Category Archives: Workers’ Compensation

Many workers’ compensation claims are centered around one clear event that took place. A worker falls from a roof, for instance. It’s easy to trace his or her injuries back to that specific event and even to connect many costs — medical bills, lost wages and the like — to those injuries. However, what about

You know that safety in the workplace is important. You know that OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) has strict regulations. However, you can’t shake the feeling that your employer just ignores basic safety regulations on a consistent basis. You can’t figure it out. Why would something so important be neglected? One reason that

Going to work is dangerous for those who work as first responders and in other inherently dangerous fields. But, for most workers in Tennessee, going to work should not bring with it anxiety or fear that injury or illness could occur. Here are the top five most common workplace injuries. Overexertion injuries are the most

A worker who was harmed while on a trip to Tennessee could be left out in the cold after a decision about workers’ compensation payments. The man, who injured his back while he was lifting a truck latch in 2009, is the subject of a workers’ compensation dispute in which in an insurer rescinded a

What are your rights when it comes to being compensated after an injury on the job? Getting your workers’ compensation benefits may not be as easy as you might think, especially if your employer or their insurer contests your claim. Make sure that you know your legal rights after a workplace injury to maximize your

If you are a federal employee in Tennessee, you may not know that your workplace protections may be different from people who work for a private company. In fact, workers’ compensation for federal employees are handled differently through the federal system, so you need specialized knowledge to make sure your claims are handled properly. The

Even though legislation designed to protect workers hurt on the job has been through several revisions, it seems as though Tennessee is no closer to crafting an alternative to workers’ compensation as proposed by lawmakers. News reports show that the workers’ compensation changes may have been stymied by a scandal associated with one of the

Falls at work are among the most common mechanisms of injury for today’s industrial employees. The fact is that falls at the same level and falls to a lower level account for billions of dollars in lost productivity and workers’ compensation claims every year. These workplace injuries can cause emotional, physical, and financial difficulties for

Would you think of a mental or emotional issue as being relevant to a workplace injury? Research shows that many Tennessee victims of workplace injury may actually be at risk for developing post-traumatic stress disorder in connection with their on-the-job ailments. This psychological condition can lead to longer-term occupational illness, which is why physicians urge

If you’ve suffered a serious injury while at work, you are entitled to receive a number of medical benefits in Tennessee. Your treating physician, a physician who must be authorized to provide the care you’re receiving, must sign off on those treatments for them to be covered by your workers’ compensation or other benefit coverage.

Our previous blog post was focused on explaining how total temporary disability is determined in Tennessee. That is only one component of workers’ compensation claims in this state that you should know about if you are injured at work. The fact is that more knowledge can almost always help you out when you are fighting

When it comes to workers’ compensation claims, it is helpful to know what benefits to expect in various scenarios according to your state’s guidelines. Tennessee, like all other states, has specific statutes that determine how benefits for injured workers are calculated, depending on the nature of the disability. Many injuries entail complete disability with regards

A fatal accident on a work site in a Tennessee city is currently under investigation. The accident happened just before 05:00 p.m. on a recent Wednesday in October. The incident is being investigated by both the police and the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) and may result in a workers’ compensation claim. The deceased

Hearing loss on the job is a serious problem for millions of Americans, many of whom do not realize that the damage is being done until it is too late. The costs add up for everyone involved, too – in 2015, U.S. businesses paid out penalties of more than $1.5 million because of not protecting

Those working in Tennessee industries such as mining, construction and even manufacturing may be used to working under noisy conditions, but do they realize the danger of hearing loss? While it has been reported as the workplace injury suffered most commonly by workers in the United States, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration regulations guiding

Every job has its own particular safety concerns. Today, we will go over some of the hazards that a worker could face in dry cleaning jobs. The unique aspects of dry cleaning work give rise to a range of potential safety risks, including: Ergonomics risks: A lot of the work tasks done at dry cleaners

Tennessee employers and employees have been encouraged by the Tennessee Occupational Health and Safety Administration to focus on an awareness of safety at work. The call came after statistics for the period of January to July showed a sharp rise in work-related fatalities. This rise in fatal work-related accidents may lead to a rise in workers’

A worker employed by one of the contractors involved at a foundry in Tennessee was injured in a work-related accident on a recent Thursday evening in August. Very little information relating to the accident has been made available, and the company has been quiet regarding the matter.  It is known that the workplace injury resulted

Many of the dam workers involved in cleaning up coal ash after a huge spill in Tennessee in 2008 are now realizing that they have been exposed to many hazardous chemicals during the cleanup operation. Now, eight years later, workers’ compensation claims are being filed as more and more of these workers recognize that their

The following is an article I recently wrote for the August 2016 edition of Dicta by the Knoxville Bar Association. An Attempt to Level the Playing Field? A recent bill allowing an award of attorney fees on temporary workers’ compensation issues. In 2013, Governor Bill Haslam signed into law the Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Reform Act of 2013. Its