A public hearing to determine new rules for the North Carolina Industrial Commission is scheduled for February 24 at 9 am in the Dobbs Building in Raleigh. The session was supposed to occur last week but was postponed because of bad weather. For the same reason, officials have extended the public comment period regarding the rules to February 26.
The Industrial Commission oversees all workers compensation cases in North Carolina. Its policies and procedures directly impact injured workers pursuing compensation. Last year, the state legislature passed a bill that disapproved many of the Commission’s rules and required new rules to be drafted. Among the new rules being considered by the Industrial Commission is one that would assign a fee to individuals who are awarded settlements. Currently several workers’ comp attorneys, including our own Valerie Johnson, are hard at work trying to minimize the negative effect these proposed rules could have on injured workers who are already struggling financially.
If you have any comments regarding the rules, please contact Meredith Henderson at at meredith.henderson@ic.nc.gov or send your comments to 4333 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-4333, no later than February 26, 2014. Individuals with questions may also call Ms. Henderson at 919-807-2575.