UTC RAVE Alert

Worker's Compensation

As an employee of the University of Tennessee, if you have an accidental injury while working at your job, or develop an occupational illness because of your job, you may be covered by the Workers' Compensation Program for the State of Tennessee.

Claim Reporting Procedures

All University of Tennessee employees in an active paid status qualify for benefits through the Workers’ Compensation Program and must follow all UT and State of TN requirements.

STUDENTS: If you are a student and the injury did not occur while you were in the course and scope of your paid position, please click here to complete an incident report.

It is important for all employees and supervisors to understand their responsibilities and reporting requirements when employees sustain a work-related injury or experience an automobile accident while driving on UT business. Failure to report in a timely manner will result in departmental penalties of $500 - $1,000 for each occurrence.

The required claim reporting process for all employees is a 2-step procedure:

1. Report the Injury and Incident within 24 hours

2. Complete Required Paperwork within 24 hours

Details are outlined below.

Worker' s Compensation Claim Procedures


STEP 1 – REPORT THE INJURY OR INCIDENT
Procedural requirements for life-threatening injuries and non-life-threatening injuries vary. Details are outlined below.

Life-Threatening or Serious Bodily Injuries

Requires reporting by the injured employee or supervisor within 24 hours of the injury or incident.

  • If a work injury is Life-Threatening or results in Serious Bodily Injury, Immediately Call 911 and/or Go to the Nearest Emergency Room!
  • If an injured worker is unable to report the injury, the injured worker’s supervisor must immediately report the injury to CorVel, our third-party workers’ compensation administrator, at 1-866-245-8588, selecting Option 2.
  • Beginning July 1, 2019, the TN Division of Claims and Risk Management will assess a $500 departmental penalty each time an employee or employer (supervisor) does not report a work injury within (3) business days after sustaining that injury.

For automobile accidents while on University-related business in which a life-threatening or serious bodily injury occurs, the employee should immediately call 911 and/or go to the nearest emergency room! The supervisor should be notified once the employee is medically capable of doing so (within 24hrs if feasible). Once the supervisor receives notification of the accident, they must immediately report it to CorVel at 1-866-245-8588, selecting Option 2.

  • If a third-party is involved, the supervisor must also call the State of TN Auto Accident Call Center at 1-855-253-0629 within 24 hours. The State of TN assesses a $1,000 departmental penalty each time a third-party automobile accident is not reported within 24 hours of the accident.
  • The Vehicle Accident Form should be completed and submitted to the UT Risk Management Office at [email protected] within 24 hours of each incident involving vehicles (University-owned, leased/rental or privately-owned) being driven on University-related business. Incidents to be reported include all accidents, damages or theft.
  • Your campus Worker’s Compensation Coordinator must be notified of all life-threatening or serious bodily injuries. Such reports should be made to Jina Johnson at [email protected] or 423-425-4014 within 24 hours of the injury or incident.

Non-Life Threatening or Serious Bodily Injuries

Requires reporting by the injured employee within 24 hours of the injury or incident.

  • Injured Workers must immediately report the injury to their supervisor and CorVel, our third-party workers’ compensation administrator, at 1-866-245-8588, selecting Option 1.
    • This is a 24/7 Nurse Triage Line. The triage nurse will discuss the appropriate level of treatment needed and direct the injured worker to the nearest State of TN authorized treating physician.
    • If the injured worker agrees to self-care but later changes their mind, he/she must first call CorVel at 1-866-245-8588, selecting Option 1, to obtain authorization to treat.
    • Employees should not seek any type of treatment from a physician prior to reporting the injury to CorVel.
    • Beginning July 1, 2019, the TN Division of Claims and Risk Management will assess a $500 departmental penalty each time an injured worker seeks non-emergency medical treatment prior to reporting the injury to CorVel.
  • CorVel offers a PPO Lookup website to assist in locating the closest State of TN authorized treating physician. This link will allow the injured worker to locate a physician or facility via zip code, city/state, and within a certain radius of their current location. This PPO Lookup website does not replace the requirement to call CorVel to report the injury. All injuries must be reported to CorVel to avoid the penalty.

For automobile accidents/incidents while on University-related business, the employee should call 911 (or Police non-emergency numbers) for assistance and then they must immediately report the incident to their supervisor and to CorVel at 1-866-245-8588, selecting Option 1.

