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David G. Schiller, Attorney at Law

Raleigh Employment Law and Litigation Attorney

  • 304 E. Jones St., Raleigh, NC 27601
  • 919-789-4677
  • Employment Law
    • Discrimination
    • Equal Pay
    • ERISA
    • FMLA
    • Non-competition Agreements
    • REDA
    • Retaliation
    • Retirement Benefits
    • Sexual Harassment
    • Social Security Disability
    • State Employees
    • Unemployment Benefits
    • Unpaid Wages
    • Whistleblower
    • Workers’ Compensation
    • Wrongful Discharge
  • Family Law
    • Absolute Divorce
    • Alimony
    • Family Law Appeals
    • Child Custody
    • Child Support
    • Domestic Violence
    • Mediation
    • Name Changes
    • Post Separation Support
    • Premarital Agreements
    • Property Division
    • Separation Agreements
    • Torts (Alienation of Affections)
  • Litigation
    • Class Actions
    • Deceptive Trade Practices
    • Defective Products
    • False Claims Act
    • Personal Injury
  • Contact
    • Contact Form – Employment
    • Contact Form – State Employees
  • Bio

N.C.G.S. § 97-19. Liability of principal contractors; certificate that subcontractor has complied with law; right to recover compensation of those who would have been liable; order of liability.

Any principal contractor, intermediate contractor, or subcontractor who shall sublet any contract for the performance of any work without obtaining from such subcontractor or obtaining from the Industrial Commission a certificate, issued by a workers’ compensation insurance carrier, or a certificate of compliance issued by the Department of Insurance to a self-insured subcontractor, stating that such subcontractor has complied with G.S. 97-93 for a specified term, shall be liable, irrespective of whether such subcontractor has regularly in service fewer than three employees in the same business within this State, to the same extent as such subcontractor would be if he were subject to the provisions of this Article for the payment of compensation and other benefits under this Article on account of the injury or death of any employee of such subcontractor due to an accident arising out of and in the course of the performance of the work covered by such subcontract. If the principal contractor, intermediate contractor or subcontractor shall obtain such certificate at any time before subletting such contract to the subcontractor, he shall not thereafter be held liable to any employee of such subcontractor for compensation or other benefits under this Article and within the term specified by the certificate.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, any principal contractor, intermediate contractor, or subcontractor who shall sublet any contract for the performance of work shall not be held liable to any employee of such subcontractor if either (i) the subcontractor has a workers’ compensation insurance policy in compliance with G.S. 97-93 in effect on the date of injury regardless of whether the principal contractor, intermediate contractor, or subcontractor failed to timely obtain a certificate from the subcontractor; or (ii) the policy expired or was cancelled prior to the date of injury provided the principal contractor, intermediate contractor, or subcontractor obtained a certificate at any time before subletting such contract to the subcontractor and was unaware of the expiration or cancellation.

Any principal contractor, intermediate contractor, or subcontractor paying compensation or other benefits under this Article, under the foregoing provisions of this section, may recover the amount so paid from any person, persons, or corporation who independently of such provision, would have been liable for the payment thereof.

Every claim filed with the Industrial Commission under this section shall be instituted against all parties liable for payment, and said Commission, in its award, shall fix the order in which said parties shall be exhausted, beginning with the immediate employer.

The principal or owner may insure any or all of his contractors and their employees in a blanket policy, and when so insured such contractor’s employees will be entitled to compensation benefits regardless of whether the relationship of employer and employee exists between the principal and the contractor.  (1929, c. 120, s. 19; 1941, c. 358, s. 1; 1945, c. 766; 1973, c. 1291, s. 10; 1979, c. 247, s. 2; 1987, c. 729, s. 4; 1989, c. 637; 1991, c. 703, s. 7; 1993 (Reg. Sess., 1994), c. 679, s. 10.6; 1995, c. 517, s. 36; 1995 (Reg. Sess., 1996), c. 555, s. 1; 2013-413, s. 13(c).)

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The Office

The office is conveniently located in downtown Raleigh across from the Governor’s Mansion, with parking available on the street and in the lot behind the building.

304 East Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27601

Attorney David G. Schiller is licensed to practice law in North Carolina. Attorney Schiller provides the information on these pages as a public service. Information contained in these pages is not intended as, and should not be taken as, legal advice. The use of the information provided in these pages should not be taken as establishing any contractual or other form of attorney-client relationship between Attorney Schiller and the reader or user of this information. Every case that the firm describes on this website was based on its unique facts. These results do not predict outcome in future cases.

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  • 304 E. Jones St., Raleigh, NC 27601
  • 919-789-4677
  • Employment Law
  • Family Law
  • Litigation
  • Contact
  • Bio