Law enforcement officials in Charlotte and across the state of North Carolina have repeatedly said that like much of the nation, we are in the midst of an opioid epidemic. Police, firefighters, emergency medical technicians and other civil servants say that public safety is far too often put at risk…
According to federal government statistics, there are about 3 million non-fatal work injuries per year. Of those, more than half of the hurt workers required time away from their jobs to recuperate. Of course, many of the injured workers required workers’ compensation benefits that include medical care and partial wage replacement. For…
It’s less than an hour’s drive west from Charlotte to the place where America’s underwear is boxed, bagged, stamped and shipped. The HanesBrands Canterbury Distribution Center ships not only Hanes products, but also Playtex and Just My Size items as well to retailers around the nation. The distribution center recently…
The United States has a seemingly endless supply of problems, including issues related to the economy, terrorism, infrastructure, education and more. One of the headaches we face is “ensuring the financial stability and service levels of the entire Social Security system,” states a recent editorial by political news publication The…
It is sometimes said of tragedies that the victim was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. While that saying undoubtedly has some validity in certain situations, in other circumstances it is much too easily on the person whose recklessness makes a particular moment “the wrong time” and…
Every year, insurance reports, government data and news reports all point toward an inescapable conclusion: construction is a dangerous line of work. Though construction site injuries can happen suddenly, they can also involve serious damage to the back, neck, head and limbs that require long periods of recuperation. A recent news report states…
No one yet knows why the truck driver did not apply the brakes until it was too late. But we do know the results of his error: a fiery interstate tractor-trailer accident that left five people dead. The chain-reaction six-vehicle crash on Interstate 70 between Kansas City and Lawrence, Kansas, this past…
When you are young and healthy, it can feel like nothing will ever slow you down. But according to research, one out of every four 20-year-olds today will be disabled by injury or illness before they retire. The Council for Disability Awareness says more than 37 million Americans are disabled, which is…
She is a 73-year-old great-grandmother and a nurse. Sheila Wilson has worked in hospitals, shelters and clinics and says she has seen “the dirty little secret of nursing”: workplace violence. As many regular readers of our North Carolina law blog know, workplace violence against healthcare providers has been on the rise…
You’ve been working for years. You’ve paid into multiple insurance policies, including a health policy and a long-term disability policy. Now, due to an illness, traumatic injury or damage from repetitive stress, you’re no longer able to work. Complete disability can result from a serious illness, like cancer or multiple…