Terlanda Nunn v. Amazon.com, LLC, and American Zurich Insurance Co.

Summary

The Tennessee Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims held that Amazon provided a valid panel of ENT physicians to employee Terlanda Nunn after her workplace fall. The court denied Nunn’s request for additional temporary disability benefits because she lacked medical proof supporting disability during the claimed periods. The court ordered Amazon to schedule an appointment with the selected ENT physician and continue providing reasonable and necessary causally related medical treatment.

Holdings

1. Nunn was unlikely to prevail at trial on her claim for benefits for this period because her subjective belief that she could not perform the restricted-duty work, without supporting medical proof, was insufficient to establish entitlement to disability benefits.
2. Nunn was unlikely to prevail at trial on her claim for benefits after April 2025 because she presented no medical proof that she remained disabled from working or that her inability to work was causally connected to the compensable injury.
3. Amazon provided a valid panel of ENT physicians, and it was required to schedule an appointment with the physician Nunn chose from the valid panel and continue furnishing reasonable and necessary medical treatment causally related to her injury.

Questions Presented

1. Whether Nunn was likely to prevail at trial on her claim for temporary disability benefits from the date of injury through Amazon's first payment in January 2025.
2. Whether Nunn was likely to prevail at trial on her claim for temporary disability benefits after Amazon stopped paying benefits in April 2025.
3. Whether Amazon provided a valid panel of ENT physicians and was required to schedule an appointment with Nunn's chosen physician.

Disposition

other