WPCZ i2VNz4 SfϾ__nkvJ҇ic(9lCa8G~'ș-P?ݱ3S![!l wrl# 5W1Cd\kR+ QGhZu?y>)JA{87*NLAKg|8ԢNA2?q// ;8 P4Yw#m0vWF-p]pӿ<&b6fO9TKGq U ؆ZRp*Jvq]ܣ5Rx(o4 <"NBMq$nYGOeJܒkk ?Q(Ar֙om2ppeM;my#TѨǪlW1"{z|c Ɯ Bk3x5(GG_jgG_Zs ?P4F Z 0(i  w@  UN U:F  U: UB %           B! ! ! ! ! D3> > > 0Dq q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q AO  0D D/ B=RC&3|x($ DDDDӀ XAXXXXXA   Ad FILED   March31,1999  CecilCrowson,Jr. AppellateCourt  Clerk (hH  Z 6Times New Roman Regular,cAZ"Arial Regular  XAXXX X XA   Ad FILED     March24,1999  CecilCrowson,Jr.   AppellateCourt  Clerk ,cAZ"Arial Regular<6X9`(*Courier 12pt10cpiX d%%%%'dxd(3$ !  -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd !    TR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'T7XXdXXd7XPXXXdXXPr*<,(j 8 `@E  tt0"Hrr *<,(j 8 `@E  tt0"Hr񀀀@j j  INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  @>>%ATKNOXVILLE RALPHE.DAVIS,JR.,etux    )C/ANO.03A019811CV00373  CYNTHIADAVIS,  <     )   4    <     )HAMILTONCIRCUIT 4 PlaintiffsAppellants,    )    4    <     )HON.L.MARIEWILLIAMS,v. 4    <     )JUDGE    4    <     )ALEXSIS,INC.,  <     )AFFIRMED   4    <     )AND 4 DefendantAppellee.    )REMANDED  SAMJONES,Chattanooga,forPlaintiffsAppellants.JOHNTHOMASFEENEYandM.KEITHSISKIN,FEENEY&MURRAY,PLLC,Nashville,forDefendantAppellee.@% OPINION  %  4    <      D   Franks,J. 4  Thisisanactionbyaworkeragainstanadjustingcompanyhiredbyaworkerscompensationcarriertomanagetheworkersclaim. 4  Thecomplaintchargesthatthedefendantimproperlystoppedpayingtemporarytotaldisabilitybenefitswhichcausedtheworkertosufferseriousemotionalandmentalinjurybyaggravatinganunderlyingpasttraumaticstressdisorder.Defendantlaterresumedpayments. 4  TheTrialCourtgranteddefendantsmotiontodismiss,holdingthatT.C.A.506108affordedtheexclusiveremedy. ;34    @  @  @  @ d  4  Workerscompensationlaws involveaquidproquointhatthe  workersgiveupcertaincommonlawrightsagainsttheiremployersinreturnforasystemprovidingmorecertaincompensation,totallyindependentofanyfaultonthepartoftheemployer.Perryv.TransamericaIns.Group,703S.W.2d151,153   (Tenn.App.1985).T.C.A.506108(a)addressesthisissue: 4 0 Righttocompensationexclusive.(a)TherightsandremedieshereingrantedtoanemployeesubjecttotheWorkersCompensationLawonaccountofpersonalinjuryordeathbyaccident,includingaminorwhetherlawfullyorunlawfullyemployed,shallexcludeallotherrightsandremediesofsuchemployee,suchemployeespersonalrepresentative,dependents,ornextofkin,atcommonlaworotherwise,onaccountofsuchinjuryordeath.  (# (# Additionally,T.C.A.506102(4)includesanemployersinsurancecarrierwithinthedefinitionof employerunlessotherwiseprovided. 4  TheTrialCourtbasedtheirherholdingonPerryv.TransamericaIns.Group,703S.W.2d151(Tenn.App.1985).InPerry,anemployeesued  heremployersworkerscompensationcarrierallegingbadfaithinhandlingtheclaim,negligence,andoutrageousconduct.ThisCourtheldthattheexclusivityprovisionofT.C.A.506108barredherclaim.TheCourtnotedthat underourstatutetheinsurerisequatedfullyandcompletelywiththeemployer.Id.at154.Becausethe % actscomplainedofwerecommittedby arepresentativeoftheinsurertheCourtheldthat, forpurposesofthestatute,theywerecommittedbyarepresentativeoftheemployer.Id.Additionally,theCourtnotedthattheWorkersCompensationAct +$$ providedpenaltiesforinsurerswhofailedtopaypropercompensation.SeeT.C.A. -&& 506205. 