North Carolina Lawmakers Agree on Workers’ Compensation Benefit Change

Consensus legislation to change limits on benefits for workers injured on the job in North Carolina has swept through the General Assembly and is moving to Gov. Beverly Perdue for her signature.

The Senate agreed unanimously last Thursday to give final legislative approval to rules governing workers’ compensation laws. The House gave its approval earlier to the legislation assembled after weeks of talks between attorneys, employer and employee groups.

The bill caps temporary payments for a totally disabled worker at nearly 10 years. The current law has no cap, while surrounding states have limits. The bill also raises the maximum time for wage benefits for the partially disabled and for death benefits.

The legislation also changes the rules about access to records needed to review an injured worker’s claim.