Trucker receives good news about workers’ compensation claim

A trucker, whose workers’ compensation claim was denied by his former employer, received good news from the Tennessee Supreme Court recently. During the last week of July, the Supreme Court affirmed an earlier decision made by a circuit court concerning a workers’ compensation claim made by the trucker. The circuit court found that the heart attack suffered by the trucker is considered a work-related injury, and he should be compensated.

The trucker reportedly started experiencing chest pains while securing a load onto his flatbed. Despite the chest pains, he continued on his journey in an attempt to make his delivery. The pains intensified to such an extent that he was forced to pull over at a truck stop. Emergency service workers were called and transported him to a medical center in the area.

After he was discharged from the hospital, he discovered that he had lost his job, as the company considered him unable to operate a truck due to his medical condition. The company also denied his workers’ compensation claim, as it considered his condition to not be work related. Instead of just accepting the matter, the trucker decided to take the matter to court.

The ruling of the Tennessee Supreme Court in this case may open the door for other employees in similar circumstances to receive the workers’ compensation benefits to which they are entitled. Employees who believe they have been wronged by their employers may benefit from consulting with attorneys experienced in workers’ compensation to have their individual cases evaluated. They may find that claims they were told were invalid are, in fact, valid claims.

Source: businessinsurance.com, “Trucker’s heart attack is compensable“, Stephanie Goldberg, July 28, 2015