W. Scott Fuller has been handling workers’ compensation matters for employers, third-party administrators, and workers’ compensation carriers since 1992. Scott has been a Board Certified Specialist in workers’ compensation law in North Carolina since 2000.
Scott has represented defendants at mediations, before Deputy Commissioners, at the Full Commission, in Superior Court, and in the appellate courts. His representative clients include both insured and self-insured employers, in the manufacturing, construction, transportation, hospitality, and service industries.
Scott handles many routine claims involving accidents and occupational diseases, both admitted and denied. He also appears before Superior Court judges in connection with third-party claims, and in disputes concerning attorney’s fees. Many of Scott’s clients and peers know him for his handling of unusual cases involving such out of the ordinary topics as competency, contested dependency, assault, murder, suicide, mental disability, malpractice, joint employment, credits, forum selection, and attendant care. He currently serves on the firm’s COVID-19 response team.
Scott has obtained favorable* results for his clients at mediation, at hearing, and on appeal. He particularly enjoys the alternative dispute resolution process, which allows him to work closely with his clients to craft creative and flexible solutions for managing their actual or potential exposure.
Martindale-Hubbell, a prestigious national peer review publication for attorneys, has issued its highest rating (AV) to Scott. The AV rating is a designation that is reserved for attorneys who are recognized by their peers as having both high ethical standards and legal skill.
Scott serves on the Cranfill Sumner COVID-19 Response Team.
*Cases or matters referenced do not represent the attorney’s entire record. Each case is unique and must be evaluated on its own merits. The outcome of a particular case cannot be predicated upon a lawyer’s or a law firm’s past results.
Articles, Presentations, and Publications
•Scott is a frequent speaker at continuing legal education seminars. Scott has been an invited guest at the NCIC’s Educational Seminars and a featured speaker at the Workers’ Compensation section’s annual meeting. He is a former editor of the workers’ compensation section’s newsletters, and his writing has been published by the NCBA as well as by Wake Forest University.
Accomplishments
•Martindale-Hubbell, AV Rated
•Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in the field of Workers' Compensation Law - Employers (2008, 2009, 2013 - 2021, 2023-2026)
•Elected to serve as Chair of the Workers’ Compensation Section of the North Carolina Bar Association, 2011-2012
•Inaugural Class of Workers’ Compensation Specialists as recognized by the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization, Since 2000
•Elected to serve a three-year term on the NC Bar Association’s Workers’ Compensation Council in early 2007
•Men’s Varsity Swimming at UNC - Voted Most Dedicated Swimmer (Freshman year) and Voted Co-Captain (Senior year)
•Eagle Scout
Most Recent Posts
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33 CSH Law Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America 2026
Thirty-three attorneys from Cranfill Sumner LLP (CSH Law) were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2026....
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Cranfill Sumner Hosts 2025 Risk Management & Workers’ Compensation Legal Summit
On April 30, Cranfill Sumner LLP hosted its 2025 Risk Management & Workers’ Compensation Legal Summit....
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32 CSH Law Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America 2025
Thirty-two attorneys from Cranfill Sumner LLP (CSH Law) were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2025....
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Roy Pettigrew Presents at Self Insurers Conference
Roy Pettigrew, an attorney at Cranfill Sumner LLP, served as a panelist for the “Tips for Effective Mediation” panel at the 2024 Annual Conference for the North Carolina Association of Self-Insurers....
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Our Top 10 Resources of 2023
Throughout the year, Cranfill Sumner LLP’s attorneys work diligently to bring the most up-to-date information on North Carolina legal updates...
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Scott Fuller Presents at NCBA 2023 Workers’ Compensation Fall Program
Scott Fuller served as a presenter for the North Carolina Bar Association’s 2023 Workers’ Compensation Fall Program. The event was entitled “Claiming Victory: Strategies for Workers’ Compensation Advocacy.”...
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Just in Case You Didn’t (c) It the First Time
With respect to workplace injuries, The North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Act is a legislative fix to a common law problem....
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32 CSH Law Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America 2024
Thirty-two attorneys from Cranfill Sumner LLP (CSH Law) were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2024....
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Scott Fuller Presents Best Practices for an Employers’ Workers’ Compensation Program
On Sept. 29, Scott Fuller presented about workers’ compensation at an insurance industry conference. Scott’s presentation focused on best practices for an employer’s workers’ compensation program. ...
