Call Us 919-240-4054In Evans v. Hendrick Automotive Group, the North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled that defendants improperly appealed a non-final decision of the Industrial Commission, and dismissing their appeal. Ms. Evans was an office manager for a Hendrick dealership in Texas. She was injured during a business trip to Charlotte, while she was walking back from an employer-sponsored dinner […]
In the News
Valerie speaks at workers’ compensation roundtable
On Friday, Valerie Johnson spoke at the 16th Annual Workers’ Comp Roundtable, a CLE put on by the North Carolina Advocates for Justice. Valerie spoke on how to protect a client’s future health insurance benefits in a workers’ compensation case, including benefits under the State Health Plan.
Supreme Court issues important decision in discrimination case
In Staub v. Proctor Hospital, the US Supreme Court just issued an important unanimous decision in this military-service-based discrimination case. This case concerns the so-called “cat’s paw” theory of liability, under which one supervisor acts with discriminatory intent against the plaintiff, but the plaintiff is actually fired by another supervisor. The case arose under the Uniformed Services […]
NC Supreme Court sends parking lot case back to Commission
The North Carolina Supreme Court has sent a tricky workers’ compensation case back the Industrial Commission for additional fact-finding. Cardwell v. Jenkins Cleaner involves a plaintiff who was injured when she slipped on some black ice three feet away from the back door to her office. Our coverage of the Court of Appeals’ split-decision in […]
Fourth Circuit rules USERRA retaliation claim can go to trial
In a recent unpublished opinion, Bunting v. Town of Ocean City, the Fourth Circuit partially overturned a grant of summary judgment and allowed the plaintiff to proceed to trial on his USERRA retaliation claim. USERRA is a federal statute that protects armed service members from being discriminated in employment because of their service. Like other anti-discrimination […]
Supreme Court endorses associational retaliation claim
Late last month, in Thompson v. North American Stainless, the Supreme Court unanimously concluded that firing a worker’s fiancé in retaliation for a sex discrimination claim filed by the worker is itself unlawful retaliation under Title VII. The anti-retaliation provision of Title VII prohibits any employer action that “well might have dissuaded a reasonable worker from making […]