Post-Wilkes Decision Tips for Handling Workers’ Compensation Claims

We recently wrote about the impact of the Wilkes v. City of Greenville decision. In this ruling, the North Carolina Supreme Court significantly expanded the “Parsons presumption,” which posits a relationship between an original work-related injury and additional treatments required.  It is possible that the North Carolina General Assembly will overturn the decision — though there is no guarantee.  If the General Assembly does not act, then we can expect to see a significant increase in claims for new body parts and conditions following …

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Parsons Presumption Still Applicable to Same Body Part

The North Carolina Court of Appeals has handed down a ruling that clarifies and potentially expands the “Parsons presumption,” a North Carolina precedent that posits a relationship between an original work-related injury and additional treatments required. This new ruling, in the case of Bell v. Goodyear, establishes that when a court accepts an injured body part as compensable, subsequent injury to the same body part is subject to the Parsons presumption, even if the exact location of the subsequent injury is different from the …

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