Employers will often seek to minimize your injuries. They’ll argue that you weren’t really hurt. They’ll say you should have returned to work by now. Employers and their insurance companies will try to blame your injuries on other medical conditions. Employees should understand that there are limits in Tennessee to what types of medical information about workers employers can obtain. Generally, employers are not entitled to request your medical health records from your doctors without your consent or a Court order. The employer’s right to request a medical records release authorization [...]

Today, many workers are able to enjoy working from home at least part of the work week. Some employees never need to step foot into a physical office. A lot of work can be done through computers where workers can keep track of their hours. With videoconferencing and new software, workers can meet with their employer and coworkers online. Workers who telecommute can still injure themselves at home while they’re doing their jobs. An employee can stumble over a loose cable wire, fall, and injure their arm. A fire can happen [...]

If you are like most people, you think of lightning strikes as rare occurrences – but they’re not. According to National Geographic, “The average American has about a 1 in 5,000 chance of being struck by lightning during a lifetime,” and about 10% of all people who were struck will die from the resulting injuries. Even if you are not struck directly, you can still be seriously injured “when the current jumps, as well as through conduction and ground current.” A lightning strike, therefore, is a potential hazard for people who [...]

TODAY show anchor and weatherman – and part-time Broadway star – Al Roker recently had emergency surgery in New York City to deal with a carpal tunnel issue that was affecting his thumb. Roker had been suffering with the condition for months. He went under the knife on Monday, October 1, then came into work on Tuesday, October 2 – surprising everyone with his new bandage. "Actually, I didn’t even have surgery, I just did this for attention!" he quipped to his co-workers. The celebrity, who at the time was preparing [...]

While workers in construction, law enforcement, firefighting, and manufacturing suffer the bulk of workplace accidents; nurses too suffer a large proportion of workplace injuries. Nursing requires a great amount of manual labor. Nurses are at constant right of communicable diseases and infections. Nurses have just as much right to demand workers’ compensation as any other profession. Common nursing injuries Nurses are likely to suffer one or more of the following workplace accidents or illnesses during their careers: Slips and falls. Nurses are focused on helping patients move around, get in and [...]

According to a July 2018 report in the Knoxville News, 87 workers died in construction-related accidents (according to OSHA data) in the first quarter of 2018. OSHA, the US Occupational Safety & Health Administration, is part of the US Depart of Labor. OSHA helps monitor and educate workers and employers regarding work safety. The Knoxville News story also referenced a report by TermLife2Go.com that construction, maintenance, and natural resource jobs are among the most fatal job categories in Tennessee. In just a few reported examples, one worker was killed when he [...]

Workers’ compensation is a state-run program which was designed to meet the needs of workers who were injured on the job or suffer from occupational diseases. Tennessee employers are required by law to provide workers’ compensation benefits for their employees. Employers can either purchase workers’ compensation insurance, or they can be self-insured. When an employee becomes injured at work or is diagnosed with an occupational disease and they must lose time from work for medical care and to recuperate, the insurer pays the partial wage-replacement benefit and they cover the medical [...]

Workers’ compensation and third-party claims are two avenues for workers to obtain the compensation they need after suffering an injury on-the-job. According to data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2016 over 60,000 workers in Tennessee incurred job-related injuries or illnesses. These workers, depending on the circumstances and those responsible for the injuries, may utilize one or the other, or both forms of financial recovery. There are distinct differences between the two and how they apply, as briefly described below. Third-party claims and potential defendants Third-party claims may include [...]

If you were injured on the job, reported the accident to your employer, received the medical attention you needed, and are now approaching the end of your convalescence, there may be the option to take on light duty work as your condition improves. Light duty assignments can serve a few purposes. For the employer, assigning an employee who has been out on workers' compensation light duty work can reduce their costs, but the employer is not required to do so. For the employee, light duty work allows them to be productive [...]

When an accident happens, the injury victim usually sees an ER doctor or a family doctor. After the initial exam, workers are required to see doctors that their employer recommends for an independent medical exam, or IME. Employers are supposed to provide a list of three doctors for each type of practice. This includes specialists such as pain management doctors in addition to family physicians. During the course of their recovery, employees may see a doctor of their own choosing: If the employer doesn’t provide a panel of three doctors There [...]