New Increases for Workers’ Compensation Benefits Coming July 1, 2027
On June 11, 2026, House Bill 315 was ratified and Governor Josh Stein signed it into law on June 22, 2026. Among other important changes, HB 315 modifies the North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Act, including N.C. Gen. Stat. § 97-31(21), (22), (24). The alterations are:
(21) The maximum award for serious facial/head disfigurement was raised from $20,000.00 to $40,000.00.
(22) The maximum award for serious bodily disfigurement was raised from $10,000.00 to $20,000.00. Additionally, the clause “where there may be a rational connection to employability or earning capacity” was added after “serious bodily disfigurement,” codifying what was already a requirement to recover under § 97-31(22) under controlling case law.
(24) The maximum award for loss of/permanent injury to any important external/internal organ or part of the body not covered by other subsections of the statute was raised from $20,000.00 to $40,000.00.
Essentially, the maximum awards for serious facial/head disfigurement, serious bodily disfigurement (connected to employability/earning capacity), and loss/permanent injury to an important organ are doubled.
HB 315 also increased the minimum compensation rate a plaintiff can receive for temporary total disability (TTD) benefits. Before, when an employee qualified for total disability benefits, N.C. Gen. Stat. § 97-29 provided that the employer would pay a minimum compensation rate of at least $30.00 per week. Now, the weekly minimum amount has been raised to $50.00.
These changes become effective on July 1, 2027, to all claims arising on or after that date. The new provisions will inevitably impact claim strategy and resolution for employees and carriers.
The Industrial Commission has also made notable changes. Three new Deputy Commissioners have been appointed: Gina E. Cammarano, Kendra D. Roberts, and Josh D. Smith. Gina E. Cammarano and Josh D. Smith will be assigned to the Commission’s Raleigh office and Kendra D. Roberts will be assigned to the Commission’s Charlotte office. Additionally, Wanda Blanche Taylor has been reappointed to the Full Commission for a second six-year team beginning July 1, 2026.
The Industrial Commission has also released a warning of a workers’ compensation fraud scheme targeting claimants. Actors impersonating workers’ compensation professionals have contacted injured workers in attempts to convince them to attend online workers’ compensation hearings and pay deposits to receive workers’ compensation benefits or settlements. These fraudulent communications have been reported across multiple Western and South-Central states, and injured workers are advised to be wary of illegitimate communications.
Should you have any questions or concerns about the above changes, please reach out to a member of the Skidmore Law Group NC workers’ compensation team. We would be more than happy to discuss these changes with you in greater detail and advise on how they will impact NC workers’ compensation cases moving forward.