  • If a third-party is involved, the employee must also call the State of TN Auto Accident Call Center at 1-855-253-0629 within 24 hours. The State of TN assesses a $1,000 departmental penalty each time a third-party automobile accident is not reported within 24 hours of the accident.
  • The Vehicle Accident Form must be completed and submitted to the UT Risk Management Office at [email protected] within 24 hours of each incident involving vehicles (University-owned, leased/rental or privately-owned) being driven on University-related business. Incidents to be reported include all accidents, damages or theft.
    • For additional protocol requirements for handling vehicle accidents/incidents while on University-related business, including obtaining evidentiary photos and exchanging information with other parties/law enforcement, please visit Automobile Claims.
  • Your campus Worker’s Compensation Coordinator must be notified of all non-life threatening or serious bodily injury accidents, including any incident involving vehicles while on University-related business. Such reports should be made to Jina Johnson at [email protected] or 423-425-4014 within 24 hours of the injury or incident.

STEP 2 - COMPLETE REQUIRED PAPERWORK

Paperwork is required from the employee and their supervisor and should be submitted within 48 hours of the injury or incident.

Provide all paperwork listed below to your campus HR Workers’ Compensation Coordinator, Jina Johnson (423-425-4014), at [email protected].

Complete the 3 following forms for ALL worker’s compensation-related accidents or injuries:

Complete the following forms for worker’s compensation-related accidents or injuries in which the employee lost work time before returning to work  or was recommended by an authorized treating physician to take time off work.

Complete the following form for ALL worker’s compensation incidents involving a vehicle accident or incident while on University-related business.

  • Vehicle Accident Form - Should be completed and submitted to the UT Safety and Risk Management Office at [email protected] within 24 hours of each incident involving vehicles (University-owned, leased/rental or privately-owned) being driven on University-related business. Incidents to be reported include all accidents, damages or theft.

The following resources provide additional information related to Worker’s Compensation policies and procedures:

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING WORKERS’ COMPENSATION BENEFITS

Workers’ compensation coverage provides benefits to employees who suffer an injury or illness that is specifically and clearly caused while the employee is in the course and scope of their employment.

The Tennessee Department of Treasury, Division of Claims and Risk Management contracts with a third-party administrator (CorVel) for the processing of workers’ compensation claims and managed-care services. CorVel provides a 24/7 nurse triage phone line, pre-certification for inpatient hospital care, bill review, large case management, and other services to appropriately manage the costs of workers’ compensation claims.

For an injury to be compensable under Tennessee Workers’ Compensation law, employees must prove an injury “arising primarily out of, and in the course and scope of, employment.” An investigation by CorVel will be completed to determine if the claim is compensable.

All claim decisions are made by CorVel and/or the TN Division of Claims and Risk Management.

The University of Tennessee cannot alter or change any of these decisions, rules, or regulations.

Benefits while working from an alternate work location or telecommuting:

A University of Tennessee employee who is performing their work responsibilities at an alternate work location, as approved by their supervisor, may be eligible for UT’s workers’ compensation benefits. Workers’ compensation coverage is for work-related injuries that occur specifically and clearly in the course and scope of employment.

An employee injured at their home or work location, who believes an injury is a result of their employment, should report it to CorVel. An investigation will be completed by CorVel to determine compensability.

Return To Work Program:

In July 2016, the University of Tennessee and the State of Tennessee implemented a Return to Work (RTW) program. This program is designed to assist injured worker(s) in their return to meaningful, productive, employment as quickly as possible. The department in which the injured worker(s) is assigned will coordinate with Human Resources, the Office of Risk Management, CorVel, and the injured worker(s) to design a modified work plan, if applicable. For more information, please refer to HR0398 – Transitional Duty/Return to Work Program.

After Treatment Requirements for Injured Employees:

  • The injured employee must provide their supervisor a Work Status slip from each physician's visit. The Work Status slip(s) must be given to your campus Workers’ Compensation contact, who will provide them to the System Risk Management Workers’ Compensation Coordinator.
  • Any additional appointments, physical therapy, etc., must be authorized by the CorVel adjuster. 
  • The employee and department must always follow the physician’s orders: off work, restricted duty, etc.
  • If the injured employee has been given restrictions, the supervisor must complete a Transitional Duty Plan BEFORE the injured worker starts their next shift or both parties will be in violation of UT Policy HR0398-Transitional Duty/Return to Work Program.

Need additional information regarding Workers' Compensation?  Please contact:

Jina Johnson, HR Specialist, Payroll
[email protected] (423) 425-4014

Human Resources

Human Resources

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