Walter was a founding Member of WHT in 1984 after 18 months as a contract trial lawyer for the state of Kentucky and 10 years with a prominent Louisville insurance defense firm. His career has been devoted to litigation of workers’ compensation claims, representing insurers, self-insured companies, third-party administrators and professional employer organizations. This experience in Kentucky has been statewide, in every type of claim including traumatic injury, cumulative trauma, all occupational diseases, toxic exposure, mental health conditions, coverage disputes, subrogation, medical expense issue, and bad faith at all stages from trial through Supreme Court appeal.

University of Kentucky, College of Law, JD, 1973

Western Kentucky University, B.A. History, Political Science, 1970

 

Bowling Green, KY

Kentucky, 1973

U.S. District Court, Kentucky, 1973

Kentucky Bar Association

Fayette County Bar Association

Kentucky Workers’ Compensation Hall of Fame 2021

Martindale-Hubbell AV^® Preeminent^™ Rating
The Best Lawyers in America, 1997 – 2023
Best Lawyers in America, Lexington Lawyer of the Year: Workers’ Compensation Law, Employers, 2012 and 2018
Kentucky Super Lawyers^®, Workers’ Compensation Defense, 2008 – 2023
Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa Alpha honorarium for forensic attainment
Omicron Delta Kappa Society
Peer inclusion in Kentucky’s Best Lawyers published by the Herald Leader and Courier Journal, 2008-2016

God’s Pantry Volunteer

Habitat for Humanity Volunteer

Former Parrish Attorney, Episcopal church

Livingood v Transfreight, 2015. Appellant (claimant) seeks to expand worker’s compensation liability and exposure for TTD benefits for paid light duty work. Supreme Court published opinion qualifies previous case law and rejects claimed “automatic entitlement”, by recognition of fact issue for discretionary resolution by ALJ.

Travelers v Reker, 2003. There is no private first party cause of action recognized in Kentucky against an insurer for bad faith under the Unfair Claims Settlements Practices Act. Supreme Court published opinion upholds the exclusive remedy of the Compensation Act.

Borman v Interlake,1981. Kentucky rejects the Apellant’s (claimant’s estate and death beneficiaries) attempted vehicle of the “dual capacity doctrine” to pursue product liability claim, in addition to workers’ compensation claim based on assertion employer wore 2 hats as product manufacturer, and employer. Published opinion upholds exclusive remedy of comp claim.