Deputy alleges illnesses are meth-related

Deputy alleges illnesses are meth-related

By: Beverly Majors | Oak Ridger Staff
beverly.majors@oakridger.com

Benton Chevrolet An Anderson County Sheriff's Department deputy has filed a workers compensation petition citing methamphetamine exposure.

Deputy Jodi Flynn filed the petition in November and is seeking benefits under the Workers Compensation Act of Tennessee.

Flynn, 31, is a longtime Sheriff's Department employee and has worked with the drug task force for several years. Her complaint states she had been repeatedly exposed to methamphetamine laboratories and the chemicals associated with meth beginning on or about February 2003 through October 2004.

Flynn's petition states that she has since developed auto-immune disorders, Lupus and Sjögren's syndrome.

Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect various parts of the body, especially the skin, joints, blood, and kidneys. Sjögren's syndrome is a systemic inflammatory disorder that affects the mucous membranes, causing dry mouth, decreased tear production, and other dry conditions of the body's membranes. Although the cause is unknown, it usually occurs in women around 50 years old.

Flynn's petition states she has been treated by physicians.

The petition states that she has sustained a temporary total and permanent partial disability and has incurred medical expense for her care and treatment, and will incur the same in the future.