Article ID: 8a74b5bf9d576e49f679773f6e4dbfbce4bc2dc9282004531a729cc6a457905a
Source ID: secondary:businessinsurance.com
Published At: -
Extraction Method: bs4_heuristic
URL: https://www.businessinsurance.com/tennessee-court-revives-injury-suit-after-comp-immunity-rejected/
Body Text
Tennessee court revives injury suit after comp immunity rejected - 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 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 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 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 Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Tennessee court revives injury suit after comp immunity rejected by Louise Esola Workers Comp Coverage , Workplace Safety Feb 24, 2026 A Tennessee appellate court on Friday revived a premises liability lawsuit that hinges on the limits of workers compensation immunity, ruling that a tractor supply company cannot avoid trial after the state Supreme Court determined the retailer was not the injured worker’s statutory employer. The Court of Appeals of Tennessee vacated summary judgment in favor of Tractor Supply and remanded the case for further proceedings in Brian Coblentz v. Tractor Supply Company . The case stems from a 2012 incident in which Brian Coblentz, an outside sales representative for Stanley National Hardware, was struck in the head by a 12-foot steel barn door track that fell from a display rack inside a Tractor Supply store in Fayetteville. Mr. Coblentz settled his workers compensation claim with his direct employer before pursuing a negligence suit against the retailer. Initially, lower courts sided with Tractor Supply, finding it qualified as Coblentz’s “statutory employer” under Tennessee law and was therefore shielded by the exclusive remedy provision of the Workers’ Compensation Act. But in 2025, the Tennessee Supreme Court reversed, holding that a vendor-vendee relationship does not make a retailer a statutory employer. On remand, the Court of Appeals addressed whether the negligence claim could proceed. The panel concluded that genuine issues of material fact remain regarding whether Tractor Supply had constructive notice that a required safety bar on the display may have been missing and whether the risk of harm was foreseeable. The court emphasized that even when a hazard may be considered “open and obvious,” Tennessee law requires a full duty analysis balancing foreseeability and the burden of prevention before dismissing a claim. The case now returns to the trial court for further proceedings. Related News Chubb names Brent MacLean president of ESIS February 24, 2026 Price Forbes hires former Lockton exec for Bermuda property role February 24, 2026 Coface’s net income drops 15% February 24, 2026 Danone flags $82M hit from baby formula recall February 24, 2026 Suncorp cuts premium growth outlook after cat losses February 24, 2026 Global property rates drop 9% in fourth quarter: Marsh February 24, 2026 Nordic insurers cut combined ratio to record 85% February 24, 2026 Samsung Fire & Marine’s profit dips February 24, 2026 Indonesia’s nonlife premiums grow 5% February 24, 2026 Facebook-f X-twitter Linkedin-in Business Insurance is a singular, authoritative news and information source for executives focused upon risk management, risk transfer and risk financing. Never miss important news: Become a Business Insurance Online subscriber today Subscribe Now Information About Us Contact Advertise Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Copyright 2026. BUSINESS INSURANCE HOLDINGS Member, Beacon International Group, Ltd.
Metadata (JSON)
{
"score": 12.6
}