112. While some parts of SB 112 could be positive, Section 12(b) will suddenly allow any powerful business interest to intimidate the hearing officers at the Industrial Commission. While we might from time to time disagree with the verdict of a hearing officer, we have never had reason to doubt their honesty. With Section 12(b) of SB 112 any hearing officer’s job is on the line any time he or she renders a verdict against an employer. In fact, powerful business interests may not even wait until the hearing officer renders the decision they don’t like – they may just clean house by immediately firing all of the hearing officers they don’t like and hiring their allies as soon as the bill takes effect. Such an outcome would be terrible for the working people of North Carolina.
The bill has passed the House and will now be considered by the Senate on Monday, July 15, 2013.
About the Author
Robert C. Younce, JR
Robert C. Younce is an attorney at Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks, P.A. and concentrates his law practice on personal injury and workers’ compensation law. He has tried over 100 workers’ comp cases to Opinion and Award and about a dozen personal injury jury trials to verdict. He has been board-certified by the North Carolina State Bar as a specialist in workers’ compensation law since 2001.
