RETAIL DIRECT, LLC v. PAYANO EXPRESS, LLC ET AL. - Articles

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RETAIL DIRECT, LLC v. PAYANO EXPRESS, LLC ET AL.

Posted by: David Lazar on May 21, 2026

Court: TN Court of Appeals

Attorneys 1: Taylor Pruitt and Catheryne Grant, Brentwood, Tennessee, for the appellant, Juan Francisco Rivera Vargas.

Attorneys 2: D. Andrew Saulters, Nashville, Tennessee, for the appellee, Retail Direct, LLC.

Judge(s): USMAN

An employee suffered severe injuries while working for a subcontractor and sought workers’ compensation benefits from the logistics company that had retained the subcontractor. In response, the logistics company filed a declaratory judgment action asserting that it was exempt from liability as a “common carrier. ” The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of the logistics company, concluding that the company’s federal operating authority established its common carrier status as a matter of law. The injured employee appeals, arguing that a genuine dispute of material fact exists regarding the logistics company’s status because it exclusively served a single customer rather than the general public. We reverse the judgment of the trial court and remand for further proceedings.

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