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Trucking and Transportation Law

AB5: A New Standard for Worker Classification – Part 4

by Joe D. Delfino In several of our most recent articles, we discussed the potential impact of AB5 (California Labor Code § 2775); a law passed in California which went into effect on January 1, 2020 and addressed the classification of certain workers as either employees or independent contractors. Since the passage of AB5, there […]

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DOT/FMCSA Noteworthy Updates (Spring 2022)

Allen C. Smith, Austin R. Walsh On 3/1/22, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced a partnership with the American Trucking Association (ATA) to participate in the Biden Administration’s 90-day Trucking Apprenticeship Challenge, which is a part of the Administration’s Trucking Action Plan (TAP). To date, over 100 employers have accepted the Challenge that has resulted […]

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NC Court of Appeals Clarifies Calculation of Underinsured Motorist Coverage

by Austin Walsh On 5/3/22, the North Carolina Court Appeals published its decision in Tutterow v. Hall, et al. and changed the way Underinsured Motorist (UIM) carriers calculate the coverage available for UIM claims.  The holding gives UIM carriers a credit for all liability policies when tendered, not just the first liability policy that offers […]

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500 Weeks of TTD Benefits, Part 2

by Joe D. Delfino In a recent publication, we discussed the issue of what standard the North Carolina Industrial Commission and North Carolina Courts would use to interpret the provision of the North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Act dealing with the 500-week cap on weekly TTD benefits. By way of review, for workers’ compensation claims arising […]

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DOT/FMCSA Noteworthy Updates

Allen C. Smith, Austin R. Walsh On 2/7/22, the FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry went live. The Registry maintains a list of registered training providers and a record of all individuals who have completed entry-level driver training. State agencies will have access to the Registry to verify that commercial driver’s license (CDL) applicants have completed the […]

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N.C. Farm Bureau v. Dana: Bringing Common Sense Back to Underinsured Motorist Law

by Austin R. Walsh North Carolina – On 12/17/21, the NC Supreme Court issued its opinion in North Carolina Farm Bureau Mut. Ins. Co., Inc. v. Dana i, which clarifies the maximum underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage available to claimants regardless of whether the liability coverage was exhausted based on the per-person or per-accident policy limits. […]

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AB5: A New Standard for Worker Classification – Part 3

In several recent articles, we discussed the potential impact of AB5 (now referred to as California Labor Code § 2775). The law went into effect on January 1, 2020, addressing the classification of workers as employees or independent contractors.  Several lawsuits were filed challenging AB5. In one the California Trucking Association filed a lawsuit contending […]

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DOT/FMCSA – Noteworthy Updates

On 11/12/21, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit threw out portions of the 2016 Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles – Phase 2 (“Phase 2”) as it relates to trailers, tanks, car carriers, logging trailers, and platforms. The Rule, which was set to take […]

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Are employees entitled to more than 500 weeks of benefits?

Before June 24, 2011, injured employees were eligible for lifetime Temporary Total Disability (TTD) benefits for the duration of their disability. In 2011, the North Carolina legislature passed revisions to the Workers’ Compensation Act. One of the revisions altered N.C. Gen. Stat. § 97-29(b), which now states: The employee shall not be entitled to compensation […]

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DOT/FMCSA – Noteworthy Updates

On 2/3/2021, Pete Buttigieg was sworn in as the 19th Secretary of Transportation. On 1/20/2021, President Biden issued an executive order on Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis. On 4/22/2021, in response to PresidentBiden’s executive Order, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposedwithdrawing the SAFE I […]

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