Earlier this week, the North Carolina Court of Appeals published its latest workers’ compensation decision in Hedges v. Wake County Public School System. In this case, the plaintiff had stumbled and fell when she walked into a workroom to make copies of payroll materials. The plaintiff did not trip on something; she simply stumbled and fell. Because of […]
NC Court of Appeals
NC Court of Appeals voids as overbroad a non-compete and non-solicitation agreement
In a recent unpublished opinion, MGM Investigations Inc. v. Sjostedt, the North Carolina Court of Appeals declared a particular non-compete and non-solicitation agreement to be unenforceable because it was overly broad and too vague. In the opinion, the Court reviewed many of the core principles in determining whether non-compete agreements are enforceable. To be enforceable, a […]
Judge Wynn confirmed to Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
Judge Jim Wynn was finally confirmed to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals last week. Judge Wynn was first nominated for the court in 1999. His confirmation comes after months of being held up in the Senate by Republican obstruction after President Obama re-nominated him last year. (Republicans, however, are still holding up the confirmation of […]
NC Court of Appeals on workers’ compensation for parking lot injuries
The latest workers’ compensation opinion from the North Carolina Court of Appeals, Cardwell v. Jenkins Cleaner, addresses the “going and coming” rule. “As a general rule, injuries occurring while an employee travels to and from work do not arise in the course of employment and thus are not compensable.” This “going and coming” rule has further evolved […]
NC Court of Appeals July 20, 2010 decisions on workers’ compensation — part 2
The third workers’ compensation decision that the North Carolina Court of Appeals issued last week was Reaves v. Industrial Pump Service, a case that had already been to the Court last year. Under the Pickrell presumption, “When an employee is found dead under circumstances indicating that death took place within the time and space limits of […]
NC Court of Appeals July 20, 2010 decisions on workers’ compensation — part 1
On July 20, 2010, the North Carolina Court of Appeals issued four published opinions regarding workers’ compensation. The first decision, Morales-Rodriguez v. Carolina Quality Exteriors, Inc., concerned whether the plaintiff was an employee or an independent contractor of the defendant. The plaintiff sought benefits for injuries sustained when he fell from a building at Nags Head, […]