Barry R. Moore v. Howard Baer, Inc., et al.

In this workers’ compensation case, the employee, Barry R. Moore, was a truck driver. He was employed by a small corporation owned by a senior vice president of a large trucking company, Howard Baer, Inc. The smaller company leased his services to the larger one. He suffered a significant on-the-job injury. Mr. Moore obtained a judgment for workers’ compensation benefits against his employer, Ronald Baker, Inc. That corporation did not have workers’ compensation insurance and immediately discharged the debt in bankruptcy. He sought to receive benefits from Howard Baer, Inc., that he had been leased to, arguing that his employer was the “alter ego” of the larger company. The trial court found that the larger company was not liable for benefits, based upon the provisions of Tennessee Code Annotated section 50-6-106(1)(A). We reluctantly affirm the judgment.1