A Reminder to Think Carefully When Deciding Which Claims to Appeal

The North Carolina Court of Appeals decided two workers’ compensation cases on Feb. 2.  In Falin v. The Roberts Co. Field Services, the court affirmed the full commission’s award of benefits to Franklin Falin. Temporary partial disability benefits were the only benefits at issue because Falin had returned to work with a different employer.  The case centered on the plain reading of the statutory language defining suitable work under N.C.G.S. § 97-22(2).  The statute requires that post-maximum medical improvement work be within 50 miles of the employee’s h...