Workers compensation practice in Tennessee runs through a specialized track that differs from ordinary civil litigation. Since the Tennessee Workers Compensation Reform Act of 2013 took effect on July 1, 2014, injured workers with dates of injury on or after that day bring their disputes before the Court of Workers Compensation Claims rather than chancery or circuit court. Cases turn on Bureau of Workers Compensation (BWC) procedure, Medical Impairment Rating (MIR) reports written under the AMA Guides 6th Edition, permanent partial disability (PPD) multiplier math, temporary total disability (TTD) at two-thirds of the average weekly wage, and the line between medical-only and lost-time claims. The statute of limitations under TCA 50-6-203 generally runs one year from the date of injury or the last voluntary payment of benefits, with notice to the employer required within 15 days. The three Nashville firms profiled here represent injured workers on the claimant side and litigate before the Court of Workers Compensation Claims.
Quick Comparison #
| Firm | Credentials | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| The Higgins Firm | Tennessee bar admission 1993 on the practice lead, Kentucky and Georgia bar admission, prior insurance-defense experience now applied on the claimant side for roughly 17 years. | Rotator cuff tears, lumbar and cervical back injuries, RSD, traumatic brain injuries, carpal tunnel, repetitive strain, loss-of-limb cases, contested PPD multiplier disputes, MIR challenges, TTD termination questions before the Court of Workers Compensation Claims. |
| Flexer Law, PLLC | Of Counsel Steve Karr Tennessee bar admission 1980 with 35 years of personal injury and workers compensation work, AV peer rating in Martindale-Hubbell, James Flexer 1981 office launch. | Initial Form C-20 employer notice and First Report of Work Injury, Benefit Review Conference mediation, compensation hearings at the Court of Workers Compensation Claims, MIR rebuttals, MMI date disputes, average weekly wage calculations, return-to-work scenarios, medical-only versus lost-time classification. |
| Ponce Law | Tulane JD cum laude with MBA on the founder, Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education Civil Trial Specialist certification, NBTA Board Certified Civil Trial Advocate, ABA, NBA, TTLA, and AAJ membership. | Back, neck, knee, and shoulder injuries, occupational disease claims, repetitive-motion injuries, workplace fatality cases under TCA 50-6-210 (dependent benefits), workers compensation retaliation matters with bilingual English and Spanish intake. |
1. The Higgins Firm #
Jim Higgins founded The Higgins Firm and now heads the Tennessee Workers Compensation division of the practice. Higgins earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law and was admitted to the Tennessee Bar in 1993, giving the lead attorney more than three decades of bar admission as of 2026. He began his career on the insurance defense side of workers compensation, then opened a claimant-only office that has handled BWC matters for roughly 17 years on the injured-worker side.
Track record on the claimant side #
The group represents employees with rotator cuff tears, lumbar and cervical back injuries, reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), traumatic brain injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), repetitive strain injuries, and loss-of-limb cases. The office litigates contested PPD multiplier disputes, MIR challenges, and TTD termination questions before the Court of Workers Compensation Claims. Higgins is licensed in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Georgia.
Geographic reach across Middle and East Tennessee #
While the Nashville office serves as the base, the practice accepts BWC cases in Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Sumner, Wilson, Montgomery, Maury, Robertson, Putnam, Madison, Knox, and Hamilton counties, among others. That reach allows coordinated handling of claims for clients whose employer is in one county and whose authorized treating physician is in another.
Address: 525 4th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37210
Phone: (615) 353-0930
Website: The Higgins Firm
2. Flexer Law, PLLC #
Flexer Law has advocated for Middle Tennessee workers since 1981, when Nashville native James Flexer opened the office that became Flexer Law. The roster includes Lewis A. Williams, Daniel T. Castagna, Bryan C. Penland, Lori L. Szathmary, Rodney Caldwell, and Steve Karr (Of Counsel), with workers compensation listed as one of the office’s core practice areas alongside consumer bankruptcy, family law, and personal injury.
Senior workers comp credentials #
Steve Karr earned his Juris Doctor from the Nashville School of Law in 1980, holds bar admissions in Tennessee, Maryland, and the District of Columbia, and has spent 35 years litigating personal injury and workers compensation matters in Middle Tennessee. Karr carries an AV peer rating in Martindale-Hubbell. With James Flexer’s 1981 start and Karr’s 1980 admission, the senior bench at this office substantially exceeds the 15-year benchmark common in claimant-side BWC work.