4  PlaintiffsarguethatPerrydoesnotbartheirclaims.Theyallegethat 1** defendantwasanindependentcontractoroftheinsurancecompany,andfurthercontendthatT.C.A.506112allowstheirclaims.UndertheWorkersCompensationAct,workerscompensationistheexclusiveremedy,unlessathirdpartycausestheinjury.McAlsiterv.MethodistHosp.,550S.W.2d240,242(Tenn. 922 1977).T.C.A.506112allowstheinjuredworkertorecoveragainstathirdpartywhentheinjurywascaused undercircumstancescreatingalegalliabilityagainstsomepersonotherthantheemployertopaydamages...TheactionprovidedbyT.C.A.506112isintort.Plough,Inc.v.PremierPneumatics,Inc.,660S.W.2d   495(Tenn.App.1983). 4  WehavefoundnoTennesseecasesdirectlyaddressingentitiessuchas 0(  defendant.InMalkiewiczv.R.R.Donnelley&SonsCo.,794S.W.2d728(Tenn. 80  1990),theSupremeCourtheldthataguarantorofaselfinsuredemployersobligationswasentitledtothesameimmunityfromsuitawardedinsurersandwasnotathirdpartysubjecttosuit.InSpearsv.Morris&WallaceElevatorCo.,684S.W.2d PH 620(Tenn.App.1984),anemployeeinjuredwhileoperatinganelevatorsuedtheelevatorinspector.Theworkerscompensationcarrierhadhiredtheinspector.ThisCourtdeterminedthattheclaimwasbarredbecausetheWorkersCompensationActequatedtheinsurerwiththeemployer.TheCourtalsostatedthatallowingtheworkersclaimwouldcreate alegalliabilityagainsttheinsurancecompanyunderrespondeatsuperior.Spears,at622.Thus,theactionagainsttheinspectorcouldnot %x bemaintainedunderT.C.A.506112. 4  Plaintiffsfurtherarguethatthedefendantisanindependentcontractorwhoseactionsandwouldnotcreateliabilityfortheworkerscompensationcarrier.Thisargumentmayhavemeritforcertaintypesoftortiousconduct.Inthiscase,however,plaintiffsclaimisbarredwhateverdefendantsstatus,sincedefendantwasdischarginganondelegativbledutyofthecarrier. 4  InCooperv.NationalUnionFireIns.Co.,921P.2d1297(Okla.Ct. 3,, App.1996),cert.denied,July10,1996,theCourtconsideredtheissueofaworkers 5.. compensationinsurersliabilityfortheactionsofanindependentadjustor.TheCourtnotedthat aninsurercannotavoidliabilityforbadfaithfailuretopaysimply 922 becauseitwasduetotheactofanindependentcontractoradjustor,giventhenondelegablenatureofthedutytodealfairlyandingoodfaith.Cooper,921P.2dat   1300(citationomitted).AlsoseeHoltv.AmericanProgressiveLifeIns.Co.,731   S.W.2d923(Tenn.App.1987)(administratorsbadfaithconsideredthatoftheinsurancecompany).TheforegoingreasoningispersuasiveandtheexclusivityprovisionoftheWorkersCompensationActthereforebarsplaintiffsclaims. 4  WeaffirmthejudgmentoftheTrialCourtandremandatappellantscost. 4  4    <     __________________________ XP  4    <     HerschelP.Franks,J.CONCUR:___________________________HoustonM.Goddard,P.J.___________________________CharlesD.Susano,Jr.,J.