Abbie Hudgens, Administrator of the Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, announced that she has reappointed four judges to the Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims. They are: Robert Durham, Cookeville; Audrey Headrick, Chattanooga; Amber Luttrell, Jackson; and Dale Tipps, Murfreesboro.

“The judges on the Court of Workers’ Compensation play a pivotal role in providing parties with a workers’ compensation dispute a consistent and fair judicial process,” Hudgens said. 

“These four judges possess the qualities needed to ensure such a process. In addition to having a strong background in Tennessee’s workers’ compensation law, for the past six years they have provided well-written opinions, exhibited excellent judicial temperaments, and consistently released prompt decisions that would be a credit to any court. Most importantly, they have shown impartiality to all parties, which is the foundation for a fair system.”

Hudgens based her reappointment decisions on the following:

• Scores on evaluations of judicial writing by two outside experts;
• Results from surveys of persons who have had interactions with the Court, both attorneys and self-represented litigants;
• Responses from the legal community to a request for comments in the Court’s blog; and
• Interviews with each judge.

Under the Workers’ Compensation Law, a judge is appointed by the Administrator for up to three terms of six years each. Terms begin on July 1 and expire six years later.

The present terms of these judges will expire on June 30, 2027. Hudgens reappointed them effective July 1, 2021, until June 30, 2027.