*1 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF NORTH CAROLINA No. 261PA15 Filed 21 December 2016 RICHARD O’NEAL, Employee

v. INLINE FLUID POWER, INC. & AUTOMOTIVE PARTS CO., INC., Employer,

AUTO OWNERS INSURANCE COMPANY,

Carrier

On discretionary review pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 7A-31 of a unanimous, unpublished decision of the Court of Appeals, ___ N.C. App. ___, 773 S.E.2d 574 (2015), affirming an opinion and award filed on 4 June 2014 by the North Carolina Industrial Commission. Heard in the Supreme Court on 10 October 2016.

Jernigan Law Firm, by Leonard T. Jernigan, Jr., Anthony L. Lucas, and Kristina B. Thompson, for plaintiff-appellant.

McAngus Goudelock & Courie, by Viral V. Mehta and Carl M. Short III, for defendant-appellees.

Hedrick, Gardner, Kincheloe & Garofalo, L.L.P., by M. Duane Jones, for North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys, amicus curiae.

PER CURIAM.

DISCRETIONARY REVIEW IMPROVIDENTLY ALLOWED.