50-6-203 - Limitation of time, claims and actions. - Tennessee Statutes

50-6-203. Limitation of time, claims and actions.

(a)  (1)  No claim for compensation under this chapter shall be filed with a court having jurisdiction to hear workers' compensation matters, as provided in § 50-6-225, until the parties have exhausted the benefit review conference process provided by the division of workers' compensation.

     (2)  Notwithstanding this section, if the parties have mutually agreed to a compromise and settlement of a claim for workers' compensation, the parties shall not be required to exhaust the benefit review conference process before filing a claim and submitting the compromise and settlement to the appropriate court for approval pursuant to § 50-6-206(a) or to the commissioner or the commissioner's designee pursuant to § 50-6-206(c). If the settlement is not approved, the parties shall then exhaust the benefit review conference process.

(b)  (1)  In those instances where the employer has not paid workers' compensation benefits to or on behalf of the employee, the right to compensation under this chapter shall be forever barred, unless the notice required by § 50-6-202 is given to the employer and a benefit review conference is requested on a form prescribed by the commissioner and filed with the division within one (1) year after the accident resulting in injury.

     (2)  In those instances where the employer has paid workers' compensation benefits, either voluntarily or as a result of an order to do so, within one (1) year following the accident resulting in injury, the right to compensation is forever barred, unless a form prescribed by the commissioner requesting a benefit review conference is filed with the division within one (1) year from the latter of the date of the last authorized treatment or the time the employer ceased to make payments of compensation to or on behalf of the employee.

(c)  For purposes of this section, the issuing date of the last payment of compensation by the employer, not the date of its receipt, shall constitute the time the employer ceased making payments and an employer or its insurer shall provide the date on request.

(d)  In case of physical or mental incapacity, other than minority, of the injured person or the injured person's dependents to perform or cause to be performed any action required within the time specified in this section, then the period of limitation in the case shall be extended for one (1) year from the date when the incapacity ceases.

(e)  (1)  Unless a claim for death benefits is settled or voluntarily paid, the dependent or dependents of a deceased employee shall request a benefit review conference within one (1) year of the date of death of the employee.

     (2)  In the event the deceased employee was a native of a foreign country and leaves no known dependent or dependents within the United States, it shall be the duty of the commissioner to give written notice forthwith of the death to the duly accredited consular officer of the country of which the beneficiaries are citizens.

(f)  In the event the employee fails to appear and participate in the benefit review conference as scheduled by the division, the commissioner shall have the authority to dismiss the employee's claim by sending a copy of the order of dismissal by certified mail with return receipt requested to the employee's last known address. The order of dismissal shall become final and the claim shall be forever barred, unless the employee contacts the department to schedule a benefit review conference and attends a benefit review conference within sixty (60) days of the date the order of dismissal is signed by the commissioner or the commissioner's designee.

(g)  (1)  If the parties are not able to reach a compromise and settlement of all issues at the benefit review conference held pursuant to this section, the parties shall have ninety (90) days, after the date a written agreement or a written report regarding the conference is filed with the commissioner pursuant to § 50-6-240, to file a complaint with a court of competent jurisdiction as provided in § 50-6-225. The division of workers' compensation shall maintain an official record of the date on which a written agreement or written report is filed with the commissioner and supply the information to the parties or the appropriate court upon request of either the parties or the court.

     (2)  Notwithstanding subdivision (g)(1), in no event shall an employee have less than the latter of:

          (A)  One (1) year from the date of the accident resulting in injury; or

          (B)  One (1) year from the latter of the date of the last authorized treatment or the time the employer ceased to make payments of compensation to or on behalf of the employee in which to file a complaint with a court of competent jurisdiction, as provided in § 50-6-225.

(h)  In the event a workers' compensation's complaint is filed with a court of competent jurisdiction pursuant to this section by the employer or the employer's agent and the employer or agent files notice of non-suit of the action, either party shall have ninety (90) days from the date of the order of dismissal to institute an action for recovery of benefits under this chapter.

(i)  Proceedings to obtain a judgment in the case of the failure of the employer for thirty (30) days to pay any compensation due under any settlement or determination shall be filed within one (1) year after the default.

[Acts 1919, ch. 123, § 24; Shan. Supp., § 3608a173; Code 1932, § 6874; Acts 1947, ch. 139, § 4; C. Supp. 1950, § 6874; impl. am. Acts 1980, ch. 534, § 1; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 50-1003; Acts 1996, ch. 944, § 13; 1998, ch. 1024, §§ 1, 2; 1999, ch. 520, § 41; 2004, ch. 962, § 14; 2005, ch. 390, §§ 5, 6; 2008, ch. 1183, § 10.]