News
25 CSH Law Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America 2023
Twenty-five attorneys from Cranfill Sumner LLP (CSH Law) were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2023....
News
Cranfill Sumner Attorneys Discuss How to Return Injured Workers to the Workplace
On April 20, Scott Fuller and Brad Kline presented “Returning Injured Workers to Gainful Employment” during a meeting of the NCASI....
News
26 CSH Law Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America 2022
Twenty-six attorneys from Cranfill Sumner LLP (CSH Law) were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2022....
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Update From NCBA Workers’ Compensation Council
The North Carolina Bar Association Workers’ Compensation Council met May 18, 2021. Updates from the North Carolina Industrial Commission (NCIC)...
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Suitable Employment: 10 Tips
If open long enough, a “Suitable Employment” issue will arise in almost all workers’ compensation claims. Here are 10 tips...
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UPDATE: “PARTY” ... Like It’s 1999
The North Carolina Industrial Commission (NCIC) recently released the following statement, following the Court of Appeals’ ruling in MITCHELL v....
News
Scott Fuller Presents at NC Industrial Commission Conference
Scott Fuller served as a featured speaker at The Twenty-Fifth Annual North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference. Scott’s presentation was entitled “Suitable Employment and Return to Work in 2020.”...
News
27 Cranfill Sumner Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America 2021
Twenty-seven attorneys from Cranfill Sumner LLP (Cranfill Sumner) were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2021 (Copyright 2020 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, SC)....
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Cranfill Sumner Launches COVID-19 Response Team
Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog LLP (Cranfill Sumner) announced the creation of its COVID-19 Response Team. The team is comprised of...
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NC Workers’ Compensation Claims & Healthcare Workers
As to COVID-19, are potential claims for front-line healthcare workers compensable? Specifically, for those working in Emergency Rooms or having...
News
WorkCompCentral Features Blog Post About Coronavirus and Worker’s Compensation by Scott Fuller
An article written by Scott Fuller, an attorney at Cranfill Sumner LLP, was featured on WorkCompCentral on March 18. In “Comp Coverage for Coronavirus Questionable in Tar Heel State,” Fuller discusses a blog post he authored about the impact of novel coronavirus on workers’ compensation in North Carolina....
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COVID-19: No Workers’ Compensation Coverage in NC
There is no longer any question about whether the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic will affect North Carolina employers and employees. It will ......
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31 Cranfill Sumner Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America 2020
Thirty-one attorneys from Cranfill Sumner LLP (Cranfill Sumner) were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2020(Copyright 2019 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, SC)....
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Didn’t (c) That Coming?
Attorney Fees Fixed in NC Workers’ Compensation Claim It is little wonder that most defendants are unfamiliar with N.C. Gen....
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Are You a “Special” Employer?
When an appellate opinion includes words like joint employment, special employer, general employer, lent employee, or borrowed servant, it usually...
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32 Cranfill Sumner Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America 2019
Thirty-two attorneys from Cranfill Sumner LLP (Cranfill Sumner) were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2019 (Copyright 2018 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, SC)....
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33 Cranfill Sumner Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America 2018
Thirty-three attorneys from Cranfill Sumner LLP (Cranfill Sumner) were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2018 (Copyright 2017 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, SC). Eight attorneys were selected for inclusion in the list for the first time....
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26 Cranfill Sumner Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America 2017
Twenty-six attorneys from Cranfill Sumner LLP (Cranfill Sumner) were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2017 (Copyright 2016 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, SC)....
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28 Cranfill Sumner Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America 2016
Twenty-eight attorneys from Cranfill Sumner LLP (Cranfill Sumner) were selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2016....
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Twenty-four attorneys from Cranfill Sumner LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America....
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Cranfill Sumner is proud to announce that 25 of its attorneys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America ....
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Cranfill Sumner, one of the largest civil defense firms in North Carolina, announced today that 17 of its attorneys selected The Best Lawyers in America....
Distinguished: An excellent rating for a lawyer with some experience. This rating indicates the attorney is widely
respected by their peers for high professional achievement and ethical standards.
Notable: This rating indicates that the lawyer has been recognized by a large number of their peers for strong ethical standards.
