As of November 1, 2014, defendants must use a new Form 24 Application to adhere to the changes implemented by the Industrial Commission as part of amended Rule 404 of the Workers’ Compensation Rules of the North Carolina Industrial Commission.

The second page of the new Form 24 Application tracks the requirements that Form 24s must be served on pro se plaintiffs via U.S. Certified Mail Return Receipt Requested or on plaintiffs’ counsels of record via e-mail or facsimile.

There is no longer a requirement in Rule 404 of the Workers’ Compensation Rules of the North Carolina Industrial Commission that Form 24s be served directly on plaintiffs who are represented by counsel, as well as their attorneys. Rather, represented plaintiffs are properly served when their attorneys of record are served with the Form 24 Applications via e-mail or facsimile.

**The new Form 24 Application may be found at http://www.ic.nc.gov/forms/form24.pdf.