Claim-stage coverage #
Flexer Law handles cases from the initial Form C-20 employer notice and First Report of Work Injury, through Benefit Review Conference (BRC) mediation administered by the Bureau, through compensation hearings at the Court of Workers Compensation Claims when settlement fails. Practice topics include MIR rebuttals, MMI (Maximum Medical Improvement) date disputes, average weekly wage calculations, return-to-work scenarios, and the medical-only versus lost-time classification that drives benefit eligibility.
Address: 1900 Church Street, Suite 400, Nashville, TN 37203
Phone: (615) 805-6374
Website: Flexer Law
3. Ponce Law #
Michael D. Ponce opened Ponce Law as a one-person general office in 1994 and has built it into a 30-plus attorney and staff bilingual firm headquartered just north of Nashville. Ponce earned his Juris Doctor cum laude from Tulane University School of Law in New Orleans, completed an MBA, and clerked for the Hon. John Minor Wisdom of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit before entering private practice in Tennessee.
Trial advocacy certifications #
Ponce is certified as a Civil Trial Specialist by the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education and is Board Certified as a Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA). His memberships include the American Bar Association, the Nashville Bar Association, the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association, and the American Association for Justice. The Nashville workers compensation lawyers at this practice have handled injured-worker claims for more than 25 years.
Workers compensation scope #
The office accepts back, neck, knee, and shoulder injuries; occupational disease claims; repetitive-motion injuries; and workplace fatality cases under TCA 50-6-210 (dependent benefits). Bilingual (English and Spanish) intake serves Middle Tennessee construction, warehouse, hospitality, and healthcare workers. The office also handles workers compensation retaliation matters where an employee is terminated for filing or pursuing a BWC claim.
Address: 400 Professional Park Drive, Goodlettsville, TN 37072 (Nashville metro)
Phone: (615) 244-4325
Website: Ponce Law
Selection Methodology #
The three firms above were selected from the broader Nashville workers compensation field using these filters: minimum tenure on Nashville-area work, verifiable Tennessee bar admission and state license on file, brand-name anchor with verifiable address visible on the firm’s own website, and a published practice scope that maps to client need without overreach. Out-of-state firms without a Tennessee bar member of record, mass-marketing intake mills, and offices without a verifiable street address were excluded. No firm sponsored placement; all selection sources are publicly verifiable.
How injured workers in Nashville evaluate counsel #
A claimant-side workers compensation lawyer in Tennessee earns fees on a contingency basis governed by TCA 50-6-226, with the standard cap at 20 percent of the recovery and judicial approval required at settlement. Because the fee structure is statutory, the differences among offices show up in trial readiness at the Court of Workers Compensation Claims, depth of medical-causation work with treating physicians and IME doctors, MIR rebuttal practice under the AMA Guides 6th Edition, and the ability to handle complicating factors such as concurrent third-party liability, federal preemption questions (LHWCA, FELA), or Social Security Disability Insurance offsets.
The three offices above represent injured workers from the BWC First Report stage through BRC mediation and contested hearing, and each carries senior attorneys with more than 15 years of bar admission. Selection often turns on the specific injury pattern, language and location convenience, and whether the case is heading toward settlement at MMI or a contested compensation hearing.
Frequently Asked Questions #
Q: Who at the firm will be my day-to-day point of contact?
A: Some firms staff a matter with a lead attorney plus associates and paralegals; others keep the named attorney as the primary contact throughout. Ask in writing who will sign correspondence, who returns client calls, the typical response window for messages, and the escalation path if you cannot reach the assigned attorney.
Q: How does the firm handle conflicts of interest before taking the matter?
A: Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct require a conflict check before representation begins. Ask the firm to confirm in writing that a conflict check has been run against all parties and that no current or former representation creates a disqualifying conflict. Disclose all opposing parties, witnesses, and related entities at intake so the check is accurate.
Q: Are any of the three firms paid placements?
A: No. The three profiles above are editorial selections drawn from publicly verifiable sources. No firm sponsored placement.
Q: What expenses pass through to the client beyond legal fees?
A: Common pass-through expenses include filing fees, deposition court reporter charges, expert witness fees, mediation costs, postage, courier, and copying. Ask for the firm’s written expense policy, any markup over actual cost, billing frequency for expenses, and whether expenses are advanced by the firm or billed as incurred.
Editorial Note #
This guide was published on 2026-05-11 and reflects research current as of that date. Verify licenses, phone numbers, and current business status before engaging any firm.