• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

North Carolina Personal Injury & Workers Compensation Attorneys

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • linkedin

Call Us 919-240-4054

Main navigation

  • Workers’ Comp
    • Durham, NC
      • Brain Injury Lawyer
      • Burns and Explosions Lawyer
      • Chemical Exposure Lawyer
      • Construction Accident Lawyer
      • Durham Back Injury Lawyer
      • Healthcare Workers and COVID-19 Lawyer
      • Occupational Disease Lawyer
      • Union Member Lawyer
      • Workplace Violence Lawyer
    • Charlotte, NC
  • Bicycle Crashes
    • Charlotte, NC
  • Personal Injury
    • Durham, NC
      • Burn Injury Lawyer
      • College Campus Injury Lawyer
      • Car Accident Lawyer
      • Catastrophic Injury Lawyer
      • Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
      • Premises Liability Lawyer
      • Product Liability Lawyer
      • Truck Accident Lawyer
    • Charlotte, NC
      • Brain Injury Lawyer
      • Burn Injury Lawyer
      • Car Accident Lawyer
      • Catastrophic Injury Lawyer
      • Premises Liability Lawyer
      • Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
      • Product Liability Lawyer
      • Truck Accident Lawyer
  • Wrongful Death
    • Durham, NC
    • Charlotte, NC
  • Our Lawyers
    • Ann Groninger
    • Valerie Johnson
    • Drew Culler
    • Jennifer Segnere
    • Request a Speaking Engagement
  • Resources
    • Law Blog
    • Our Community
  • Contact Us
  • Español

July 7, 2013 By nicole

Workers’ comp alert: Senate Bill 174 passes the North Carolina House of Representatives

On Thursday, June 27, the NC House voted to pass legislation that affects your rights under workers’ compensation laws.

The bill changes the ways the Industrial Commission can order treatment when the insurance company has denied it. In an emergency the Industrial Commission will have to order the treatment within five days of a motion. Motions for non-emergency medical treatment could take longer.  In some instances, the Industrial Commission will have up to 60 days to make a decision about an injured worker’s medical care.

The bill also changes one way to restart workers’ compensation benefits when the insurance company has stopped them. The new process allows for either a telephone or in-person hearing and sets new time limits. The bill also disapproves many of the other rules recently adopted by the Industrial Commission.

Over the past several weeks, Senate Bill 174 underwent intense negotiation. The original version of the bill was much different than the version that passed. That version required formal hearings to restart an injured worker’s compensation when it was unjustly stopped by the insurance company, even when they were violating the law. This could have delayed payments by months or even years.

The prior version of the bill also threatened injured workers’ medical benefits, taking away their rights to get a quick decision from the Industrial Commission, sometimes delaying treatment by years. In addition, it shifted court costs to the injured worker for needing to ask for a hearing for medical treatment or to restart compensation.

Many workers and their family members contacted their representatives. Those efforts told legislators to compromise and in the end made a much better bill.

Thank you for your calls, emails and input. Your continued attention to this matter is greatly appreciated.

Related posts:

  1. Today’s workers’ compensation opinion by the NC Court of Appeals
  2. Today’s workers’ compensation decisions by the NC Court of Appeals
  3. Study shows that low wage workers are subject to a host of employment and labor law violations
  4. Today’s workers’ compensation opinion by the NC Supreme Court

Filed Under: In the News, Workers' Compensation

Primary Sidebar

Primary Sidebar

Contact us

Occupation

  • Bus Drivers
  • Construction Workers
  • First Responders
  • Police Officers
  • Truck Drivers
  • State Employees Workers’ Compensation Lawyers in Charlotte
  • Experienced Union Members Attorneys in North Carolina

Injury

  • Asbestos Exposure
  • Durham Back Injury Lawyers
  • Burns and explosions
  • Chemical Exposure
  • COVID-19 and Healthcare Workers
  • Occupational Diseases
  • Workplace Violence

Free Legal Resources

  • Workers’ Compensation 101
  • 8 Questions to Answer Before You Are Ever in a Wreck
  • Essentials for Workers’ Comp Success
  • Help for Families of North Carolina Burn Victims

Locations

Durham Office

300 Blackwell St. #101,
Durham, NC 27701

Phone: (919) 240-4054

Fax: (888) 412-0421

Charlotte Office

1018 East Blvd. #6
Charlotte, NC 28203

Phone: (704) 200-2009

Fax : (888) 412-0421

Practice Areas

Workers Compensation | Bicycle Crashes | Personal Injury

OTHER PRACTICE AREAS

Crisis Management | Employment Law | Mass Torts | Camp Lejeune Water Contamination | Vaccine Injury | Resort & Recreational Activity Injuries | Workers Comp Wage & Hours Disputes | College Campus Injuries | Drunk Driving Injury victim | Industrial Accidents | Inadequate Security Claims | Workplace Injuries | Covid 19 – Business Interruption | Workplace Injury 3rd Party Claims

Copyright Johnson & Groninger PLLC