North Carolina Workers’ Comp Change

Legislation to change limits on benefits for workers injured on the job in North Carolina swept through the General Assembly and is expected to be signed by Gov. Beverly Perdue.

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.

The Senate agreed unanimously to the legislation after the House gave its approval, after weeks of talks between attorneys, employer and employee groups.