the...
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Who do you help at The Hart Law Firm?
I often get asked about the types of clients I represent. In a nutshell, we help people who have been injured at work. However, injured employees can take on many different forms, and have many...
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Injured Workers settle case without attorney… Now What?
Injured workers settle their workers comp cases everyday without attorneys – this is nothing new. But what most people don’t understand is that by signing a settlement agreement without consulting a...
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Workers Comp Reform: An Open Letter to NC Taxpayers
A Workers Comp reform bill is set to be filed in the NC General Assembly within the next several weeks. This bill is bad for everyone but the insurance companies and self-insured businesses (think...
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Will Workers’ Comp pay for Attendant Care in NC?
Attendant care issues come up from time to time in NC Workers’ Comp cases. When a spouse or other loved one is required to put their career on hold to take care of the injured worker, then you have...
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Why Workers Comp reform is bad for NC
Here is a great op-ed article that details why the Workers’ Comp Reform bill proposed by Rep. Dale Folwell is bad for everyone in North Carolina. In House Bill 709 and Senate Bill 544, the North...
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Finishing up at the NCAJ Annual Meetings…
Today I am attending the last day of programming at the NCAJ Annual Meetings in Wilmington. I have to tip my hat to the NCAJ, they have done a great job in putting together a top-notch program. Some...
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New Workers’ Compensation Bill signed into law in North Carolina
Earlier this week, North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue signed a new Workers’ Compensation bill into law that will make several major changes to the current law. This bill, entitled the “Protecting and...
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Anatamy of a Workers’ Comp Case
If you have been injured on the job in North Carolina, you are probably scared (about your health and possibly loss of income/job security), nervous and a little uncertain of what the future will...
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What can happen if insurance companies have their way…
Here is a brief example of what will happen in North Carolina if insurance companies are successful in continuing to “reform” Workers’ Compensation laws in North Carolina.
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Should I settle my Workers’ Comp case at mediation?
In North Carolina, Workers’ Comp cases can find their way to mediations in a number of different ways. If you file a Form 33 (Request for Hearing), then your case will be ordered to mediation before...
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Exposed – How Art Pope’s Money could influence Workers’ Comp Benefits
Next year is going to be an important year for politics in North Carolina and across the country. Workers’ Comp laws throughout the nation, including in North Carolina, are under attack. In order to...
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Ethical Boundaries of Discovery in Social Media
Today I gave a presentation for NBI on Ethics and Social Media. Following is a link to my manuscript on the Ethical Boundaries of Discovery. Ethical Boundaries of Discovery - Manuscript from...
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Is my injury covered by Workers’ Comp?
How do I know if my injury should be covered by Workers’ Comp? Whether your injury should be covered, or actually is covered, are two different questions. If the system worked the way it was supposed...
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Is Workers’ Comp my only recourse if I’m hurt at work?
I get asked, on quite a regular basis, whether my client’s can recover for pain and suffering if they are injured in a workplace accident. Unfortunately, the answer is usually no (99.9% of the time,...
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Who does your nurse really work for?
In some Workers’ Comp cases in North Carolina, the case and employee will be assigned a Nurse to help coordinate benefits, schedule doctor’s appointments, and basically make sure that the medical...
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What is Fair?
What is fair? Today’s post is a bit off the beaten path. I’m on the “legal documents” committee of my homeowner’s association. Basically, our committee’s job is to review all the legal documents for...
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The Workers’ Comp Doctor: What to do on that first visit…
I just finished up a report on what to do and what not to do on that first trip to the dreaded workers’ comp doctor. Here’s a quick overview/summary of my recommendations: Be nice, even if you don’t...
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Given a deadline to return to work, now what?
This is one of the most frequent questions I get from my clients, because it is a frequent tactic used by insurance companies to either: 1) cut off your benefit checks in accepted cases, or 2) show...
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FAQ – What if my workers’ comp check is late?
One of the most frequent calls I receive from my workers’ comp clients is that their workers’ compensation check is late. Unfortunately, (and I don’t believe that this is the client’s fault), the...
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Cell phones banned while driving in Chapel Hill?
blogs.ktk985.com I previously blogged about the perils of texting while driving, and it appears that there is now a movement for a total ban on cell phone use while driving that is receiving...
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Workers’ Comp and the Obesity problem
I was reading an article this morning on how the Obesity problem in America “weighs” on the Workers’ Comp system. It is not surprising that obese clients will take longer to heal after a work related...
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Workers’ Comp Mileage Rates in NC
Did you know that if you have to travel farther than 20 miles roundtrip to attend an appointment for medical treatment, you are entitled to reimbursement from the workers’ comp insurance carrier? Per...
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Just received a Form 24 – What now?
In North Carolina’s workers’ compensation system, many injured workers think that they can handle their case on their own, especially if the case is accepted by the insurance company (meaning that you...
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Talking on your Cell Phone while driving forbidden in Chapel Hill
Those of you who frequently talk on your cell phone while driving take note – this practice will become illegal in Chapel Hill on June 1. Yesterday, Chapel Hill, North Carolina became the first town...
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Principal shot on way to work suffered a compensable injury
On April 9, 2009, James Hunt, a principal at Fairmount Middle School in Lumberton, was shot on his way to work. Earlier this month, the Court of Appeals affirmed a decision determining that Mr. Hunt...
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Infant Tylenol allegedly kills 3 month old
As an expectant father for the second time (as of writing this post, my wife is just over 38 weeks pregnant with our second child), my wife and I are increasingly sensitive to the risks associated...
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Another reason for Health Insurance Reform
It is no secret that the current Health Insurance system in America is not working. Whether you agree or disagree with the tenets of the Affordable Care Act that is now in front of the US Supreme...
View ArticleEnforcing the Workers’ Compensation laws in North Carolina
The following is a guest blog post written by a colleague and good friend of mine, Kevin Bunn. Kevin is also an exceptional North Carolina workers’ compensation lawyer. I read Harry Payne’s editorial...
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