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2021 Tennessee Code
Title 9 - Public Finances
Chapter 8 - Board of Claims
Part 4 - Division of Claims and Risk Management
§ 9-8-402. Claims
Universal Citation: TN Code § 9-8-402 (2021)
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- The claimant must give written notice of the claimant's claim to the division of claims and risk management as a condition precedent to recovery, except claims for recovery of taxes shall be filed directly with the administrative clerk of the claims commission. The filing of a false notice with the division of claims and risk management is punishable as a Class A misdemeanor.
- The notice shall state the circumstances upon which the claim is based, including, but not limited to: the state department, board, institution, agency, commission or other state entity that allegedly caused the injury; the time and place of the incident from which the claim arises; and the nature of the claimant's injury.
- The entire disputed amount of tax, penalty and interest must be paid under protest before any action can be filed contesting the assessment of any tax. The claim for recovery of taxes must be filed with the claims commission within six (6) months of the payment under protest. This is the sole and exclusive jurisdiction for determining tax liability, except that any tax collected or administered by the commissioner of revenue shall be contested according to chapter 749 of the Acts of 1986, and any unemployment insurance tax collected or administered by the commissioner of labor and workforce development shall be contested according to title 50, chapter 7.
- No writ for the prevention of the collection of any revenue claimed, or to hinder and delay the collection of the same, shall in anywise issue, either injunction, supersedeas, prohibition, or any other writ or process whatever; but in all cases in which, for any reason, any person shall claim that the tax so collected was wrongfully or illegally collected, the remedy for that party shall be as herein provided, and in no other manner.
- The notice to the division is deemed to be notice to the employer for workers' compensation purposes. Claims not within the jurisdiction of the claims commission shall be sent to the board of claims. A copy of any claim filed with or transferred to the claims commission must be served on the attorney general and reporter and the division of claims and risk management by certified mail, return receipt requested, or by such other method as the attorney general and reporter deems appropriate.
- The claim is barred unless the notice is given within the time provided by statutes of limitations applicable by the courts for similar occurrences from which the claim arises; provided, however, that, for workers' compensation purposes, the right to compensation and other benefits under the Workers' Compensation Law, compiled in title 50, chapter 6, shall be barred, unless the notice required by subsection (a) is filed with the division of claims and risk management within one (1) year after the accident resulting in injury. The filing of the notice by the claimant tolls all statutes of limitations as to other persons potentially liable to the claimant due to the occurrence from which the claim before the commission arises. The applicable statute of limitations for the recovery of taxes shall continue to be six (6) months after the payment of the taxes under protest. Absent prior written consent of the commission, it is mandatory that any claim filed with the claims commission upon which no action is taken by the claimant to advance the case to disposition within any one-year period of time be dismissed with prejudice.
- The division of claims and risk management shall investigate every claim and shall make every effort to honor or deny each claim within ninety (90) days of receipt of the notice. If the claim is denied, the division shall so notify the claimant and inform the claimant of the reasons therefor and of the claimant's right to file a claim with the claims commission within ninety (90) days of the date of the denial notice. If the claim is honored and the damages may be ascertained within the ninety-day settlement period, the division shall so notify the claimant, and inform the claimant of the conditions of the settlement offer, and of the claimant's right to file such claimant's claim with the claims commission within ninety (90) days of the date of the settlement notice if the conditions of the settlement offer are unacceptable. If the claim is honored and the amount of damages may not be ascertained within the ninety-day settlement period because evidence of loss will be obtained after the ninetieth day of the settlement period, the division shall so notify the claimant and inform the claimant of the claimant's right to file a claim with the claims commission within ninety (90) days of the date the division forwards final compensation to the claimant or upon written request for transfer to the commission by the claimant; provided, that final compensation shall be forwarded to the claimant within one (1) year of the date of the settlement notice. If the division fails to honor or deny the claim within the ninety-day settlement period, the division shall automatically transfer the claim to the administrative clerk of the claims commission.
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- Notwithstanding subsection (c) or any other law to the contrary, if the division denies the compensability of a workers' compensation claim, the division shall so notify the claimant and inform the claimant of the reasons for the denial, and of the claimant's right to request an alternative dispute resolution, pursuant to § 50-6-236, within ninety (90) days from the date of the denial notice. If the division fails to honor or deny the compensability of a workers' compensation claim within the ninety-day settlement period, the division shall submit the dispute to the alternative dispute resolution process, as provided in § 50-6-236.
- Where the division of claims and risk management 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 claimant must file a petition for benefit determination, pursuant to § 50-6-236, no later than one (1) year from the latter of the date of the last authorized treatment or the time the division ceased to make payments of compensation to or on behalf of the claimant, in order for the claimant to recover any unpaid or further workers' compensation benefits. For purposes of this section, the issuing date of the last voluntary payment of compensation, not the date of its receipt, shall constitute the time the division ceased making payments and the division shall provide such date on request.
- In conducting any alternative dispute resolution pursuant to this subsection (d), the conference shall be held in the county where the employee lives, unless otherwise agreed to between the parties or otherwise directed by the commissioner. A workers' compensation specialist, as defined in § 50-6-102, shall have the authority to continue or reschedule an alternative dispute resolution.
- In the event an agreement cannot be reached through alternative dispute resolution as to all issues related to the claim, the claimant shall have ninety (90) days, after the issuance of a dispute certification notice as provided in § 50-6-236, to file a claim with the claims commission. A claim for workers' compensation benefits must be instituted in the claims commission within that ninety (90) days.
- No claim for workers' compensation shall be filed with the claims commission until the alternative dispute resolution process, as provided in § 50-6-236, has been exhausted. Notwithstanding this subsection (d), 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 alternative dispute resolution process before filing a claim and submitting the compromise and settlement to the claims commission for approval, pursuant to § 9-8-307(a)(1)(K), or to a workers' compensation judge pursuant to § 50-6-240. If the settlement is not approved, the parties shall then exhaust the alternative dispute resolution process.
- The right to compensation for an occupational disease, or a claim for death benefits as a result of an occupational disease, must be initiated within the time periods set forth in this section; provided, however, that the applicable time limitation period or periods shall commence as of the date of the beginning of the incapacity for work resulting from an occupational disease, or upon the date death results from the occupational disease; provided, however, that, if, upon the date of the death of the employee, the employee's claim has become barred, the claim of the employee's dependent or dependents shall likewise be barred.
- In case of physical or mental incapacity, other than minority, of the injured person or such 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 such case shall be extended for one (1) year from the date when such incapacity ceases.
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