Tennessee is marking 100 years of workers' compensation in the state with lectures by workers' comp judges and the publication of a book.

Judge Allen Phillips

The Tennessee workers' comp system began in 1919, within a few years of most comp systems around the country. Judges are now touring the state, giving educational lectures at law offices, according to a report by the Jackson, Tennessee, newspaper.

“A hundred years ago, if someone was injured on a job in a factory or on a farm or anywhere, there were no legal regulations to ensure they or their families would be taken care of,” said Allen Phillips, a workers' compensation claims judge. “And there was nothing in place to help them, so if someone was seriously injured that removed them from the workforce over a long period of time or permanently, that person and their family weren’t protected legally or financially.”

“How many cases have been heard over the last century that helped workers who needed it that wouldn’t have even been heard before 1919?” asked Marshall Davidson, a Workers' Compensation Appeals Board member. “It was truly an important time in the history of our state when this was enacted, and it was a win for the workers of Tennessee.”

The book, “A Century of Progress and Perspective — Workers’ Compensation in Tennessee,” is expected to be released this summer, the newspaper reported.

The Bureau of Workers' Compensation also will host an educational conference June 12-14 in Murphreesboro. Registration is available here.