Vernon Sumwalt will teach “Legal and Evidentiary Standards of Disability” at the NCAJ’s 26th Annual Workers’ Compensation Roundtable, a virtual continuing legal education course for workers’ comp lawyers who represent injured workers in North Carolina, on April 9, 2021. For more about the seminar, go…
North Carolina employers should prioritize creating safety in the workplace. Unfortunately, accidents can happen even when bosses have worked hard to implement safety protocols, provide necessary equipment and properly train all employees. Some of the more common workplace injuries can often occur despite employers’ and…
The bravery of lawyers going to trial is nothing compared to the bravery of our clients whose lives they ask us to share with the world. Chad, a veteran police officer in Charlotte, North Carolina, entrusted The Sumwalt Group to challenge a denial of his…
In February 2021, the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) published its research on opioid use in the workers’ compensation system. https://www.nasi.org/research/2021/understanding-opioids-context-workers-compensation. Contrasting a 4% the 2018 reduction in opioid-related overdoses, which corresponds to an increase in life expectancy for the first time in 6…
Consistent with other courts, the North Carolina Industrial Commission will follow Orders of the North Carolina Supreme Court for emergency directives during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Commission’s decision is at https://www.ic.nc.gov/news.html#hot (“Current Commission Policies Regarding Mediation, Commission Hearings, and Written Affirmation without Notarization.”) Three things…
Winter is not over in North Carolina, and there is still a chance for cold, icy and even snowy weather. While this type of weather can be fun and enjoyable, it can also be quite dangerous — especially in the workplace. Here are a few…
When you suffer an injury in a North Carolina workplace, you understand how difficult it can be to pick up the pieces and move forward. You may be struggling with injuries after a work-related accident, and your family could be experiencing negative financial effects because…
There are many risks to working in the construction industry, including being around lots of heavy machinery and working at significant heights. Certain tools can also be hazardous to work with or prone to causing serious construction injuries. For example, North Carolina construction workers who…