Covenant Transport under fire for alleged work comp issues

[Bullwinkle]

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. A judge temporarily blocked a Chattanooga-based trucking company from using a fake form that purports to waive their workers' compensation benefits.

Convenant Transportation Incorporated describes itself as a publicly traded "faith-based" trucking company.

The order directs the company to stop using the form after a complaint was filed by Tennessee labor officials.

Milissa Reierson, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development, said there were no general waivers allowed under state law.

The workers' compensation law requires employers to pay for personal injury or death by accident arising out of and during employment without regard to fault.

Attorneys for the company did not return a telephone message seeking comment.

Source: WMC-TV Memphis

[Bullwinkle]

Covenant Transport no longer can ask its employees to sign paperwork stating they waive their rights to seek workers’ compensation, according to court documents.

The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development took the Chattanooga-based company to court after it learned of the practice.

Covenant officials did not return phone calls seeking comment.

In an order signed April 24 in Hamilton County Chancery Court, Chancellor Frank Brown III declared Covenant’s waiver void, relieving the company of none of its obligations under state workers’ compensation law.

According to court documents, the company agreed to stop using the forms or any similar documents. It also agreed to contact any past or present employees presented with the waiver to inform them that their rights are unaffected, whether they signed or not, and agreed to give current employees a summary of their rights under state workers’ compensation law.

When these provisions are satisfied, the court will issue a final order dismissing the matter, the order read.

Source: Etrucker.com

[JoeT]

Good news here. Glad that Covenant got called out and forced to do the right thing here.