News Category: Workers’ Compensation
| Legislation, Workers' Compensation Reform
Contact Lawmakers To Stop N.C. Senate Bill 174
N.C. Senate Bill 174, yet another attempt to dismantle the N.C. workers' compensation court system, has been referred to committee in the N.C. House of Representatives. You can read more about Senate Bill 174 in last week's post about the bad bill, which puts insurance company interests ahead of the rights of injured workers. The best way stop Senate Bill 174 is to stop it in committee, before it is put for a vote before the full N.C. House of Representatives. Please call and email members of the N.C. House Committee on Regulatory Reform TOD ...
Read More | No Comments| Legislation, Uncategorized, Workers' Compensation Reform
SB 174: Justice Delayed=Justice Denied
Our legal system has many checks and balances in place to protect citizens and to ensure that any one group can’t change the rules for their own benefit. But the insurance industry and big business don’t like to play by the rules. And they’re behind yet another bad bill pending in the N.C. General Assembly that would strip away the rights of injured workers and every working person in North Carolina. Senate Bill 174, which today passed the N.C. Senate, threatens the medical and disability benefits of injured workers. The N.C. Industrial ...
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SB 10 Back in N.C. Legislature
Vocal voters helped stop N.C. Senate Bill 10 from becoming law, but efforts to fire the state's workers' comp judges and other members of state appointed boards continue. A new bill to reorganize the N.C. Industrial Commission and other state boards was introduced earlier this week in the N.C. House of Representatives. The new bill, H1011, calls for staggered terms for workers' comp judges and also would include a two-term limit for Industrial Commission members who decide workers' compensation cases. The new legislation seeks would require ...
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SB10 IS a Power Grab
Here's an update on Senate Bill 10, which seeks to allow Gov. Pat McCrory to remove all workers' comp judges from office, as well as appointed members of other state commissions. These include the Utilities Commission, Environmental Management Commission, Coastal Resources Commission, Lottery Commission and Wildlife Resources Commission. SB10 passed its first reading in the N.C. House of Representatives this week, and it was referred to committee before being put up for a vote in front by the full state House. In a report this week by WRAL, M ...
Read More | No Comments| Legislation, Workers' Compensation, Workers' Compensation Reform
The Facts about SB 10
There's a lot of misinformation about N.C. Senate Bill 10, which is heading for a vote in the N.C. House on Tuesday, Feb. 12. If passed, the bill would allow Gov. Pat McCrory to dismantled the state workers' compensation court and other appointed state commissions. It would give the governor the right to remove workers comp judges whose terms have not expired and reappoint a new slate of politically biased judges who favor the interests of insurance and big business over the rights of injured workers. The bill would also remove certain superio ...
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SB 10 is Unconstitutional and an Abuse of Power
Don't allow Gov. Pat McCrory to abuse his power by removing all appointed state government positions, including judges and N.C. Industrial Commission members. The Senate passed the controversial Senate Bill 10 earlier this week, but there's still time to stop this bad and unconstitutional bill from becoming law. Find out who represents you in the N.C. House and demand they vote AGAINST SB 10 to protect the rights of every working person in North Carolina. We've created a informational sheet about SB 10 and the impact it will have on our stat ...
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N.C. Senate Passes SB 10, State House to vote Feb. 12
Unfortunately, the N.C. Senate voted yesterday to pass Senate Bill 10, which would remove all members of the N.C. Industrial Commission and allow the governor to reappoint new members. If this bill becomes law, it would essentially dismantle the Industrial Commission, which decides workers' compensation cases. This would allow Gov. Pat McCrory to handpick new commissioners (who would have to be confirmed by the General Assembly) and to stack the commission with those who put insurance and big business interests above the rights of injured peop ...
Read More | No Comments| Legislation, Personal Injury, Workers' Compensation, Workers' Compensation Reform
Elections and Tort Reform
Yesterday, we wrote about the grassroots effort afoot to educate people about the realities of so-called "tort reform" through viewings of the documentary, "Hot Coffee." Here are some concrete things you can do to take action. It starts by being an informed voter and voicing your opinions to your elected officials and those running for office. ...
Read More | No Comments| Legislation, Personal Injury, Workers' Compensation, Workers' Rights
“Hot Coffee” Viewing Parties
We've written here before about "Hot Coffee," the documentary that tells the real story of the McDonald's coffee lawsuit brought by Stella Liebeck and the real cost of so-called tort reform. The McDonald's case became a rallying cry for advocates of so-called "tort reform," and general public opinion is that Liebeck's was a frivolous lawsuit, when in fact, she suffered extremely serious burns requiring multiple operations and skin grafts. And she wasn't the first person to be hurt by McDonald's scalding hot coffee; the fast food chain had rece ...
Read More | 2 Comments| House Bill 709/Senate Bill 544, Workers' Compensation Reform
McCrory wants more bad workers’ comp changes
A scenario we predicted a year ago -- more drastic and draconian changes to workers' compensation laws in North Carolina -- could become reality if Pat McCrory wins his bid for the governor's seat. McCrory, a Charlotte Republican and former mayor of the Queen City, is running against Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton. In a speech last week to National Federation of Independent Business. According to the Charlotte Observer: "He said more workers’ compensation reform is needed. The state’s workers’ comp law underwent major changes in the legislatur ...
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