King v. Rentokil North America, Inc.

Summary

The Tennessee Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims denied Spencer King’s request for temporary partial disability benefits. The court concluded that his inability to accept light-duty work resulted from his relocation to North Carolina for personal reasons rather than his medical restrictions, while ordering the employer to continue providing reasonable and necessary medical treatment for the work injury.

Holdings

1. King failed to show that he was likely to prevail at a hearing on the merits because his ultimate reason for not accepting available light-duty work was that he no longer lived in Tennessee for personal reasons, rather than his medical restrictions.
2. Rentokil must continue to furnish reasonable and necessary medical treatment causally related to King's work injury under Tennessee Code Annotated section 50-6-204(a)(1)(A).

Questions Presented

1. Whether King was likely to prevail on a claim for temporary partial disability benefits for the period from December 17, 2025, through February 27, 2026.
2. Whether King's refusal to return to Rentokil's Tennessee light-duty position and move to North Carolina for personal reasons precluded a finding that he was entitled to temporary partial disability benefits.

Disposition

other