Knoxville Police Officer Injury Lawyers

Strong advocacy for Tennessee law enforcement injured on the job

Every day, police officers in Knoxville risk their lives and their safety. They deserve to be protected in return when they suffer injuries or illnesses due to their job. At Banks & Jones, our Knoxville workers’ compensation lawyers have 30 years of experience fighting for injury victims. We’ve helped many workers (and their families) obtain the full medical benefits, temporary disability benefits, permanent disability benefits, and death benefits they deserve.

How can we help?

How do you fight for Knoxville police officers who are injured in the line of duty?

Our Knoxville workers’ compensation lawyers fight for injured police officers in many ways, including:

  • Promptly filing your formal Tennessee workers’ compensation claims
  • Reviewing what injuries you have, what medical care you need, who should provide that medical care, and the cost of your care
  • Contesting any effort by the insurance company to limit or deny your claim, including arguments that:
    • Your injuries are due to a pre-existing condition
    • You were negligent or assumed the risk of injury – those defenses don’t apply in workers’ compensation cases
    • Your injuries have healed enough for you to return to work when they haven’t
    • You’re not following the advice of your doctors or nurse case manager
  • Showing that you do have a permanent disability when the employer claims you are fully recovered
  • Negotiating lump sum settlements when you become eligible for permanent disability payments

What types of accidents or events cause injuries to police in Knoxville?

Tennessee law defines law enforcement officers as including full-time county police officers, correctional security employees, and county deputy sheriffs. Law enforcement officers can suffer injuries in different ways including:

  • Police can be harmed if they are shot, stabbed, need to defend themselves, or are attacked in other ways.
  • Vehicle accidents. Many officers are involved in car and motorcycle accidents as they pursue the people who commit crimes, when they are responding to other vehicle accidents, or if they are providing other types of assistance.
  • Police often work long hours on their feet. They can suffer injuries due to slips and falls, repetitive stress, climbing, carrying objects, reaching for objects, or many other accidents during their daily activities.
  • Officers may suffer injuries or occupational illnesses due to exposure to illegal drugs, radiation, toxins, or other skin and lung exposures.

Other Knoxville police officer injuries may be due to acts of violence (including domestic violence), dog bites, being struck by objects, or striking other objects such as machinery and power lines.

What types of injuries do police officers suffer in Knoxville?

At Banks & Jones, our Knoxville police officer workers’ compensation lawyers handle the full range of injuries that law enforcement officials may suffer, including death. Many officers can never return to work. The officers who can work again often need months or years to treat their injuries.

Some of the many types of workplace injuries we handle for police officers include:

Officers may also suffer psychological injuries including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), burnout, and other emotional injuries that may be compensable.

What types of occupational illness claims can police officers file in Knoxville?

If a police officer in Knoxville suffers an illness due to their job, they may be entitled to file an occupational illness claim, provided their illness is not one that they could have obtained outside of their normal work duties.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), occupational illnesses that police may suffer include:

  • Heart disease
  • Cancer
  • Depression
  • Reduced immune functions
  • Difficulty sleeping

What medical benefits can police officers claim if they’re injured or become ill?

Police officers who are eligible for workers’ compensation are entitled to full payment of all their medical bills for as long as they need medical care to improve their health and to keep their health stable. These payments may be necessary for the rest of the officer’s life. Medical expenses include emergency room care, hospitalizations, surgeries, doctor visits, rehabilitative care, assistive devices, and medications.

In some cases, police officers may be entitled to payment of their travel expenses.

What temporary and permanent disability benefits can Knoxville police officers receive?

There are two types of wage loss benefits:

Temporary disability benefits. Police officers who cannot work due to their injuries or an occupational illness are entitled to temporary disability benefits while they are seeking medical care to improve their health. The amount of these benefits is two-thirds of the officer’s weekly wages up to certain preset limits. Temporary disability benefits continue until the officer reaches the point of maximum medical improvement (MMI) – the point when additional medical care is not expected to improve the officer’s health.

Permanent disability benefits. Once an officer reaches the point of MMI, an evaluation is made to determine whether the officer has a permanent disability. A doctor or another qualified healthcare professional determines whether the officer can return to work based on the type of injury and the type of work the officer did. An impairment rating is also assigned to the injury based on its severity.

Permanent disability benefits are also two-thirds of the officer’s weekly wages. The amount is reduced based on the impairment rating. For example, if an officer earns $1200 weekly, his/her disability benefit pay is two-thirds of $1200, which is $800.

Are there any unique concerns when police officers file workers’ compensation claims in Knoxville?

At Banks & Jones, our Knoxville police workers’ compensation lawyers fight for all the compensation you deserve. Some of the issues that can increase your benefits include the following:

  • A presumption that an injury is job-related. Tennessee law provides that there is a rebuttable presumption that full-time law enforcement officers who suffer hypertension, heart disease, or death in the line of duty were working in the course of their employment when their impairment or death occurred.
  • Death benefits. Tragically, many police officers die in the line of duty. Their spouse and any dependents are entitled to a percentage of the average weekly wages. The percentage varies depending on the relationship to the decedent. The family is entitled to payment of the funeral and burial expenses up to $10,000.
  • Additional death benefits of $250,000. The estate of a Knoxville police officer who is killed on the job is entitled to an additional $250,000 if their loved one was killed in the line of duty. The $250,000 is paid in five yearly installments of $50,000 each.
  • Vocational benefits. Police officers who cannot return to police work but can do other types of work if they are properly trained for that work may be entitled to be paid for the education and training necessary due to the new type of work.
  • Partial disability. If a police officer can return to work at a less strenuous job while obtaining healthcare to improve his/her health, they are entitled to partial disability benefits. These benefits are two-thirds of the difference between the officer’s average weekly wage before the injury and their wages in the newer less stressful job. Partial disability pay applies to both temporary and permanent disability benefits.

In Knoxville, “the City both self-insures and self-administers all workers’ compensation and liability claims, so that the City acts much like its own insurance company.”

Do you have a Knoxville police injury lawyer near me?

We make it easy for injured police officers to meet with us. We meet clients at our Knoxville office located at 2125 Middlebrook Pike. If an officer is too injured or ill to come to our office, we do make alternate arrangements. We also conduct consultations by phone and through video conferences.

Our lawyers will explain your rights, answer your questions, and fight for all the compensation you deserve.

Speak with our experienced Knoxville workers’ compensation lawyers today

At Banks & Jones, we understand how much pain most police work injuries cause. We work quickly to properly file your claim and begin compensation discussions with the insurance company that’s responsible for your coverage. We work with your doctors to understand the full scope of your injuries, including showing you have a permanent disability. Please call us or use our contact form to schedule a free consultation.

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