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Congratulations to Kari Schultz on delivering a significant victory before the North Carolina Industrial Commission, successfully ending a claimant’s entitlement to further workers’ compensation benefits in a long-running case where nearly $1 million in benefits had been paid since a compensable back injury in 2001.
The case—transferred to Kari from another firm after years of stagnation—required a new strategy and decisive action. Upon taking over, Kari and her team immediately shifted the case’s trajectory by directing and transferring medical care to a more conservative treating provider with a new treatment plan. Through diligent case management and careful documentation, they established clear evidence of the claimant’s noncompliance with the new medical recommendations, ultimately building a successful argument for a statutory bar against further benefits.
The Industrial Commission agreed, issuing a decision that no additional benefits are owed and that the claimant is barred from further entitlement related to the claim.
“This outcome highlights the importance of the employer and carrier’s right to direct and manage medical treatment in North Carolina,” said Schultz. “It also demonstrates that even the oldest and most expensive claims can be favorably resolved with proactive, aggressive defense strategies that challenge a stagnant status quo.”
Congratulations again to Kari Schultz for achieving this fantastic result!
