NC Industrial Commission Mediation Section
Our Mission
The Mediation Section is responsible for effectively, fairly and efficiently administering the Commission’s mediation program, with the goal of empowering the parties in pending cases to take an active role in the resolution of their disputes, to minimize the need for hearings and appeals, to expedite the dispute resolution process, and to enable the Commission to devote its adjudicatory resources to those cases not conducive to settlement. Deputy Commissioner John C. Schafer is in charge of the Mediation Section.
What We Do
When a claim is contested the parties are generally referred to mediation as a way of resolving the claim without a formal hearing. When an injured worker is not represented by an attorney, the case usually bypasses mediation. The Mediation Section oversees this process by educating the stakeholders concerning mediation theories and procedures, ruling on any motions related to mediation, and by insuring that the parties and mediators adhere to certain timelines, move the case forward, and submit the required forms and reports. While the mediators who serve in these cases are generally not state employees, the mediators on the Industrial Commission’s appointed list must complete a formal mediation training program, complete at least six hours of NC State Bar approved continuing legal education courses on workers’ compensation law every two years and be certified by the Dispute Resolution Commission.
Mediator Databases
NCIC Mediator Database
The N.C. Industrial Commission Mediator Database contains information concerning both Mediators on the Commission’s Appointed List (indicated by an "a" in the Status field of the mediator’s record) and Mediators who are not on the Commission’s Appointed List (and thus not eligible for appointment by the Commission) but who can be chosen by the parties as their Mediator. Click the hyperlink below to search the NCIC database.
To search the NCIC Mediator Database, Click Here
DRC Mediator Database
The NC Dispute Resolution Commission provides a database of certified mediators that is much larger and far more comprehensive than the N.C. Industrial Commission mediator database.
To search the DRC Mediator Database, first Click Here. You will be taken to the NC Dispute Resolution Commission Web Site. Once there, click the link entitled, "Mediated Settlement Conference Mediators (Superior Court).”