The Tennessee Supreme Court on Jan. 8 will hear oral arguments on a Chattanooga case. It involves a lawsuit brought by former Chattanooga firefighter Matthew Long against the Fire & Police Pension Fund.
The case will be heard at the Tennessee Supreme Court building in Knoxville, beginning at 9 a.m. The case will be livestreamed to the TNCourts YouTube page at www.youtube.com/@TNCourts/featured.
“Attorney Janie Varnell of Davis & Hoss, PC will be presenting the case to the Tennessee Supreme Court next week," said attorney Lee Davis. "For many years Davis & Hoss has successfully represented clients like firefighters and police before the Supreme Court. Nearly a decade ago Lee Davis represented former Police Chief Larry Sneed who won his case before the Supreme Court involving wrongful discharge by the city of Red Bank.”
Petitioner Matthew Long worked as a firefighter with the Chattanooga Fire Department for 15 years.
In 2019, Mr. Long was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from his work as a first responder to emergencies involving severe injuries and death. Mr. Long applied to the Chattanooga Fire and Police Pension Fund seeking disability benefits under the Fund’s disability policy. After a transcribed administrative hearing, the Board of Trustees for the Fund denied Mr. Long’s application on the basis that Mr. Long failed to show that the events causing his PTSD were “unexpected,” as is required by the Fund’s disability policy. Mr. Long filed a petition in Hamilton County Chancery Court challenging the Fund’s decision as arbitrary and capricious.
After a hearing, the Chancery Court found that the term “unexpected” was ambiguous and that the disability policy should be construed in favor of Mr. Long. The Chancery Court vacated the Fund’s decision and awarded Mr. Long disability benefits. The Court of Appeals affirmed, finding that the Board’s interpretation was entitled to deference under the Tennessee Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, but the ambiguity in the policy must be construed in favor of Mr. Long. The Tennessee Supreme Court granted the Fund’s application for permission to appeal to determine the proper standard for courts to review claims involving the administrative denial of disability benefits.