By Alyssa Williams, Court intern/2L, Winston College of Law, University of Tennessee-Knoxville When I began my summer internship with the Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, I didn’t know what to expect. As a 1L, you don’t learn a lot about this specialized area of law, and it was certainly a learning curve. But, as with … Continue reading Back to School! (Or, “How I spent My Summer Vacation”)
Category: Guest Author
Board Weighs Fee Schedule for Unauthorized Treatment
By Alyssa Williams, Court Intern/2L, Winston College of Law, University of Tennessee-Knoxville One of my favorite parts of law school has been watching both mock trials and oral arguments. After spending so much time studying their components and practicing one for an assignment, it was fascinating to sit in the digital audience and watch experienced … Continue reading Board Weighs Fee Schedule for Unauthorized Treatment
A 2L’s Takeaways from the Workers’ Comp Conference
By Alyssa Williams, University of Tennessee Winston College of Law, Court intern A common saying about learning the law is that it’s like “drinking out of a fire hose.” That perfectly described my early experience interning for the Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims. However, after spending a few weeks here and attending the Education Conference … Continue reading A 2L’s Takeaways from the Workers’ Comp Conference
Tennessee Supreme Court lets ruling stand in heart attack death case
By Alyssa Williams, Court Intern, Nashville/Murfreesboro Last summer’s intern for the Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims recapped an important opinion from the Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, Taylor v. Dale’s Recycling. She passed the baton to me, a 2L at the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law. With a journalism degree in my back … Continue reading Tennessee Supreme Court lets ruling stand in heart attack death case
Causation and the Preponderance Standard in Heart Attack Death Cases
By Kaitlynn Lehman, 3L, Belmont University College of Law I spent this summer interning with the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. Last year I recapped the Appeals Board’s oral arguments at the annual education conference. This year I’m back, with a closer look at one of the Board’s more complex cases: Taylor v. Dale’s Recycling. The … Continue reading Causation and the Preponderance Standard in Heart Attack Death Cases
Oral Arguments, Conflicting Experts, and the Appeals Board’s Significant Reversal
By Kaitlynn Lehman, 2L, Court intern, Belmont College of Law, Nashville Writing to you “From the Bench,” my name is Kaitlynn Lehman, and I’ve just finished my first year of law school at Belmont University. The Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation has taken me under its wing as an intern to show me the ins … Continue reading Oral Arguments, Conflicting Experts, and the Appeals Board’s Significant Reversal
Appeals Board Rules: Revisions!
By Elizabeth K. Vines, Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board staff attorney, Cookeville When speaking on behalf of the Appeals Board to any audience, I always stress the importance of reading our rules. They’re our “how-to” manual and can help practitioners and self-represented litigants alike avoid losing an appeal on technical grounds. It’s safe to say that … Continue reading Appeals Board Rules: Revisions!
Policy Update from the Appeals Board
By Elizabeth Vines, staff attorney, Cookeville, Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board It is not uncommon for the Appeals Board to be faced with an appeal in which a self-represented litigant’s primary language is not English. This can create difficulties for the litigant to communicate his or her position to the Appeals Board and for the … Continue reading Policy Update from the Appeals Board
MOST Announces Three Procedural Changes
By Jeannie Henderson, Martha-Lynn Lee, Kourtney Sanders, and Jay Hicks As REO Speedwagon sang back in the late 1970s, sometimes you’ve got to roll with the changes. We within Mediation and Ombudsman Services of Tennessee think those are wise words. You might have already noticed changes with the Dispute Resolution Statements that have been issued … Continue reading MOST Announces Three Procedural Changes
Board Determines the Court’s Discretion with Requests for Admissions
By Janaye Godfrey, Court Intern, Nashville Belmont University College of Law ‘24 The Appeals Board released an opinion last week determining the scope of a trial court’s discretion when applying Rule 36 of the Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure, which governs requests for admissions. In Holt v. Quality Floor Coverings, LLC, the employee alleged an … Continue reading Board Determines the Court’s Discretion with Requests for Admissions
A Thank-You to the Court
By Delaney Williams, intern, Gray Legal internships are the single most intimidating aspect of law school, in my opinion. They are presented in the media as these cutthroat and future-deciding experiences that will make or break your career. You barely make it a month into your first year before you're being instructed on how to … Continue reading A Thank-You to the Court
MOST Unveils New Process for Possible Rule and Law Violations
By Brian Holmes, Director, Mediation and Ombudsman Services of Tennessee Being a workers’ compensation mediator is an extremely rewarding job. Mediators help employers, employees, and insurers resolve disputes that impact lives, businesses and careers. Mediators also confront a number of challenges. Of them, the most difficult might be balancing statutory roles while building cooperative, trusting … Continue reading MOST Unveils New Process for Possible Rule and Law Violations
Bureau Launches Diversity Council
Can You Relate? I am a college graduate and was recently hired by a nationally known company. I find that my co-workers are polite but distant. I am trying my best to become a member of the team, but I feel as though my ideas are being minimalized or just shot down. I walk in … Continue reading Bureau Launches Diversity Council
Workers’ Comp and Infectious Diseases
By Delaney Williams, Intern, Gray I came into law school from a rather non-traditional background; I have a bachelor’s degree in microbiology and a master’s in epidemiology, and I am a self-proclaimed infectious disease nerd. I could give a fun fact for just about any infectious disease you can name, and my friends and family … Continue reading Workers’ Comp and Infectious Diseases
Who’s Who: Court Clerk Edition
By Olivia Yearwood, Clerk of Court, Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, Nashville If you’re navigating the court process through the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, you're most likely interacting with Penny Shrum, clerk for the Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims, or me, Olivia Yearwood, clerk for the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board. The rules governing the Court … Continue reading Who’s Who: Court Clerk Edition
The History of the Judicial Code of Ethics
By Hon. David Langham, Deputy Chief Judge, Florida Office of Judges of Compensation Claims, Pensacola Blog administrator’s note: All judges of the Tennessee Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims are active members of the National Association of Workers’ Compensation Judiciary, and all have benefitted from attending the association’s educational programming at one time or another. This … Continue reading The History of the Judicial Code of Ethics
How are we Doing?
By Chris Acuff, statistical research analyst As part of the Tennessee Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims’ ongoing efforts to assess the hearing and settlement process, the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation will be distributing a brief online questionnaire that attorneys and self-represented parties should receive within the next few days. This survey is similar to the … Continue reading How are we Doing?
Guest Blogger: An Intro to Occupational Diseases
As the title explains, below is a guest submission. It is meant to inform and offer her interpretation of the law. By Allison Lowry At this year’s Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference, the Bureau celebrated the 100-year anniversary of the enactment of workers’ compensation laws in Tennessee. Among the numerous topics featured at the … Continue reading Guest Blogger: An Intro to Occupational Diseases
The Survey Says… (Again)
By Chris Acuff, Statistical Research Analyst As part of the Tennessee Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims’ ongoing efforts to assess the hearing and settlement process, the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation distributed a brief questionnaire that attorneys and self-represented parties should have received within the last two weeks. This survey is similar to the one that … Continue reading The Survey Says… (Again)
Taking the next step after benefits end
By Brian Holmes, Director, Mediation and Ombudsman Services of Tennessee, Nashville The Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation recently launched the Next Step Program. This new program assists injured workers who are unable to return to their pre-injury employment. Many receive their workers’ compensation benefits and are unsure how they will support their families in the future. … Continue reading Taking the next step after benefits end
From the Bench 