What This Question Is Really Asking
You are trying to avoid wasting time by sending a claim to the wrong office—and you want the correct channel to (1) preserve evidence, (2) identify the proper legal defendant, and (3) get the right liability coverage contact information. With campuses, that can be tricky because different schools have different immunity rules and different claim “front doors.”
A Practical Step-by-Step Path
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Identify what kind of campus it is (this drives who gets the claim):
- State entity: Many public campuses are treated as State agencies for tort-claim purposes. Community colleges are specifically treated as State agencies under the Tort Claims Act framework.
- Local-government entity: Some campuses or facilities may be tied to a city/county or another local public body.
- Private school: Typically handled like any other private premises liability claim.
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Start with the campus “risk” channel (even if a formal filing may be required later):
- Risk management / safety office: Often the intake point for incident reporting and insurance routing.
- General counsel: Often coordinates legal notices and directs claims to the correct handler.
- Facilities/maintenance department (secondary): Helpful for identifying who maintained the area, who had work orders, and whether a contractor was involved.
In slip-and-fall cases, one early goal is figuring out who actually controlled and maintained the specific area (campus staff vs. an outside cleaning/maintenance contractor), because that can change who should receive the claim and who may be legally responsible.
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If it is a State entity, confirm whether the North Carolina Industrial Commission is the required forum:
For negligence claims against State departments, institutions, and agencies, North Carolina commonly routes the case through the North Carolina Industrial Commission under the Tort Claims Act. That process is different from simply “opening a claim” with an insurer, and it has specific filing requirements.
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Send a clear, non-identifying written notice package to the correct contact:
- Date/time window and general location on campus (building/area type, without unnecessary identifying details).
- What happened (brief description of the hazard and the fall).
- General injury description and treatment timeline (no medical advice; just facts).
- Request for the correct liability claim contact (insurer/administrator) and confirmation of the proper entity name for the claim.
- A request that relevant evidence be preserved (incident reports, maintenance logs, cleaning schedules, work orders, and any video).
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Track responses and escalate carefully if you hit a dead end:
- If you do not get a response, follow up in writing and ask for the supervisor or the office that handles liability claims.
- If the campus says it is a State entity and directs you to the Industrial Commission process, confirm the correct State “agency” name and the involved employee/department information needed for filing.
Timing: What Can Speed Things Up or Slow Things Down
- Unclear ownership/control: On campuses, the “owner” of the property and the “maintainer” of the area may differ (school department vs. contractor).
- Video overwrite: Surveillance footage can be deleted quickly in ordinary business cycles if it is not preserved early.
- Notice and forum confusion: State-related claims may require an Industrial Commission filing rather than a standard civil lawsuit path.
- Liability disputes: Campuses often argue the condition was open and obvious or that the visitor should have seen it—issues that can be especially important in North Carolina because contributory negligence can bar recovery in many negligence cases.
How This Applies
Apply to these facts: Because the incident happened on campus property and counsel is trying to locate the correct liability contact, the first practical step is to confirm whether the campus is treated as a State entity for tort-claim purposes or a different type of institution. In parallel, a written request to the campus risk management/general counsel channels can help identify the correct entity name, the claim handler, and whether any contractor maintained the area where the fall occurred. Early preservation requests matter because maintenance records and video can become harder to obtain over time.
What the Statutes Say (Optional)
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143-291 – The Industrial Commission is the forum that hears many negligence claims against State institutions/agencies under the Tort Claims Act framework.
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143-297 – Describes required information for the affidavit used to file a Tort Claims Act matter with the Industrial Commission.
Conclusion
The right contact for a campus slip-and-fall claim in North Carolina depends on whether the school is a State entity, a local public entity, or a private institution. Many public-campus claims are routed through the Industrial Commission process, while others start with campus risk management or general counsel and then move to an insurer or administrator. One practical next step is to send a short written notice and preservation request while you confirm the campus’s legal status and the correct entity name for the claim.
