As 2014 rolls in, it is time to take stock of our goals for the new year. While many of us will focus on the age-old fitness and organization resolutions, CJG encourages you to keep on top of your workers’ comp case in 2014. Here are the top 5 things to keep your case in shape: Number […]
Workers' Compensation
NC Court of Appeals ruling makes it more difficult for injured workers to keep their workers’ comp benefits in a down economy
In Medlin v. Weaver Cooke Construction, a civil engineer hurt his shoulder on the job and was out of work receiving medical treatment. He was later able to return to work, but he had permanent restrictions that prevented him from doing all the tasks he used to do before his injury. He was later laid off due […]
Valerie Johnson asks to keep workers’ comp costs paid by insurance companies, not injured workers
The North Carolina Industrial Commission, the agency that manages the workers’ compensation system, has an Advisory Council appointed to advise the chair of the Commission on important issues that he faces in doing his job. The Council includes representatives of the insurance industry, large employers, Commissioners, and representatives of injured workers such as Valerie, who […]
Injured workers must prove what caused their injury
An injured worker who can’t prove what exactly caused the injury is not entitled to benefits, according to a recent ruling issued by the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Sonya Chaffins, a former employee of Tar Heel Capital Corporation, filed for workers’ compensation after an injury to her shoulder on the job in 2010. Chaffins had suffered a […]
Miner death toll rises
Four coal workers were killed within the first eleven days of the government shutdown, according to reports. The deaths add to the mounting 2013 coal miner death toll, which lists 18 fatalities as of Oct. 17. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) announces each fatality on their website but the […]
Worker advocacy groups challenge USDA proposal to speed up work
The hard job of a poultry plant worker is about to get harder, thanks to a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposal to increase processing speed by 25 % and replace most federal safety inspectors. The proposed USDA increase means that instead of processing 140 birds a minute, workers will process 175 per minute. As part […]
Injured window washer wins $2.25 million
A window washer permanently disabled after falling at least 20 feet won $2.25 million after suing the owner of the building from which he fell. Tom Gjonaj also sued the tenant who occupied the second story of the building, alleging that the tenant and the building’s owner failed to provide safe and adequate protection as […]
Worker Sues for Asbestos exposure
Workers at a Missouri power plant were tasked with secretly disposing of materials containing asbestos so that company personnel assigned to oversee such health hazards would be none the wiser, a Joplin-based newspaper reports. Employees at Empire District Electric Company’s Riverton plant were exposed to asbestos insulation around pipes, ducts and wires that was peeling […]
Texas TBI sufferer wins suit against employer
A Texas man who suffered traumatic brain injury from an on-the-job fall won about $5.53 million dollars after suing his former employer, West Star Transportation, for negligence. Charles Robison, 52, was standing on top of an overloaded flatbed truck when he fell approximately 15 feet to the concrete below. In addition to fractures to his […]
Fall victim’s family wins $2 million
Attorneys for the family of a North Carolina man killed on the job when he fell through a whole in a work stand have negotiated a $2 million settlement with the company that repainted the 25-foot high device. The defendant, whose name was withheld because of a confidentiality agreement, maintained that the worker had received […]