50-6-201 - Notice of injury. - Tennessee Statutes

50-6-201. Notice of injury.

(a)  Every injured employee or the injured employee's representative shall, immediately upon the occurrence of an injury, or as soon thereafter as is reasonable and practicable, give or cause to be given to the employer who has no actual notice, written notice of the injury, and the employee shall not be entitled to physician's fees or to any compensation that may have accrued under this chapter, from the date of the accident to the giving of notice, unless it can be shown that the employer had actual knowledge of the accident. No compensation shall be payable under this chapter, unless the written notice is given the employer within thirty (30) days after the occurrence of the accident, unless reasonable excuse for failure to give the notice is made to the satisfaction of the tribunal to which the claim for compensation may be presented.

(b)  In those cases where the injuries occur as the result of gradual or cumulative events or trauma, then the injured employee or the injured employee's representative shall provide notice of the injury to the employer within thirty (30) days after the employee:

     (1)  Knows or reasonably should know that the employee has suffered a work-related injury that has resulted in permanent physical impairment; or

     (2)  Is rendered unable to continue to perform the employee's normal work activities as the result of the work-related injury and the employee knows or reasonably should know that the injury was caused by work-related activities.

(c)  Within thirty (30) calendar days of the notice of injury, the insurer, employer, or self-insured pool or trust shall file with the department, on a form prescribed by the department, a wage statement detailing the employee's wages for the previous fifty-two (52) weeks, unless the employer stipulates that the maximum weekly workers' compensation rate applies in the particular matter. In the event the insurer, employer, or self-insured pool or trust knowingly and intentionally fails to timely file the wage statement, a workers' compensation specialist may deem the employee's compensation rate to be the maximum workers' compensation rate effective on the date of injury. This subsection (c) shall apply only to accidents that result in death or personal injury of such a nature that the injured person either does not return to the person's employment within seven (7) days after the occurrence of the accident or has a permanent impairment resulting from the accident. If the employer, insurer or self-insured pool fails to file the wage statement within thirty (30) days and the maximum rate is imposed, then the employer, insurer or self-insured pool may file a wage statement at a later time. If the late filed wage statement reflects that the compensation rate is less than the maximum compensation rate, the employer, insurer or self-insured pool may then reduce the compensation rate.

[Acts 1919, ch. 123, § 22; Shan. Supp., § 3608a171; Code 1932, § 6872; impl. am. Acts 1980, ch. 534, § 1; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 50-1001; Acts 2001, ch. 219, § 1; 2006, ch. 1014, § 3.]