By Eleasa Allen On Thursday, May 7, the Workers’ Compensation Section Council held its last quarterly meeting of the 2019-2020 Bar Year. Due to the ongoing public health situation, the meeting was held remotely via Zoom and telephone call-in, which as anyone who has participated in a multi-person virtual conference can confirm, was interesting, to […]
By Kate Deiter-Maradei Right now, the NCIC has mandated that all mediations must be conducted virtually until June 1, 2020. This time frame could change, so it is important to stay apprised of any changes reflected on both the NCIC website and the NC DRC website. In-person mediations are the most effective particularly when parties […]
Full Commission Section and General / Administrative Updates In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission has instituted several new policies to help protect public health and safety, including new policies for hearings and mediations and new policies for accepting electronic signatures on agreements and accepting written affirmations without notarization. These new policies are posted […]
By Mallory Lidaka and Samantha Aktug Hello Section Members! We hope everyone is staying healthy (and sane!) during these uncertain times. We want to first thank everyone for participating in our initial Pro Bono effort for the year during the Annual Conference in February. Free Legal Answers participation has grown since that time, and we […]
By Eleasa Harris Allen Over the last several weeks, we have experienced things in our professional and personal lives that none of us would have contemplated just a couple of months ago. Most court cases have been continued until June 1. We are learning to work remotely. We are conducting meetings and mediations via Zoom […]
On April 2, 2020, Chief Justice Cheri Beasley issued an Order that, among other things, directed that all superior and district court proceedings be scheduled or rescheduled for a date no sooner than June 1, 2020. Shortly thereafter, the North Carolina Industrial Commission issued the following revised/updated policies regarding Deputy Commissioner hearings and mediations: Deputy […]
By Eleasa Allen The Industrial Commission continues to review and evaluate its various policies in light of the ongoing COVID-19 situation. Below are the most recent updates from the Commission concerning its Secure Leave Policy and accepting agreements signed through DocuSign. COVID-19 Response: Industrial Commission Secure Leave Policy The Industrial Commission recognizes that the COVID-19 […]
By Eleasa Allen Below is the most recent update from the Industrial Commission relative to COVID-19. This information was posted to the Industrial Commission website to address some questions received from attorneys about the current filing deadlines. COVID-19 Response: Industrial Commission Filing Deadline Policy The Industrial Commission has received some inquiries from attorneys regarding its […]
By Eleasa Allen COVID-19 Response: Medical Motion Hearings To Be Conducted Remotely Effective March 23, 2020, and continuing through the end of April 2020, the Commission’s COVID-19 procedure for medical motion hearings arising under G.S. §97-25(f) is amended as follows: All medical motion hearings before Deputy Commissioners shall be conducted with the parties appearing remotely. […]
By Eleasa Allen Below are the most recent updates issued by the North Carolina Industrial Commission on its website in response to the ongoing concerns over COVID-19: IC Staff Working Remotely; Email Communication Encouraged In light of Governor Cooper’s March 10, 2020 State of Emergency declaration regarding COVID-19 and consistent with guidance issued by the […]