Court Opinion

ID: 9852001
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 05:22:50.234845+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:22:21.018992
License: Public Domain

WYNN, Judge
dissenting.
Because I conclude the North Carolina Industrial Commission (“Commission”) decided the claimant’s motion to add new and addi*118tional evidence under a misapprehension of the law and opted not to exercise its discretion, I dissent.
On 21 July 1999, the Deputy Commissioner heard evidence in Ms. Hunt’s claim for worker’s compensation arising out of a 22 May 1998 work-related injury. After this hearing, Ms. Hunt was removed from work by her physician on 24 November 1999. After receiving short-term disability benefits for one year, she was notified on 20 February 2001 that she had been approved for long-term disability benefits by the North Carolina Department of Treasury, Retirement Division. After receiving this notification, she officially retired from N.C. State University on 23 February 2001. At the time of her hearing before the Deputy Commissioner, none of this information was available.
On 20 October 2000, the Deputy Commissioner rendered its Opinion and Award and thereafter, Ms. Hunt filed her notice of appeal to the full Commission. After preparation of the transcript, Ms. Hunt filed a Form 44, Application for Review, on 16 February 2001 which listed her assignments of error. On 26 February 2001, she provided a sworn affidavit detailing her new and additional evidence to her attorney, and then, on 27 March 2001, Ms. Hunt filed her motion to receive new and additional evidence pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 97-85 and Rule 701 of the Workers’ Compensation Rules of the North Carolina Industrial Commission. Instead of ruling upon her motion, the Commission held her motion in abeyance until consideration by the Commission at the hearing on this matter.
In the full Commission’s Opinion and Award, the Commission concluded:
7. Plaintiff is not entitled to submit new evidence that concerns the issue of change of condition which is more appropriate for a full evidentiary hearing. The issue of change of condition is not properly before the Commission.
On appeal, Ms. Hunt contends the Commission resolved her motion under a misapprehension of the law. Relying upon Rule 701 of the Workers’ Compensation Rules, the majority held “since this evidence predated the decision of the Full Commission, plaintiff is precluded from introducing it at a subsequent hearing under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 97-47. Taken to its logical conclusion, plaintiff’s contention would compel the Full Commission to accept any new evidence submitted between the time of the hearing before the Full Commission, *119if that evidence could be used in the future as a basis for a change in condition under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 97-47. This is clearly contrary to the provisions of Rule 701(1) and would divest the Full Commission of its discretion to consider new evidence.” I respectfully disagree.
While I agree with the majority’s conclusion that Ms. Hunt would not be able to seek consideration of her new and additional evidence under the provisions of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 97-47, I disagree with their conclusion that “plaintiff’s contention would compel the Full Commission to accept any new evidence submitted between the time of the hearing before the Deputy Commissioner and a hearing before the Full Commission.” Pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 97-85 and Rule 701(6) of the Workers’ Compensation Rules1, whether the full Commission considers new evidence is within the sound discretion of the Commission which is reviewable by our appellate courts for manifest abuse of discretion. See Keel v. H & V Inc., 107 N.C. App. 536, 542, 421 S.E.2d 362, 366-67 (1992) (stating “the powers granted the Commission to review the award and to receive additional evidence are plenary powers to be exercised in the sound discretion of the Commission. Whether such good ground has been shown is discretionary and will not be reviewed on appeal absent a showing of manifest abuse of discretion.”); see also Pittman v. International Paper Co., 132 N.C. App. 151, 156, 510 S.E.2d 705, 708 (1999), aff’d by 351 N.C. 42, 519 S.E.2d 524 (1999) (stating that “in exercising its discretion to receive additional evidence, the Commission should consider all the circumstances of the case, including the delay involved in taking additional evidence, and should not encourage a lack of pre-deposition preparation by counsel or witnesses”). In this case, however, the full Commission did not realize it was within its discretion to consider Ms. Hunt’s new and additional evidence. Accordingly, this case should have been remanded to the full Commission for a resolution of the claimant’s motion.

. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 97-85 states “If application is made to the Commission ... the full Commission shall review the award, and if good ground be shown therefor, reconsider the evidence, receive further evidence, rehear the parties or their representatives, and, if proper, amend the award. . . . Rule 701(6) of the Workers’ Compensation Rules states “No new evidence will be presented to or heard by the Pull Commission unless the Commission in its discretion so permits.”