50-6-307 - Waiver of compensation for aggravation of condition. - Tennessee Statutes

50-6-307. Waiver of compensation for aggravation of condition.

(a)  (1)  When an employee, or prospective employee, though not incapacitated for work, is found to be affected by or susceptible to a specific occupational disease, the employee or prospective employee may, subject to the approval of the workers' compensation division of the department of labor and workforce development, be permitted to waive in writing compensation for any aggravation of the employee's or prospective employee's condition that may result from the employee's or prospective employee's working or continuing to work in the same or similar occupation for the same employer or for another employer; provided, that this provision shall not apply to specific occupational diseases on which waivers are prohibited by the federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969, compiled in 30 U.S.C. § 901 et seq.

     (2)  All provisions of this chapter, with respect to accidents shall be applicable to the coverage provided in this part for occupational diseases, except as otherwise provided in this part.

(b)  When an employee or prospective employee has a prior history of heart disease, heart attack or coronary failure or occlusion, the employee or prospective employee may be permitted to waive in writing compensation from the employee's or prospective employee's employer or future employer for claims growing out of an aggravation or repetition of the condition, the waiver to be evidenced by filing with the administrator a written instrument to which shall be attached a copy of a medical statement giving the prior history of the condition, and in all those cases claims for workers' compensation benefits growing out of an aggravation or repetition of the condition by the employee or the employee's dependents shall be barred.

(c)  No employer shall require the execution of a waiver by any employee who was at work on March 17, 1961, unless the employee subsequently suffers a heart condition.

[Acts 1947, ch. 139, § 1; C. Supp. 1950, § 6852; Acts 1961, ch. 339, § 1; 1972, ch. 699, § 7; impl. am. Acts 1980, ch. 534, § 1; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 50-1109; Acts 1999, ch. 520, § 41.]