What is your sense of smell and sense of taste worth to you? These senses are truly priceless. In a medical malpractice case, the plaintiff – a chef – was awarded $1.5 million in damages when he lost his sense of taste following a tonsillectomy when the surgeon failed to disclose that this was a [...]
North Carolina needs a Commissioner of Labor who is fair to workers'. Certainly cooperation between employers and employees is key. However, when thousands of workers' are not being paid their duly-earned wages, we have a problem. In 2014, the News & Observer published an article entitled “For Many Workers Cheated out of Wages, NC [...]
In Raleigh, North Carolina, we see a lot of crickets, wasps, bees, lightning bugs, and an occasional cicada. What we don’t have – thank goodness – are scorpions. Those belong far, far away – preferably in other countries or in the Southwest. However, just a few weeks ago, an employee at a grocery store in [...]
Mitragyna speciosa, aka “kratom,” is a tropical plant in the coffee family, native to Southeast Asia, historically used in Thailand for its medicinal qualities. Thailand banned kratom in 1943 due to abuse and now North Carolina, among other states, is seeking to set limits on the drug too. What’s the concern about kratom? According [...]
Recent years have not been favorable to injured workers'. States across the nation have enacted “reform” measures curbing injured workers' benefits. Disability caps have been introduced, medical care restricted. In our last blog, we discussed Oklahoma’s Opt Out provisions as an example of the court system declaring that the legislature had legislated away too much [...]
What I Wish I Had Known Earlier in My Workers’ Compensation Claim – Thoughts from a Former Client We frequently reach out to our clients for feedback on how to improve our services. Earlier this year, we received a very thoughtful email from one of our former clients and wanted to share his thoughts. What [...]
Several months ago, the North Carolina Industrial Commission published their Annual Report for 2014 - 2015. Based on the Annual Report, employer fraud was by far the overwhelming majority of investigated fraud in the North Carolina workers'’ compensation system. The Annual Report tracked investigations of suspected fraud and violations related to workers'’ compensation involving employees, [...]
Recent years have not been favorable to injured workers'. States across the nation have enacted “reform” measures curbing injured workers' benefits. Disability caps have been introduced, medical care restricted. In our last blog, we discussed Oklahoma’s Opt Out provisions as an example of the court system declaring that the legislature had legislated away too much [...]
Ever since Oklahoma employers were allowed to “opt out” of the workers'’ compensation system in 2013, nearly 60 big employers have chosen the “opt out” path. By opting out, these large corporations (like Wal-Mart and Big Lots) are no longer constrained by the requirements of the Oklahoma State workers'’ compensation laws. Instead they are allowed [...]
Super Bowl 50 what a game! As a Panthers’ fan, it was depressing to see our usually high-scoring offense crushed by the Broncos’ defense. However, the Panthers’ defense kept us in the game until the bitter end. The dedication of Thomas Davis, a Panthers’ linebacker, was quite a site. Davis, who sustained a broken forearm [...]