Guess v. Sharp Manufacturing America
Tennessee Supreme Court
114 S.W.3d 480 (Tenn. 2003)
Relevant factsFree
Guess (plaintiff), an assembly-line worker at Sharp Manufacturing (defendant), got a coworker's blood on her hand through an open cut after he was injured on the job; she had long suspected, based on his appearance and associations, that he had HIV, and became hysterical, later developing PTSD and vocational impairment. The Chancery Court awarded her workers' compensation benefits, and Sharp appealed.
IssueFree
Whether an employee may recover workers' compensation benefits for a mental injury based on perceived HIV exposure at work without proving she was actually exposed to HIV.