McAuley v. N.C. A&T State Univ.

Summary

The court held that an injured employee’s timely workers’ compensation filing invokes the Industrial Commission’s jurisdiction over the injury and a dependent’s later claim for death benefits arising from that injury. It relied on the plain language of the governing statute, amendments removing a separate death-claim filing requirement, and the principle that workers’ compensation laws are liberally construed. The court reversed and remanded for further proceedings.