N.C. Industrial Commission Orders Employers to Compensate Injured Employees

On May 22, 2012, the North Carolina Industrial Commission held a meeting, where it ordered uninsured employers to pay their insured employees the compensation they are owed for compensable work injuries. A recent News & Observer article reported that thousands of employers fail to carry workers compensation insurance for their employees, meaning they often do not reimburse injured employees for medical bills and wages lost due to compensable work injuries. This problem was compounded when the Commission failed to take measures to force uninsured employers to reimburse employees. When Governor Bev Perdue called for a reform, the Commission began to take steps to hold uninsured employers accountable, providing employees with some relief.

The Commission's corrective measures included threatening jail time and civil fines for employers who failed to reimburse their injured employees. Although no jail time was issued recently, some employers settled their cases and paid their civil fines during the May 22nd meeting. Unfortunately, many cases remain unsettled.