All other offices are open. We're sorry for the inconvenience and hope that power is back by Monday.
Author: tncourtofwcclaims
Nashville office remains closed on March 5; Cookeville is open
The power is still out in Nashville. But don't forget, the other Bureau offices are open for business. Also, some Nashville employees have the capability to work from home and are doing so, to minimize any inconvenience. They are available by email and some by phone as well. Also, documents may still be filed on … Continue reading Nashville office remains closed on March 5; Cookeville is open
Settlement approvals on pause in Nashville
By Chief Judge Kenneth M. Switzer We realize many of you are anxious to get your settlements approved. Unfortunately, we cannot predict when power will be restored to our building. So, here is my suggestion: cancel your plans to seek approvals (in Davidson County only) for the rest of this week. That way you will … Continue reading Settlement approvals on pause in Nashville
Nashville and Cookeville offices closed today
The Nashville office of the Bureau of Workers' Compensation is closed today because the building has no power and is deemed uninhabitable. The Cookeville office is also closed today. All other offices are open. We'll post updates. Thank you for your patience.
Learning the rules of ‘ritualized battle,’ part two
By Jane Salem, staff attorney, Nashville Welcome back to my two-part series on civil procedure in the Tennessee Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims. You did re-read the cases I mentioned in the last blog post in their entirety and you drew your own conclusions, right? Thanks. I ended the last post with a recap of … Continue reading Learning the rules of ‘ritualized battle,’ part two
Learning the rules of ‘ritualized battle’
By Jane Salem, staff attorney, Nashville When I used to teach civil procedure as a law professor, I would begin the year by telling my students that “civil procedure is the etiquette of ritualized battle.” The phrase, which did not originate with me, captured the point that peaceful, developed societies resolve disputes by law rather … Continue reading Learning the rules of ‘ritualized battle’
Leap day can be dangerous
By Judge Brian Addington, Gray One of Tennessee’s most talented actresses was Dinah Shore. Born in Winchester, Tennessee, in 1916 and a Vanderbilt graduate, she went on to fame as a singer and radio, TV and film actress. She was also a huge supporter of the LPGA and was named an honorary member of the … Continue reading Leap day can be dangerous
Mark your calendars: Free Legal Clinic in Knoxville
On March 14, volunteer attorneys and law students will be available to meet with injured workers to answer their questions about workers' compensation. The clinic will take place at the Duncan School of Law, Lincoln Memorial University in Knoxville. For more information, click here.
Bureau Seeks Nominations for Sue Ann Head Award for Excellence in Workers’ Compensation
The Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation is accepting nominations for the Second Annual Sue Ann Head Award for Excellence in Workers’ Compensation. Nominees must have been involved in the Tennessee workers’ compensation system for a minimum of five years in one of the following categories: employer or employer’s representative, employee representative, service provider, claims professional, medical … Continue reading Bureau Seeks Nominations for Sue Ann Head Award for Excellence in Workers’ Compensation
Learning from Lincoln: The Ethics of Attorney’s Fees
By Judge Allen Phillips, Jackson Before becoming our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln was a midwestern prairie lawyer. Handling a variety of cases, it is said his fees were generally in the $5 to $20 range, though he once charged a railroad $5,000 (a fee equal to over $169,000 in today’s dollars) to handle a particularly … Continue reading Learning from Lincoln: The Ethics of Attorney’s Fees
Gray welcomes students for Workers’ Comp 101
By Judge Brian Addington, Gray It was a pleasure to host the Tennessee Avenue Christian Academy BETA club at the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Gray location on January 22nd. Eight students and two teachers attended the first “Workers’ Comp 101” class. What is that, you ask? It’s a high school/college level one-hour introduction to workers’ … Continue reading Gray welcomes students for Workers’ Comp 101
Supreme Court Panel Opinions, 2019
By Jane Salem, staff attorney, Nashville Welcome back once again to our review of last year’s workers’ compensation appellate opinions. This article will summarize the 2019 opinions from the Tennessee Supreme Court Special Workers’ Compensation Panel. First up are appeals from the Court of Workers' Compensation Claims applying the “new law.” Then I’ll mention a … Continue reading Supreme Court Panel Opinions, 2019
Appeals Board simplifies notice procedure with new form
Starting now, parties who wish to appeal an opinion from the Court of Workers' Compensation Claims with the Tennessee Workers' Compensation Appeals Board may use this new form to initiate the appeal. The new form means the Board is doing away with the two separate forms it currently uses (Compensation Hearing Notice of Appeal-LB-1103, and … Continue reading Appeals Board simplifies notice procedure with new form
Revisiting 2019 Appeals Board Decisions
By Jane Salem, staff attorney, Nashville Welcome back to our annual year-in-review series of articles. This post will look at last year’s Appeals Board cases on compensability, defenses, civil procedure, evidence, and fees. Starting with compensability, the Board found no exception to the Coming-and-Going rule in Smith v. Macy’s Corp. Servs. The employee suffered injuries … Continue reading Revisiting 2019 Appeals Board Decisions
A Look Back at 2019 Appeals Board Opinions
By Jane Salem, staff attorney, Nashville Happy New Year! It’s become tradition for me to kick things off with a recap of the previous year’s appellate cases. But first, another tradition: the disclaimer. Remember that I’m a staff attorney, and I’m not speaking on behalf of the Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims. What follows is … Continue reading A Look Back at 2019 Appeals Board Opinions
It’s official! Welcome, Judge Godkin
The Tennessee Bureau of Workers' Compensation welcomed its newest jurist on Friday, January 17. Pele I. Godkin is now a judge on the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board, sitting in Nashville. Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle administered the oath at the Old Supreme Court Chamber in the Tennessee State Capitol. Photos by Kyle Jones, Bureau … Continue reading It’s official! Welcome, Judge Godkin
Bureau to host Medical Education Conference
The Tennessee Bureau of Workers' Compensation will host its annual Physician Education Conference on Saturday, February 29, 2020. This one-day conference will be held at the Bureau of Workers' Compensation main office in Nashville. 220 French Landing Drive. Among the topics are: Risks of Long Term Opioids Marijuana Update for Tennessee Alternatives to Opioids in … Continue reading Bureau to host Medical Education Conference
Governor Lee Appoints new Appeals Board Judge
Abbie Hudgens, administrator of the Tennessee Bureau of Workers' Compensation, announced today that Gov. Bill Lee has appointed a new Workers' Compensation Appeals Board Judge, Pele Godkin. Ms. Godkin is a former workers’ compensation specialist in what was then called the Division of Workers’ Compensation in both the Nashville and Murfreesboro offices. In 2008 she … Continue reading Governor Lee Appoints new Appeals Board Judge
There will be no settlement approvals on…
For Holidays: December 24, 25 and 31, 2019; and January 1 and 20, 2020. For a Judges' meeting: January 9 (Except in Nashville) and January 10 statewide.
Good Bye and Good Luck, Judge Davidson
By Jane Salem, staff attorney, Court of Workers' Compensation Claims, Nashville When Judge Marshall L. Davidson, III, reported for his first day as presiding judge of the Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, he entered the building and asked the guards how to find the appellate court clerk’s office. They looked puzzled and told him there … Continue reading Good Bye and Good Luck, Judge Davidson
From the Bench 