Tenn. Supreme Court Finds Nothing to Support Award to Teacher

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee's Supreme Court has reversed a trial court decision awarding a former teacher 35 percent permanent disability for alleged mold-related illnesses, saying that expert testimony and other evidence failed to prove that she suffered a compensable injury. Wagner v. Washington County Department of Education, et al., No. E2007-00868-WC-R3-WC (Tenn. Sup. Ct.).

The court's Special Workers' Compensation Appeals Panel said in its April 3 opinion that it found testimony by Dr. Eckhardt Johanning "unconvincing," and that while there were problems with environmental tests, they supported the school district's position rather than the claimant's.

The Supreme Court denied the …