Copeley Johnson & Groninger PLLC congratulates Valerie Johnson for being selected by the North Carolina Advocates for Justice (NCAJ) as a recipient of the 2019 Ebbie Award. The award is named after Ebbie Bailey, who helped her husband establish the North Carolina Advocates for Justice more than 50 years ago. NCAJ created the award in 2003 in Ebbie Bailey’s  honor to “recognize service and

In 2017 there were 183 fatal work injuries in North Carolina.  For every fatal workers’ compensation injury, there are many more that leave workers with permanent disabilities.  Some injured workers face long periods of time out of work. Others may have ongoing medical treatment needs. Many injured employees will have both.   If you’ve been injured at work, sooner or later you

When we send our children off to school every day, we assume that the system will keep them safe. Unfortunately, recent reports of sexual exploitation and abuse, especially in the private school system, is enough to make us wonder if that trust is misplaced. In May 2018, a teacher at The Montessori School of Raleigh (MSR), a private school serving students from preschool through 12th grade, was ac

Commercial trucks are the largest vehicles on the roads of North Carolina. They transport goods and other materials to retailers, vendors, and consumers. They help move the economy forward. But they are also involved in some of the most tragic accidents you see on the news. Too many times there are people injured or killed [...]

Having children is one of the most amazing experiences. At the same time, it is also one of the most stressful. Keeping your children safe from the various dangers in life is not easy. You can do everything possible to prevent your children from suffering an injury, getting sick, or having someone else hurt them, [...]

Crushing injuries are some of the most serious injuries you can suffer. They are traumatic, life changing events that can lead to paralysis, amputation of limbs, and even death. Crushing injuries can occur anywhere in Charlotte or the rest of North Carolina. Whether you are injured in a car accident, on a construction site, at [...]

Burn injuries in the workplace are a very common, yet serious problem. Fortunately, burns can all be avoided when certain safety precautions are practiced on the job. Below, we discuss several tips on preventing burn injuries at work. If you’ve sustained such harm through the... The post Preventing Burn Injuries at Work appeared first on Randall & Stump, PLLC.

A conviction for driving while impaired (DWI) can carry serious penalties, including high fines, possible jail time, loss of your driver’s license, and more. Such a conviction can also carry unexpected consequences that can be even more damaging to your future. This is particularly worrisome... The post Can I Get Kicked Out of School After an NC DWI? appeared first on Randall & Stump, PLLC.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released preliminary findings about traffic fatalities in 2018. As it continues to count up traffic fatality reports from around the nation, the NHTSA uses statistical methods to estimate what the final tally will be. If estimates are... The post Understanding the NHTSA’s Preliminary 2018 Traffic Fatalities Statistics appeared first on

Over 600 U.S. military veterans have filed lawsuits against 3M in recent months, claiming that the company’s Combat Arms earplugs were defective and led to permanent hearing loss and other symptoms. While 3M has awarded settlements to the U.S. government, veterans who used the earplugs are now fighting back by filing individual lawsuits against 3M. […] Hundreds of Veterans File Lawsuits for

Each year, thousands of faulty, malfunctioning, and dangerous products are recalled by manufacturers. In 2018 alone, Hewlett-Packard recalled 50,000 laptop batteries that posed a danger of fire, Ford recalled 1.4 million vehicles due to faulty steering wheels, and Kidde recalled nearly 500,000 smoke alarms that did not properly detect fires. Although product recalls are common, […] What to D

Every year, people suffer personal injuries or death as a result of explosions. Some of these explosions are the result of workplace injuries; others are from gas lines that explode, fireworks, lithium-ion batteries, or fires. Types of personal injuries from explosions can range from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to severe burns, traumatic brain injuries, broken […] What To Do if You

With summer heading into full swing in North Carolina, you may be looking forward to hitting the road with friends and/or family. There's nothing more enjoyable than a long summer road trip, but you must always put the safety...

As parents of Cary area teens know, their children don't always make the best decisions. Teen drivers are consistently ranked as some of the worst drivers on the road. Teen drivers continue to cause many accidents in the Cary...

For many Cary area residents, taking the bus is a preferred mode of transportation. Bus travel can be efficient and economical. It can also be a great way for people to get to their destination who don't drive or...

When you are driving on the interstate highways that connect Raleigh to other parts of North Carolina and the nation, there is no doubt that the vehicles pose the greatest risks to you and your passengers are the behemoth 18-wheelers....

No matter where you are in Raleigh, you are covered by National Safety Month. Whether you’re at work, at home or on the road, the National Safety Council’s observation of safety has a message for you to be careful, observant,...

Going shopping in North Carolina sounds like a perfectly safe afternoon activity. You walk to the store so that you don't have to worry -- as much, anyway -- about car accidents. You gather the handful of items that you...

For the sixth year in a row, Joel R. Rhine of Wilmington’s Rhine Law Firm, P.C., has been awarded membership to the prestigious Best Lawyers of America©, an elite cadre of attorneys who stand out in service to their clients and in the esteem of their peers. Best Lawyers was founded in 1983, and today, recognizes […]

The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation will hear arguments on March 28, 2019 in Washington, DC about whether to transfer the cases filed against 3M in various U.S. district courts to the District of Minnesota for pretrial proceedings. These lawsuits allege that 3M knowingly manufactured a defective earplug that led to hearing loss and tinnitus […]

Truck drivers should be the safest drivers on the road because that is their profession. But even with exhaustive federal guidelines governing truckers and trucking companies, large trucks are still the deadliest vehicles on the road. It’s no wonder – there appears to be little that can change this when you consider the massive weight […]

There is no consensus as to whether a concussion is a permanent injury. Researchers are making progress on how to diagnose concussions early and how to counteract their damage. For lawyers and their clients experiencing concussions, the slow progress in reaching consensus regarding definitions can present many challenges. However, there is an agreement in that […] The post Is a Concussion a

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (“CTE”) is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain that can appear after a history of repetitive brain trauma. The initial injury can date back as far as ten years before the onset of the full-blown disease. CTE is hard to diagnose. An autopsy is the basis for a definitive CTE diagnosis. […] The post How Long Does CTE Take to Show Up After You Stop Pl

Many companies employ people for a limited time during specific portions of a season. For instance, during winter, businesses such as airports and restaurants employ extra workforce to keep all areas running. You may ask yourself what happens if you or a loved one, who is a seasonal employee, gets hurt at work. Our Charlotte […] The post Are Seasonal Employees Eligible for Workers’ Compensat

The National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys (NACDA) selected Chris Shumate as a 2018 Top 10 Attorney for North Carolina. The NACDA annually selects the top 10 criminal defense attorneys in each state to recognize for their hard work. The NACDA utilizes a multi-phase process to select its nominations. Nominees are initially made by licensed attorneys or in-house research staff. The sta

The American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys (AIOCLA) is an impartial third-party rating service for legal organizations. The AIOCLA recognizes excellence in the legal field. To be nominated, a firm must: be nominated by the institute, clients, or colleagues; have attained the highest degree of professional achievement in a particular practice area (criminal law); and have impeccable clien

The National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys (NAOPIA) selected Chris Shumate as a 2018 Top 10 Attorney for North Carolina. The NAOPIA utilizes a multi-phase selection process to identify and nominate individuals. Candidates are initially nominated by licensed attorneys or in-house research staff members. The research staff then confirms a nominee meets specific criteria. Fifty candidates