Following two and a half years of litigation, Nick Akins and Connor Sestak secured a favorable opinion from the Supreme Court of Tennessee Special Workers’ Compensation Appeals Panel. In a case of first impression, the Panel determined alleged beneficiaries were not entitled to benefits as wholly dependent children or partial dependent under TCA 50-6-210 after being adopted by the deceased’s mother, but still maintaining an active relationship with the deceased worker.

The opinion in its entirety follows.