How to File a Workers' Compensation Claim in Tennessee
Reviewed by DocDraft Legal Team · Tennessee · Last updated 2026-09-07
A workers' compensation claim is how an employee who is injured on the job, or made ill by work, obtains medical care and wage-replacement benefits from the employer's insurer, without having to prove the employer was at fault. In Tennessee, the system is administered by the Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) within the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, and disputes are decided by the Court of Workers' Compensation Claims. Two deadlines are critical. You must report the injury to your employer within 15 calendar days of the accident (Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-201), and you generally have one year to file a Petition for Benefit Determination if the claim is disputed (Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-203). In Tennessee, reporting the injury to your employer starts the claim, and the employer files a First Report of Work Injury with its insurer, which then accepts, delays, or denies the claim and arranges care through a panel of physicians. If the claim is disputed, you file a Petition for Benefit Determination with the Bureau, which mediates before the case goes to a Court of Workers' Compensation Claims judge. Attorney review of your claim is available through DocDraft.
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Where are you after your work injury?
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How do I file a workers' compensation claim in Tennessee?
First, report your injury to your employer within 15 calendar days (Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-201). Reporting starts the claim, and your employer files a First Report of Work Injury with its insurer. The insurer then accepts, delays, or denies your claim and arranges medical care through a panel of physicians.
How long do I have to file a workers' compensation claim in Tennessee?
Two deadlines matter. You must report the injury to your employer within 15 calendar days (Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-201). Separately, if the claim is disputed, you generally have one year to file a Petition for Benefit Determination with the Bureau (Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-203). Missing either can bar your benefits.
What form do I file for a workers' compensation claim in Tennessee?
In Tennessee, reporting your injury to your employer starts the claim, so there is no worker claim form to open it. Your employer files a First Report of Work Injury with its insurer. If the claim is denied or disputed, you file a Petition for Benefit Determination with the Bureau.
Who handles workers' compensation claims in Tennessee?
Tennessee's workers' compensation system is administered by the Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC), part of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Your employer's insurer decides your claim day to day. If a dispute arises, the Bureau mediates, and a Court of Workers' Compensation Claims judge adjudicates it.
Tennessee workers' compensation claim law at a glance
In Tennessee, workers' compensation gives an employee who is injured on the job medical care and wage-replacement benefits from the employer's insurer, regardless of fault. The system is run by the Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) within the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, and contested claims are decided by the Court of Workers' Compensation Claims. You must report the injury to your employer within 15 calendar days of the accident (Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-201). Reporting starts the claim, and your employer files a First Report of Work Injury with its insurer, which accepts, delays, or denies benefits and arranges care through a panel of physicians. If the claim is disputed, you generally have one year to file a Petition for Benefit Determination with the Bureau (Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-203), which mediates before a judge decides.
Filing a Tennessee workers' compensation claim after a warehouse back injury
Suppose you hurt your back lifting boxes at a Tennessee warehouse. You tell your supervisor and, the same week, report the injury in writing, staying well inside the 15-day reporting deadline (Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-201). Reporting starts your claim, and your employer files a First Report of Work Injury with its insurer. An adjuster contacts you, and you choose a doctor from the panel of physicians. The insurer pays for treatment but later disputes how much wage-replacement you are owed. Because you must act within one year of the injury (Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-203), you file a Petition for Benefit Determination with the Bureau, which mediates the dispute. Attorney review of your claim is available through DocDraft.
Relevant Laws
Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-201 (15-day notice of injury to employer)
Provides that compensation is not payable unless written notice of the injury is given to the employer within 15 days after the occurrence of the accident, unless a reasonable excuse for the delay is shown. For injuries occurring on or after July 1, 2016, the notice period is 15 calendar days.
Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-203 (one-year period to file a petition for benefit determination)
Provides that the right to compensation is forever barred unless notice is given to the employer and a petition for benefit determination is filed with the Bureau within one year after the accident, or where benefits have been paid, within one year from the last authorized treatment or last payment of compensation.
Tennessee Bureau of Workers' Compensation, Filing a Claim
The Bureau's filing-a-claim page states employees generally have fifteen calendar days to report a suspected injury to their employer, that reporting the injury starts the claims process, and that the employer must report it to its insurance adjuster, which is the filing of the claim.
Tennessee Bureau of Workers' Compensation, What Are My Rights
The Bureau's rights page states that the deadline to file the request is one year from the date the injury occurred, or the date the last temporary disability or medical benefits were provided, whichever is latest, and that an injured worker has a right to a hearing before a Court of Workers' Compensation Claims judge.
Regional Variances
Tennessee workers' compensation claim rules at a glance
Reporting deadline
15 calendar days from the accident to report the injury to your employer, under Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-201. Compensation is not payable unless notice is given within 15 days, absent a reasonable excuse for the delay.
How the claim opens
Reporting the injury to your employer starts the claim. The employer files a First Report of Work Injury with its insurer, which is the filing of the claim. There is no separate worker claim form to open it.
Filing deadline
Generally one year to file a Petition for Benefit Determination with the Bureau of Workers' Compensation (Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-203). The period runs from the injury or the last benefit paid, whichever is latest.
Who administers it
The Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC), within the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Disputes are adjudicated by the Court of Workers' Compensation Claims, with appeals to the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board.
How disputes are filed
By filing a Petition for Benefit Determination with the Bureau when the insurer denies, delays, or underpays the claim. The Bureau mediates first; if that fails, a Court of Workers' Compensation Claims judge decides.
