The North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled in favor of one of the firm’s clients in an appeal brought by the defendants.  In Rawls v. Yellow Roadway Corporation, the Full Commission awarded Veran Rawls ongoing total disability compensation since his 2005 truck accident.  Defendants argued that the Full Commission had erred in several findings of fact, claiming that they were not based on competent medical evidence.  The Court rejected all of these arguments and affirmed in full the Commission’s decision.  Hank Patterson and Narendra Ghosh represented Mr. Rawls in the appeal.

Categories: Judicial Decisions, News of the Firm, Results Tags: Appeals, Case Commentary, Causation, Disability Compensation, Hank Patterson, Industrial Commission, Narendra Ghosh, NC Court of Appeals, Results, Truck Accident, Workers' Compensation

Hank Patterson and Narendra Ghosh will present a paper they co-wrote at the upcoming 18^th Annual Workplace Torts & Workers’ Comp CLE, which is put on by the NCAJ and will be held at the Friday Center in Chapel Hill on Friday December 2, 2011.  Their paper is entitled “Future Medical Treatment: Substance and Procedure for § 97-25.1”.  Hank is also a co-chair of the CLE.

Introduction:

“The provision for extending the two-year time limitation for medical treatment is not often discussed, but it can make a profound difference for claimants who need medical care in the future. This paper discusses the development of this provision in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 97-25.1, as well as the substantive and procedural issues raised by the statute.”

Categories: News of the Firm Tags: Articles, CLE, Future Medical Treatment, Hank Patterson, Medical Compensation, Narendra Ghosh, NCAJ, Presentation, Workers' Compensation

In Rawls v. Yellow Transportation, the Industrial Commission concluded that plaintiff Veran Rawls suffered a compensable injury by accident in 2005 and has been totally disabled since that time.   Defendants appealed.  Hank Patterson and Narendra Ghosh, representing Mr. Rawls, filed this brief in the Court of Appeals.  Summary of the brief: Read more…

Categories: News of the Firm Tags: Appeals, Briefs, Causation, Hank Patterson, Industrial Commission, Narendra Ghosh, NC Court of Appeals, Truck Accident, Workers' Compensation

At a recent CLE addressing changes to North Carolina Workers’ Compensation law put on by the North Carolina Advocates for Justice, Hank Patterson presented his paper entitled “Changes to G.S. §97-29: Limitations on Total Disability Benefits – Cap and Credit”.  In the paper Hank summarizes and discusses the amendments to N.C. G.S. §97-29 in House Bill 709, which was signed into law June 24, 2011.

Categories: News of the Firm Tags: Articles, Disability Benefits, Hank Patterson, Legislation, NCAJ, Presentation, Total Disability, Workers' Compensation

On Friday, Hank Patterson spoke at the 16th Annual Workers’ Comp Roundtable, a CLE put on by the North Carolina Advocates for Justice.  Hank was part of a panel addressing the proper language for Social Security offset language.

Categories: News of the Firm Tags: Hank Patterson, Health Insurance, NCAJ, Presentation, Social Security, State Health Plan, Workers' Compensation

Last month, Hank Patterson attended a Congressional hearing held by the Workforce Protections Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee, which examined state workers’ compensations systems.  The participants at the hearing discussed that “workers’ compensation systems have undergone numerous changes in the past decade as many states have begun strictly limiting workers’ compensation benefits – changes that may be stressing the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program. Additionally, the American Medical Association’s (AMA) guide to assessing injured workers has undergone significant changes in its latest edition, which has made consequential changes to injured workers’ evaluation procedure.”  See the committee site for details, as well as the comprehensive opening statement by Representative Lynn Woolsey.

Hank behind witness John Burton

Categories: News of the Firm Tags: AMA Guides, Congress, Hank Patterson, Hearing, House Education and Labor Committee, SSDI, Workers' Compensation

Last year, the State expanded the coverage of the North Carolina Guaranty Association to include structured settlement annuitities for North Carolina residents.   This is especially important for people who receive annuities as part of a workers’ compensation or personal injury settlement.  Coverage here.  One part of the new law’s language was less than clear, which required an amendment.  The amendment makes clear that annuity protection runs to the benefit of the actual beneficiary, the “payee” of the policy.  The text can be found here.  The amendment was enacted during the legislature’s short session this summer and signed by the governor.  Hank Patterson and Narendra Ghosh assisted with the legislative effort.

Categories: Legislative Action Tags: Hank Patterson, Legislation, Narendra Ghosh, NC Legislature, North Carolina, Personal Injuries, Structured Settlements, Workers' Compensation

Hank Patterson spoke at the Iowa Association of Justice’s 19 Annual Workers’ Compensation Seminar last month in Des Moines.  His presentation discussed National Legilsation and Policy Priorities for Workers Compensation, and specifically addressed Medicare reform (see HR 2641 — Medicare Secondary Payer and Workers’ Compensation Settlement Agreements Act of 2009), the National Commission on State Workers’ Compensation Laws Act (HR 635), and issues surrounding the AMA Guides on Disability.

Categories: News of the Firm Tags: AMA Guides, Congress, Hank Patterson, Iowa Association of Justice, Legislation, Medicare, National Commission, Presentation, Workers' Compensation

Four of Patterson Harkavy’s attorneys have been named North Carolina “Super Lawyers” for 2010 in a recent study by Law & Politics magazine.  The findings are published in the February 2010 edition of the North Carolina Super Lawyers magazine.

Patterson Harkavy’s 2010 North Carolina “Super Lawyers” are:

• Burton Craige — Personal Injury: Medical Malpractice
• Hank Patterson — Workers’ Compensation
• Michael Okun — Labor & Employment Law
• Jonathan Harkavy — Alternative Dispute Resolution

In addition, Jonathan Harkavy was named to the list of the Top 100 attorneys in North Carolina.

Law & Politics conducts a regional survey of lawyers who have been in practice for at least five years, asking them to nominate the best attorneys they’ve personally observed in action.  In addition, the magazine’s attorney-led research department reviews nominees’ credentials based on a set of evaluation criteria.  To ensure a diverse and well-balanced list, the research staff considers factors such as firm size, practice area and geographic location.

Categories: News of the Firm Tags: Burton Craige, Hank Patterson, Jonathan Harkavy, Labor and Employment, Leto Copeley, Medical Malpractice, Michael Okun, Personal Injuries, Recognition, Super Lawyers, Valerie Johnson, Workers' Compensation

Hank Patterson has been recognized by the LexisNexis Workers’ Compensation Law Center as one of its Workers’ Compensation Notable People for 2009:

“These exceptional people have worked tirelessly on behalf of their clients and have made significant contributions this past year to the workers’ compensation system and/or the workplace.”

“The recipients of the 2009 awards were selected by various organizations and experts in the field, including the Workers Injury Law & Advocacy Group (WILG), the National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network (NWCDN), the California Applicants’ Attorneys Association (CAAA), the Workers’ Compensation Forum on LinkedIn, and selected members of the Larson’s National Workers’ Compensation Advisory Board.”

Hank’s accomplishments, service, and dedication are well described, as are some of his recent activities, including “trying to enact a revision to the Medicare Secondary Payor Act to solve some of the problems that workers’ compensation practitioners have had with satisfying the requirements of the Act regarding conditional payments and set asides.”

Categories: News of the Firm Tags: Hank Patterson, Recognition, Workers' Compensation