You should report any work injury to your employer as soon as possible. Tennessee law requires that you report your injury to your employer within thirty (30) days of its occurrence. Some employers tell injured workers that they must report an injury on the day of the accident or they will not cover the injury under workers' compensation. This is a misstatement of the law as an injured worker is required to report an injury within thirty (30) days of when it occurred or when the worker knows or reasonably should know that they have injury that was caused by their work.
Tennessee laws require that injuries be reported in writing. This requirement that the report be in writing is excused if it can be shown that the injury was in fact reported to the employer within thirty (30) days or that the employer was aware of the injury within that time period. Many employers fill out an injury report to provide to their workers' compensation insurance company. If you are asked to fill out part of this report, you should request and keep a copy of it.
