East Tennessee Personal Injury Law Blog

Tennessee's governor recently signed into law a controversial new way of handling workers' compensation cases. Under the old law, courts handled disputed cases. However, a newly created state agency will now decide on the resolution of all these types of workplace injury cases. An administrator appointed by the governor will head the agency.

It will take a year for most of the provisions of the law take effect. Among those requirements is the creation of guidelines for medical treatment and a change to how payments for disabilities are calculated. The vote for the bill in the state legislature was largely along party lines. Moreover, divisions exist among the general public. While supporters of the new law say it will result in a more efficient, certain and equitable system, critics argue that it will end up depriving injured workers of compensation.

Zombie attacks may not be a common excuse offered to police in Tennessee, but after a multi-car accident in California, it was the excuse law enforcement received from the young man who caused the accident. The driver, who may have been operating a stolen big rig under the influence of some sort of hallucinogenic drug, told police that zombies were the cause of his collisions with other vehicles on a California freeway. The police didn't buy his excuse, and the suspect is now facing multiple charges in connection with the truck accident.

The young man, who had hitched a ride with a professional truck driver who was transporting strawberries cross-country, apparently stole the truck after the driver exited the vehicle during an inspection. The 19-year-old drove the vehicle wildly in an attempt to shake off the zombies he later claimed were clinging to the vehicle. During these bizarre maneuvers, the suspect rammed into several vehicles, causing severe injury to some of their occupants.

A new piece of legislation may drastically alter the way in which workers' compensation claims are processed in Tennessee. The proposed reform, however, which would subject claims related to a workplace accident to the discretion of an ombudsman rather than the current exhaustive process, has also stirred up considerable controversy.

Presently, workers' compensation claims undergo a complex review process involving the court system as well as extensive pre-court administrative procedures that include a review process for potential benefits. Once a claim goes before the court, it is subject to review by one of hundreds of judges, but few claims actually require a trial, according to a Murfreesboro city council member who is also an attorney. The new legislation would remove the court entirely from the equation, and claims would be put before one of a small number of administrative law judges appointed specifically for the task of reviewing such claims, provided that the claim is approved in the first place by the ombudsman who processes it directly from the employee.

The Tennessee Titans made headlines earlier this month when they signed free agent tight end Delanie Walker, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers, to a four-year, $17.5 million contract. While the casual sports fan may be quick to dismiss this as just another football transaction, Walker's signing actually serves as an inspiring end to an otherwise tragic story.

Just a few months ago, Walker was playing in Super Bowl XLVII at the Superdome in New Orleans, where his San Francisco 49ers squad lost to the Baltimore Ravens in a close matchup. While the loss was difficult, Walker took immediate comfort in the arms of his family, including his beloved aunt and uncle who had come to watch him play.

In the early morning hours after the game, Walker's aunt and uncle, who were staying in nearby Baton Rouge, left their hotel to start the trip home. A short time later, they pulled over to the side of the interstate where they were stuck from behind at over 100 miles-per-hour by an alleged drunk driver.