In June 2014, a group of fresh-faced workers’ compensation judges in Tennessee – none of whom had actually heard a case yet – developed a set of rules for the newly minted Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims. They relied on their lengthy collective experience as trial attorneys and specialist 4s to come up with a … Continue reading Changing the Rules
Tag: hearings
Be Prepared!
By Judge Thomas Wyatt, Chattanooga I could’ve named this article as I did because I was a Boy Scout. More pertinent to its purpose, however, I gave it this name because I was a trial attorney for 32 years. The motto resonates with me. I recently did a little research about the famous Scouting motto … Continue reading Be Prepared!
Your Gift to the Court
By Chief Judge Kenneth M. Switzer, Nashville We are on your "nice" list, right? We suggest that you consider these gift-like actions of counsel in these recent, distinct cases: The parties submitted a joint motion along with a draft order for the Court’s signature. They took it one step further, including a Word version of … Continue reading Your Gift to the Court
What is the Court Looking for from Physicians?
By Judge Amber Luttrell Lawyers and doctors. We’re a bit of an odd couple, considering the very different training, education and ways of thinking we generally possess. Yet, in the workers’ compensation system, we bring these differences together to (hopefully) ensure that injured workers get the care they need and that employees and employers alike … Continue reading What is the Court Looking for from Physicians?
But I’m Entitled to One Phone Call, Right?
By Judge Robert Durham, Cookeville Cell phones. The term is so inadequate, it’s almost quaint. To call the portable computer in your purse or attached to your hip a phone is like calling an automobile a portable radio. Today, they are ubiquitous, and frankly it would be foolhardy to practice law without one. However, many … Continue reading But I’m Entitled to One Phone Call, Right?
Appeals Board Issues Opinion Disfavoring Bifurcation
The Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board sent a rather forceful message regarding the bifurcation of compensation hearings yesterday in Cotton v. HUMACare, Inc., et al. In a word, don’t. The case involved Karen Cotton’s entitlement to survivor benefits after her husband fell to his death from atop a cell tower on the job for Central … Continue reading Appeals Board Issues Opinion Disfavoring Bifurcation
