Important Win for Employees Across Tennessee

Attorney John Dunlap successfully argued in front of the Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board where Attorney Dunlap represented Kimberly Bullard concerning a workers compensation claim. In an appeal, Attorney Dunlap won the claim for Ms. Bullard for workers’ compensation after she sustained an injury at work.

Ms. Bullard was injured from a fall while entering a building during her shift on a single step. The employer contended that a single step “cannot be a hazard incident to one’s employment because most people must navigate such a step when entering or exiting a building, whether in a working or personal capacity. ” However, the Appeals Board found that the fall occurred during the course of her employment and Ms. Bullard is entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. 

This is an important win for employees across Tennessee, not just for Ms. Bullard, as it sets a precedent for falls at work on staircases that upholds workers’ rights. Instead of setting a new rule for injuries on stairs of a certain height or number, the Appeals Board states in the opinion, “we decline to adopt a rule that would require courts to count stairs and make findings regarding whether the stairs were on the exterior or interior of the building in order to determine whether injuries resulting from a fall arise out of the employment.”

The full opinion is available here.