In all claims listed in Section 13 of Chapter 1059 of the Session Laws of 1951, and all claims which may hereafter be filed against the various departments, institutions, and agencies of the State, the claimant or the person in whose behalf the claim is made shall file with the Industrial Commission an affidavit in duplicate, setting forth the following information:

(1) The name of the claimant;

Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 143-297

  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
  • following: when used by way of reference to any section of a statute, shall be construed to mean the section next preceding or next following that in which such reference is made; unless when some other section is expressly designated in such reference. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories, so called; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the said district and territories and all dependencies. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.

(2) The name of the department, institution or agency of the State against which the claim is asserted, and the name of the State employee upon whose alleged negligence the claim is based;

(3) The amount of damages sought to be recovered;

(4) The time and place where the injury occurred;

(5) A brief statement of the facts and circumstances surrounding the injury and giving rise to the claim.

Upon receipt of such affidavit in duplicate, the Industrial Commission shall enter the case upon its hearing docket and shall hear and determine the matter in the county where the injury occurred unless the parties agree or the Industrial Commission directs that the case may be heard in some other county. All parties shall be given reasonable notice of the date when and the place where the claim will be heard.

Immediately upon docketing the case, the Industrial Commission shall forward one copy of plaintiff‘s affidavit to the office of the Attorney General of North Carolina if the claim is asserted against any department, institution, or agency of the State.

The department, institution or agency of the State against whom the claim is asserted shall file answer, demurrer or other pleading to the affidavit within 30 days after receipt of copy of same setting forth any defense it proposes to make in the hearing or trial, and no defense may be asserted in the hearing or trial unless it is alleged in such answer, except such defenses as are not required by the Code of Civil Procedure or other laws to be alleged. (1951, c. 1059, s. 9; 1963, c. 1063; 1971, c. 893, s. 2; c. 1103, s. 2.)