TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Dec 22, 2025

The Tennessee Supreme Court reinstated workers’ compensation benefits in Edwards v. Peoplease LLC et al. The plaintiff in the case, Jo Carol Edwards, drove a truck for Peoplease. In 2020, one of the tires on the truck blew out, and the vehicle went down an embankment and crashed into a bridge. Edwards was injured and applied for workers’ compensation benefits. After multiple appeals, the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board denied benefits, saying that Edwards failed to counter her physician's determination that the accident did not qualify for compensation under Tennessee law. According to a news release, the Tennessee Supreme Court disagreed, saying Edwards was entitled to benefits because her work accident aggravated a preexisting condition and that aggravation necessitated knee replacement surgery. It also clarified the circumstances under that “aggravation” injuries are compensable under workers’ compensation law.