The Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board plans to hit the road again soon for more oral arguments. On Wednesday, Aug. 30, the three-judge Board will travel to Memphis for the first time. First up there is Butler v. AAA Cooper Transportation, where the Board will take another look at idiopathic injuries and the willful misconduct … Continue reading Appeals Board Schedules More Arguments
Category: Blog Administrator
Bureau Announces New Resource for Self-Represented Litigants
Merriam Webster online defines an attorney as one whose profession is “to advise as to legal rights and obligations,” while an ombudsman is one who “investigates, reports on, and helps settle complaints.” Combine the two, and you’ve got the Bureau’s new Ombudsman Attorney Program, a resource separate from the Court of Workers' Compensation Claims for … Continue reading Bureau Announces New Resource for Self-Represented Litigants
Presiding Judge Davidson Pens Law Review Article
The Journal of Appellate Practice and Process, a publication of the William H. Bowen School of Law in Little Rock, Ark., recently published Appeals Board Presiding Judge Marshall Davidson's scholarly article entitled Attracting Undue Scrutiny on Appeal: An Appellate Judge's Perspective. The article offers suggestions for trial judges on ways to avoid drawing attention to areas within … Continue reading Presiding Judge Davidson Pens Law Review Article
Trial Court Update is Re-scheduled
The Tennessee Workers' Compensation Educational Conference kicks off next Tuesday at the Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro. Attention all Tennessee workers' compensation practitioners: the "Trial Court Update" breakout session scheduled for Wednesday, June 14, has changed timeslots. It will now commence at 3:30 p.m. rather than 1:30. The most recent schedule of all programming is available here. The … Continue reading Trial Court Update is Re-scheduled
Oral Argument now available for Expedited Appeals
Gov. Bill Haslam signed into law last month a bill revising the Workers' Compensation Law. Click here to navigate to the full-text of Public Chapter No. 344, Senate Bill No. 325. In addition, a summary of the changes is available at the Bureau's website. Among its changes, of particular interest to workers' compensation practitioners, is … Continue reading Oral Argument now available for Expedited Appeals
School’s out!
As we head into summer, we'd like to offer a few reminders on scheduling: The Bureau will be closed on May 29, July 4 and September 4 for the Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day holidays. There will be no settlement approvals statewide June 12-15 during the Bureau's annual educational conference in Murfreesboro. … Continue reading School’s out!
Appeals Board to Hear Arguments in Knoxville
The Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board announced it will conduct its next set of oral arguments in Knoxville for the first time since the Board’s creation in 2014. First up at the June 22 arguments is Evans v. The Home Depot U.S.A, Inc., where the Court will review the grant of summary judgment favoring the … Continue reading Appeals Board to Hear Arguments in Knoxville
Meet Deana Seymour
Soon-to-be-Judge Deana Seymour’s mantra is short and simple: Try. Seymour will join the Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims, sitting in Memphis, after her April 5, 2016 swearing-in. She is a partner at Rainey, Kizer, Reviere and Bell, PLC in Jackson, where she concentrates in workers’ compensation and tort litigation. Seymour’s first entry into the world … Continue reading Meet Deana Seymour
Appeals Board Announces Oral Arguments
The Tennessee Workers' Compensation Appeals Board will hear oral arguments on May 4, 2017, at the Supreme Court Building in Nashville. First up on the docket is Bass v. The Home Depot. In the case, Clarence Bass alleged suffering hand and wrist injuries while moving a shopping cart. The central dispute at the compensation hearing … Continue reading Appeals Board Announces Oral Arguments
Deana Seymour appointed to Tennessee Workers’ Comp bench
The Bureau of Workers’ Compensation announces the appointment of Deana Seymour as a trial judge on the Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims. Ms. Seymour will sit in Memphis after her April 5, 2017 swearing-in. Currently one judge sits in Memphis: the Honorable Jim Umsted, who will be retiring the first week of April. Ms. Seymour’s … Continue reading Deana Seymour appointed to Tennessee Workers’ Comp bench
Keep us in the Loop
In a recent case scheduled for a compensation hearing, the judge noticed a few days prior that counsel filed nothing since the last court appearance. Staff contacted the lawyers, who indicated they were negotiating a settlement, needed a continuance and that they would file a motion. On the day of the hearing, no one appeared … Continue reading Keep us in the Loop
Practices and Procedures Updated
Every few months or so, we take a fresh look at our Practices and Procedures with an eye toward if they’re working well in the application. We also consider if anything new should be added in light of recent experience. Thus, we have revised the Practices and Procedures as follows. Rule 1.03, Subsection J Promptness for … Continue reading Practices and Procedures Updated
Help Wanted in Memphis
It's a bad news/good news scenario. The bad news: Judge Jim Umsted, Memphis, will be retiring shortly. The good news: He will continue to assist on a part-time basis to review/approve settlements in Memphis. The Bureau of Workers' Compensation and the Court of Workers' Compensation Claims in particular are grateful to Judge Umsted for his … Continue reading Help Wanted in Memphis
This and that
It is customary as the holidays approach that many persons wish to settle their cases before the year's end. Please be advised that the Bureau of Workers' Compensation will be closed on Dec. 26 and 27, 2016, as well as Jan. 2 and 3, 2017. Also, during open settlements, wait times might be a little … Continue reading This and that
Appeals Board: ‘Mud run’ injury isn’t work-related
Yesterday, the Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board reversed a trial judge’s determination that an employee’s injury, sustained during participation in a charity “mud run” alongside co-workers, was compensable. The Board held the employee wasn’t “impliedly required” to race, nor was it part of his work duties. In Pope v. Nebco of Cleveland, Inc., d/b/a Toyota of … Continue reading Appeals Board: ‘Mud run’ injury isn’t work-related
Appeals Board: IME Exam Fee not a Recoverable Discretionary Cost
At the most recent oral arguments before the Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, matters typically handled on the tail end of the litigation moved front and center. The Board considered the finality of judgments, among other issues, in a pair of cases on Nov. 3 in Nashville. In Garassino v. Western Express, the Board examined the … Continue reading Appeals Board: IME Exam Fee not a Recoverable Discretionary Cost
No Settlement Approvals on November 11
State offices are closed in honor of Veterans' Day.
Mark your Calendars
“Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.” This will be our mantra when conducting a series of listening sessions across the state over the coming month. The Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims and Mediation and Ombudsman Services of Tennessee want to hear from you. We are traveling to locations nearby or at all eight offices of the … Continue reading Mark your Calendars
Appeals Board Schedules Oral Arguments
The Tennessee Workers' Compensation Appeals Board recently announced it will convene oral arguments in two cases next month. On Thursday, Nov. 3, at 10:00 a.m., the Appeals Board will hear arguments in Pope v. Nebco of Cleveland, Inc., d/b/a Toyota of Cleveland. Mr. Pope suffered injuries when participating in a charitable “mud run” sponsored by Nebco. At … Continue reading Appeals Board Schedules Oral Arguments
We’ve Moved!
Welcome to the Court blog's new home on WordPress. We've taken on a new look, which we hope you find aesthetically preferable to our old digs on Blogger. Our blog is new and improved. More importantly, we've added new features: If you'd like to receive emails whenever we post new information, you may sign up to follow … Continue reading We’ve Moved!
From the Bench 