Workers’ Compensation
In the early 1980s, Manier & Herod emerged as a leader in defending employers and insurers in worker’s compensation law. For almost 40 years, we have shaped the workers’ compensation law through litigation and legislation. We have drafted significant bills that ultimately became workers’ compensation law. We have advised stakeholders on the impact of that legislation, recommending changes to the substantive and procedural law. Currently, we are eleven attorneys, each devoted full time to advising and defending employers and insurers in all matters related to injuries on the job and the claims which follow.
Manier & Herod attorneys handle all aspects of a claim. We prepare clients to handle claims, instruct them in best practices, and take calls from clients and adjusters minutes after an injury has occurred. We work to prevent expensive litigation by advising our clients on the most cost-effective way to resolve a claim. When necessary, we litigate, from the first hearing all the way to the Tennessee Supreme Court, and everywhere in between.
Our practice is statewide. Manier & Herod attorneys are known by all Bureau mediators, judges, and plaintiff’s attorneys in every courtroom and mediation room. We learn their tendencies and preferences. We have the experience to inform clients on the risks and likely results of various options and strategies we lay out before them.
We have tried thousands of cases. Many are key decisions which shape the law. We understand the success and failure rates of various legal strategies and defenses. We know the medical community and have taken thousands of depositions on issues of causation, impairment, and disability.
We employ skilled legal assistants and an excellent group of paralegals. Each year we shepherd hundreds of settlements to approval. We understand you want your settlement approved efficiently and correctly, with all bases covered, then billed quickly to limit the time the file is open. We are set up to handle every type of settlement, whether it be a finger injury with open medicals, a complex settlement requiring a Medicare Set Aside, or the tragedy of a death claim requiring an experienced, professional, and compassionate attorney to guide the family through the process.
We are happy to answer phone calls from adjusters and employers who just have a question, whether it be about compensability, a safety rule, an impairment rating, or a quick summary of the law. We understand injuries don’t always happen during business hours, so employers have our cell numbers. We have experience handling business closures and the associated spike in claims accompanying layoffs. We understand adjusters handle a rising number of claims and daily confront a diary system demanding an update. We recognize that some adjusters are new to Tennessee law, and need a quick primer and resources to familiarize themselves with the law, its quirks, and practical matters. We publish “cheat sheets” and are currently editing the Fifth Edition of the Practical Guide to Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Law as a resource to our clients.
Manier & Herod attorneys speak at local, regional, and national conferences, providing case law updates and reviews of all areas of workers’ compensation law. Our clients include major insurance carriers, third party administrators, self-insured employers, and smaller employers. We are active in numerous industry associations. We are often invited to file amicus briefs in the Tennessee Supreme Court and we are very active in drafting legislation important to our clients.
We can advise you on the “old” law as we actively engage the “new” law effective July 1, 2014. If your matter involves subrogation or a larger employment law concern, the firm can handle it. Give us a call, or send us an email. We are here to help.
Our attorneys have also published a book – Manier & Herod’s Tennessee Workers’ Compensation, The Ultimate Guide, 5th Edition – to describe the underlying principles of workers’ compensation law in Tennessee. However, this book is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional advice. Please feel free to reach out to a Manier & Herod Workers’ Compensation attorney at any time with questions about specific legal issues or facts of a particular claim.
