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Plaintiff, Carolyn Beck, a driver's license examiner for the State of Tennessee, was sexually assaulted at her workplace in Knoxville in August 1987. Although she initially completed her shift, her anxiety worsened, leading to a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder, which a psychiatrist linked to the assault aggravating a prior trauma. The employer, the State of Tennessee, appealed the Claims Commission's award of benefits, arguing the assault was not a compensable 'injury by accident' and did not arise out of employment. The Supreme Court affirmed the Claims Commission's judgment, holding that the sexual assault constituted an acute, sudden, and unexpected emotional stress, making it a compensable accidental injury, and that it arose out of employment due to the plaintiff's indiscriminate exposure to the public as a condition of her work.
Beck v. State is a workers' compensation case decided in Tennessee Supreme Court. This case addresses legal issues related to compensation claims, benefits, and court rulings.
It is commonly referenced in legal research involving workers' compensation laws in Tennessee Supreme Court.
Full Decision Text1 Pages
Plaintiff, Carolyn Beck, a driver's license examiner for the State of Tennessee, was sexually assaulted at her workplace in Knoxville in August 1987. Although she initially completed her shift, her anxiety worsened, leading to a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder, which a psychiatrist linked to the assault aggravating a prior trauma. The employer, the State of Tennessee, appealed the Claims Commission's award of benefits, arguing the assault was not a compensable 'injury by accident' and did not arise out of employment. The Supreme Court affirmed the Claims Commission's judgment, holding that the sexual assault constituted an acute, sudden, and unexpected emotional stress, making it a compensable accidental injury, and that it arose out of employment due to the plaintiff's indiscriminate exposure to the public as a condition of her work.
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