Brief Overview of the Interplay of Workers’ Compensation Claims and Third-Party Claims

Chapter 97 of the North Carolina General Statutes is the Workers’ Compensation Act.  This law controls all aspects of workers’ compensation claims.  When an employee is entitled to workers’ compensation benefits for an on-the-job injury and the injury was caused by a third-party, the injured employee may have a claim against the third-party in addition to a workers’ compensation claim.  The “third party” is a person who is not associated with the employee’s job.  One of the most common on-the-job injuries that are caused by a third party occurs when the employee is injured by someone else’s negligent driving.  This is a brief overview of the laws governing the interplay of third-party claims when there is a workers’ compensation claim.