Jerri Simmons Obtains Favorable Verdict from NCIC

Jerri Simmons, a partner in Cranfill Sumner’s Risk Management & Workers’ Compensation group, recently obtained a favorable verdict for an employer client from the North Carolina Industrial Commission. The Plaintiff (an employee of the Defendant-Employer) alleged debilitating psychological harm due to workplace confrontations with the Plaintiff’s supervisor (also an employee of the Defendant-Employer), and a there was an issue with a practical joke played on the Plaintiff by the supervisor. Defendant-Employer conducted an internal investigation and determined in part that the supervisor did not always communicate clearly which lead to the confrontations in question.  Ultimately, the Commission found that the Plaintiff’s conditions were not linked to these events, but rather pre-existing health conditions and personal stressors, and the Plaintiff failed to prove any compensable injuries arising from the employment.  The Plaintiff’s claim was denied.