Tennessee: Guns at work aren’t a safety threat
Last September we told you about a Tennessee OSHA (TOSHA) ruling: allowing guns in businesses that serve alcohol doesn’t create an unsafe workplace. Now, the state has taken the issue one step further....
View ArticleDoes new state gun law mean businesses can’t ban firearms?
A new gun law goes into effect in Tennessee this summer that allows handgun carry permit holders to store firearms and ammunition in their vehicles no matter where they’re parked. But now, the state’s...
View ArticleTennessee lawmakers say they’ll address guns in workplaces again
Twice since 2010, lawmakers in Tennessee have passed bills having to do with guns in the workplace. But it appears they may not be done yet with this issue. On July 1, 2013, a new gun law went into...
View ArticleTop 5 states for painkiller prescriptions
The increase in overdoses from prescription painkillers has been called a national epidemic. New information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows it’s more of a problem...
View ArticleTwisted knee stepping off a pallet: Will he get workers’ comp?
A warehouse worker injured his knee stepping off a pallet. A doctor said the worker had a condition that predisposed his knee to problems, including his work injury. Will the employee get workers’ comp...
View ArticleWas truck driver’s heart attack work-related? Will he get comp?
A truck driver had high blood pressure and high cholesterol. One day while securing a load of steel coils on his truck, he felt chest pains. He was diagnosed as having suffered a heart attack. Will he...
View ArticleDid taking prescription meds prevent injured employee from getting workers’...
A worker had to have his finger amputated after his hand was crushed in a machine. A post-injury drug test showed he had meds in his system that he didn’t have prescriptions for. Did a court rule he...
View ArticleCan worker receive smaller comp payments because he’s undocumented?
In 2009, Tennessee amended its workers’ comp law to limit the benefits undocumented workers can receive. Did that provision hold up under court review? Carlos Martinez, an immigrant from Guatemala,...
View ArticleCan widow get workers’ comp benefits after injured husband overdoses on opioids?
An injured worker died due to an overdose of oxycodone combined with alcohol. His widow sought workers’ compensation death benefits. Did she receive them? Charles Kilburn worked as a carpenter for his...
View ArticleWas retiree’s hearing loss caused by work or hunting?
After retiring, Steven Bell filed for workers’ comp for hearing loss. Records showed he’d suffered hearing loss before he started working for Goodyear Tire & Rubber. Bell was also an occasional...
View ArticleWas employee doctor shopping for opioids? Court decides workers’ comp case
This injured worker left the care of his pain management doctor after having a disagreement about the amount of opioids he was taking. Can the worker get a new doctor under workers’ comp? C.K. Smith...
View ArticleFungal infection due to trenching on the job or hay on employee’s hobby farm?
An employee contracted a fungal infection in his lungs while digging a trench, but his employer claimed he got the infection while bailing hay on his hobby farm. Was the employee able to get benefits?...
View ArticleWas company held liable for not using AED during worker’s heart attack?
An employee had a heart attack at work. The facility had an automated external defibrillator (AED) on site, but no one used it to help the employee. Did a court approve the employee’s request for...
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