BENNIE ANDERSON v. CITY OF KNOXVILLE DEPARTMENT OF RECREATION - Articles

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BENNIE ANDERSON v. CITY OF KNOXVILLE DEPARTMENT OF RECREATION

Posted by: Azya Thornton on Jan 5, 2026

Court: TN Workers Comp Appeals Board

Attorneys 1: Bennie Anderson, Knoxville, Tennessee, employee-appellant, pro se.

Attorneys 2: Jim Johnson, Knoxville, Tennessee, for the employer-appellee, City of Knoxville Department of Recreation.

Judge(s): GODKIN

In this appeal, the employee sustained injuries after slipping and falling from his truck at work. The employer accepted the compensability of the accident and provided medical care and temporary disability benefits for his work injuries. Following a course of conservative medical treatment, authorized treating providers placed the employee at maximum medical improvement, assigned impairment ratings for his shoulder, neck, and back, and released him to return to work. The employee was not satisfied with the treatment provided and sought unauthorized medical care, including treatment for gastroparesis, high blood pressure, seizures, and a hernia, for which he underwent surgical repair. Thereafter, the employee requested additional medical and temporary disability benefits for these conditions. In response, the employer asserted: (1) it had provided all medical treatment reasonably necessitated by the work accident; (2) the conditions for which the employee sought treatment were not causally related to the work accident; and (3) the employee was not entitled to additional temporary disability benefits because he had been placed at maximum medical improvement by his authorized physicians. Following an expedited hearing, the trial court determined the employee was unlikely to prevail at trial in proving his entitlement to additional medical treatment or temporary disability benefits, and the employee has appealed. Having carefully reviewed the record, we affirm the trial court’s decision and remand the case.

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