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Tennessee court awards benefits to injured worker who acted ‘recklessly’ - Business Insurance Skip to content Register for free Search Search Log In Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Tennessee court awards benefits to injured worker who acted ‘recklessly’ by Louise Esola Claims Disputes , Workers Comp Coverage , Workplace Safety Mar 30, 2026 A Tennessee workers compensation court on Monday awarded benefits to an injured maintenance mechanic despite finding he acted recklessly when he placed his hand inside a running machine, rejecting the employer’s argument that the injury was barred by a willful safety violation. In Monroe v. Kellogg Company , the Tennessee Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims held that Jerome Monroe did not willfully violate his employer’s lockout/tagout safety rules, allowing him to recover limited benefits. Mr. Monroe, a maintenance mechanic, suffered the amputation of his middle finger in September 2024 while attempting to reposition a gasket on a rice dryer at a Kellogg Co. facility. The injury occurred when a screw drive inside the machine caught his hand after the machine had been restarted. Kellogg Co. terminated Mr. Monroe for violating its safety policies, including failure to follow lockout procedures, and argued that his alleged willful misconduct barred workers compensation benefits under Tennessee law. The court found that while Mr. Monroe was aware of the safety rules and the risks, his actions did not rise to the level of a deliberate or conscious violation. Instead, the judge characterized his conduct as a “glaring lapse in judgment” amounting to negligence or recklessness rather than willfulness. That distinction proved decisive. Under Tennessee law, willful misconduct can bar recovery, but negligent or even reckless conduct generally does not. The court cited prior case law holding that a lack of a valid excuse alone is insufficient to establish willfulness. As a result, the court awarded Mr. Monroe permanent partial disability benefits based on his 5% impairment rating, totaling $27,832.50, along with additional temporary disability benefits of $12,543.18 and future medical care. However, the ruling also limited his recovery. Because Mr. Monroe was terminated for misconduct, he was not eligible for enhanced disability benefits, and temporary disability payments properly ceased at the time of his termination, the court said. 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