### FedEx Worker Wins Big in Workers’ Comp Battle
A Tennessee workers’ comp court ruled in favor of Rafik Mikhail, ordering FedEx Supply Chain to pay permanent disability benefits after he suffered a debilitating back injury on the job. The decision highlights how courts scrutinize employer defenses in injury claims. Mikhail, a longtime FedEx employee, proved his herniated disc stemmed directly from work duties.
The case ignited when Mikhail hurt his back in 2023 while lifting heavy freight loads at FedEx’s Memphis supply chain facility—a daily grind for truck loaders and warehouse pros. He filed for workers’ comp, claiming a permanent partial disability that wrecked his ability to haul cargo without agony. FedEx fired back, arguing the injury was just normal wear-and-tear from aging (Mikhail was 55), not a sudden “specific incident” under Tennessee law, and accused him of exaggerating symptoms to dodge light-duty work.
Judge Wyatt wasn’t buying it. After reviewing medical records, witness testimony, and video evidence of Mikhail’s grueling shifts, the court ruled the back injury was work-related—caused by repetitive heavy lifting, qualifying as a compensable gradual injury. FedEx owed 20% permanent partial disability to the body as a whole, plus temporary benefits and medical costs. This matters because it chips away at the “wear-and-tear” defense trucking firms often wield against veteran drivers and loaders facing cumulative injuries.
For fleet owners and logistics managers, this is a wake-up call: Document everything, from ergonomic training to injury timelines, or risk hefty payouts. It protects blue-collar workers proving job demands caused their pain, easing the burden in repetitive strain cases common in freight handling.
**Bottom Line:** Repetitive lifting injuries at FedEx-like ops can trigger full workers’ comp if tied to the job—no easy “aging” escape.
https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/10846588/mikhail-rafik-v-fedex-supply-chain-inc/
Ever battled a back injury on the loading dock—did workers’ comp come through?