LegalFix

§ 50-6-110. Injuries not covered -- Drug and alcohol testing.

TN Code § 50-6-110 (2019) (N/A)
Copy with citation
Copy as parenthetical citation

(a) No compensation shall be allowed for an injury or death due to:

(1) The employee's willful misconduct;

(2) The employee's intentional self-inflicted injury;

(3) The employee's intoxication or illegal drug usage;

(4) The employee's willful failure or refusal to use a safety device;

(5) The employee's willful failure to perform a duty required by law; or

(6) The employee's voluntary participation in recreational, social, athletic or exercise activities, including, but not limited to, athletic events, competitions, parties, picnics, or exercise programs, whether or not the employer pays some or all of the costs of the activities unless:

(A) Participation was expressly or impliedly required by the employer;

(B) Participation produced a direct benefit to the employer beyond improvement in employee health and morale;

(C) Participation was during employee's work hours and was part of the employee's work-related duties; or

(D) The injury occurred due to an unsafe condition during voluntary participation using facilities designated by, furnished by or maintained by the employer on or off the employer's premises and the employer had actual knowledge of the unsafe condition and failed to curtail the activity or program or cure the unsafe condition.

(b) If the employer defends on the ground that the injury arose in any or all of the ways stated in subsection (a), the burden of proof shall be on the employer to establish the defense.

(c)

(1) In cases where the employer has implemented a drug-free workplace pursuant to chapter 9 of this title, if the injured employee has, at the time of the injury, a blood alcohol concentration level equal to or greater than eight hundredths of one percent (0.08%) for non-safety sensitive positions, or four hundredths of one percent (0.04%) for safety-sensitive positions, as determined by blood or breath testing, or if the injured employee has a positive confirmation of a drug as defined in § 50-9-103, then it is presumed that the drug or alcohol was the proximate cause of the injury. This presumption may be rebutted by clear and convincing evidence that the drug or alcohol was not the proximate cause of injury. Percent by weight of alcohol in the blood must be based upon grams of alcohol per one hundred milliliters (100 mL) of blood. If the results are positive, the testing facility must maintain the specimen for a minimum of three hundred sixty-five (365) days at minus twenty degrees celsius (-20° C.). Blood serum may be used for testing purposes under this chapter; provided, however, that if this test is used, the presumptions under this section do not arise unless the blood alcohol level is proved to be medically and scientifically equivalent to or greater than the comparable blood alcohol level that would have been obtained if the test were based on percent by weight of alcohol in the blood. However, if, before the accident, the employer had actual knowledge of and acquiesced in the employee's presence at the workplace while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the employer retains the burden of proof in asserting any defense under subsections (a) and (b), and this subsection (c) does not apply.

(2) If the injured worker refuses to submit to a drug test, it shall be presumed, in the absence of clear and convincing evidence to the contrary, that the proximate cause of the injury was the influence of drugs, as defined in § 50-9-103.

(3) The administrator of the bureau of workers' compensation shall provide, by rule, for the authorization and regulation of drug testing policies, procedures and methods. Testing of injured employees pursuant to a drug-free workplace program under chapter 9 of this title shall not commence until the rules are adopted.

LegalFix

Copyright ©2024 LegalFix. All rights reserved. LegalFix is not a law firm, is not licensed to practice law, and does not provide legal advice, services, or representation. The information on this website is an overview of the legal plans you can purchase—or that may be provided by your employer as an employee benefit or by your credit union or other membership group as a membership benefit.

LegalFix provides its members with easy access to affordable legal services through a network of independent law firms. LegalFix, its corporate entity, and its officers, directors, employees, agents, and contractors do not provide legal advice, services, or representation—directly or indirectly.

The articles and information on the site are not legal advice and should not be relied upon—they are for information purposes only. You should become a LegalFix member to get legal services from one of our network law firms.

You should not disclose confidential or potentially incriminating information to LegalFix—you should only communicate such information to your network law firm.

The benefits and legal services described in the LegalFix legal plans are not always available in all states or with all plans. See the legal plan Benefit Overview and the more comprehensive legal plan contract during checkout for coverage details in your state.

Use of this website, the purchase of legal plans, and access to the LegalFix networks of law firms are subject to the LegalFix Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

We have updated our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosures. By continuing to browse this site, you agree to our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosures.
§ 50-6-110. Injuries not covered -- Drug and alcohol testing.