Jason Baker v. Total Air Group LLC f/k/a Tunica Group LLC, ET AL.

Jason Baker (“Employee”) was first employed by Total Air Group, LLC (“Employer”) on June 17, 2010. On February 11, 2011, Employee sustained an injury to his back while working for Employer in Memphis, Tennessee. Employee’s treating physician determined that Employee had achieved maximum medical improvement on June 13, 2011. Employer’s workers’ compensation insurer made its final voluntary payment of Employee’s medical expenses on December 31, 2012. Employee returned to work but was terminated by Employer on July 29, 2014. Employee alleged that he requested and received from Employer’s workers’ compensation insurer authorization for additional medical treatment in February 2015. Employee requested a benefit review conference, which was held on April 30, 2015. Employee filed this workers’ compensation case on May 1, 2015. Employer answered, asserting as an affirmative defense that Employee’s claim was barred by the one-year statute of limitations. Tenn. Code Ann.
§ 50-6-203(b)(2). The parties filed cross-motions for summary judgment, which the trial court denied. Following a trial, the trial court held that Employee’s claim was not barred by the statute of limitations. Based upon the agreement of the parties, the trial court thereafter entered a final judgment awarding Employee benefits. Employer has appealed the trial court’s determination with respect to the statute of limitations. The appeal has been referred to the Special Workers’ Compensation Appeals Panel for a hearing and a report of findings of fact and conclusions of law pursuant to Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 51. We affirm the judgment, albeit on different grounds.