Suggested Compliance Checklist
Report the injury to your employer
Within 15 days of the injury days after startingGive your employer or supervisor notice of the injury within 15 calendar days of the accident (Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-201). Compensation is not payable unless notice is given in time, absent a reasonable excuse, so report immediately and keep a dated copy.
Confirm your employer files the claim with its insurer
Right after you report days after startingIn Tennessee, your employer files a First Report of Work Injury with its workers' compensation insurer, which opens the claim. Confirm it was filed and note the date. An insurance adjuster should contact you, generally within 48 hours, to begin handling the claim.
Choose a treating doctor from the panel of physicians
As soon as care is offered days after startingYour employer must offer a panel of physicians so you can select a treating doctor. Get treatment promptly and keep every medical record, bill, and work restriction. Good documentation supports your claim if the insurer later disputes benefits. Attorney review of your claim is available through DocDraft.
Track the insurer's decision and deadlines
While the claim is pending days after startingThe insurer will accept, delay, or deny your claim and pay medical and temporary disability benefits when owed. Calendar any deadline the insurer sets, keep proof of what you sent, and note the injury date to protect the one-year filing window under Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-203.
File a Petition for Benefit Determination if disputed
Within one year of the injury or last benefit days after startingIf the claim is denied, delayed, or underpaid, file a Petition for Benefit Determination with the Bureau of Workers' Compensation within one year of the injury or the last benefit paid (Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-203). The Bureau then mediates the dispute. File early to protect your rights.
Prepare for mediation and a possible hearing
After you file the petition days after startingAfter you file the Petition for Benefit Determination, the Bureau assigns a mediator to try to resolve the dispute. If mediation fails, the case proceeds to a Court of Workers' Compensation Claims judge. Attorney review of your claim and petition is available through DocDraft.
| Task | Description | Document | Days after starting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Report the injury to your employer | Give your employer or supervisor notice of the injury within 15 calendar days of the accident (Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-201). Compensation is not payable unless notice is given in time, absent a reasonable excuse, so report immediately and keep a dated copy. | - | Within 15 days of the injury |
| Confirm your employer files the claim with its insurer | In Tennessee, your employer files a First Report of Work Injury with its workers' compensation insurer, which opens the claim. Confirm it was filed and note the date. An insurance adjuster should contact you, generally within 48 hours, to begin handling the claim. | - | Right after you report |
| Choose a treating doctor from the panel of physicians | Your employer must offer a panel of physicians so you can select a treating doctor. Get treatment promptly and keep every medical record, bill, and work restriction. Good documentation supports your claim if the insurer later disputes benefits. Attorney review of your claim is available through DocDraft. | - | As soon as care is offered |
| Track the insurer's decision and deadlines | The insurer will accept, delay, or deny your claim and pay medical and temporary disability benefits when owed. Calendar any deadline the insurer sets, keep proof of what you sent, and note the injury date to protect the one-year filing window under Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-203. | - | While the claim is pending |
| File a Petition for Benefit Determination if disputed | If the claim is denied, delayed, or underpaid, file a Petition for Benefit Determination with the Bureau of Workers' Compensation within one year of the injury or the last benefit paid (Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-203). The Bureau then mediates the dispute. File early to protect your rights. | - | Within one year of the injury or last benefit |
| Prepare for mediation and a possible hearing | After you file the Petition for Benefit Determination, the Bureau assigns a mediator to try to resolve the dispute. If mediation fails, the case proceeds to a Court of Workers' Compensation Claims judge. Attorney review of your claim and petition is available through DocDraft. | - | After you file the petition |
Frequently Asked Questions
A workers' compensation claim is how an employee injured on the job, or made sick by work, obtains medical care and wage-replacement benefits from the employer's insurer, without proving fault. In Tennessee, you open a claim by reporting the injury to your employer, and disputes are decided by the Court of Workers' Compensation Claims.
Reporting means telling your employer about the injury, which you must do within 15 calendar days (Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-201) and which starts the claim. Filing, in Tennessee, refers to the separate Petition for Benefit Determination you submit to the Bureau if the claim is denied or disputed. Reporting always comes first.
You generally have 15 calendar days from the accident to report the injury to your employer (Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-201). The Bureau of Workers' Compensation states employees have fifteen calendar days from when they knew or should have known about the injury to report it, so report promptly.
Generally, you have one year to file a Petition for Benefit Determination with the Bureau (Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-203). The Bureau states the deadline is one year from the date of injury, or the last temporary disability or medical benefit provided, whichever is latest. Missing it can bar your claim.
Reporting late can jeopardize your claim. Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-201 provides that compensation is not payable unless written notice is given within 15 days of the accident, unless you show a reasonable excuse. To protect your right to benefits, report the injury to your employer as soon as you can.
Day to day, your employer's insurer decides whether to accept, delay, or deny the claim. If you disagree, the Bureau of Workers' Compensation mediates the dispute after you file a Petition for Benefit Determination. If mediation fails, a Court of Workers' Compensation Claims judge resolves it.
No. Tennessee workers' compensation is a no-fault system, so you do not have to prove your employer did anything wrong to receive benefits. You generally need to show the injury arose out of and in the course of your employment. In exchange, benefits are set by statute rather than a jury.
If the insurer denies or delays your claim, file a Petition for Benefit Determination with the Bureau of Workers' Compensation. You generally must do so within one year of the injury or the last benefit paid (Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-203). Attorney review of your case is available through DocDraft.
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