(a)Payment of compensation under this chapter shall be ordered for losses or expenses as defined in this section only upon submission of written documentation which clearly shows that such losses and expenses were actually and reasonably incurred by the claimant. The burden of proof of losses and expenses shall be upon the claimant. The payment of compensation under this chapter shall be awarded for:
(1)Expenses actually and reasonably incurred as a result of the personal injury or death of the victim, including, but not limited to, actual expenditures of moneys for or indebtedness resulting from medical services, hospital services, funeral and burial expenses;
(2)"Permanent partial disability" or "permanent total disability" as defined in § 29-13-107 ;
(3)Expenses actually and reasona
Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI
(a) Payment of compensation under this chapter shall be ordered for losses or expenses as defined in this section only upon submission of written documentation which clearly shows that such losses and expenses were actually and reasonably incurred by the claimant. The burden of proof of losses and expenses shall be upon the claimant. The payment of compensation under this chapter shall be awarded for: (1) Expenses actually and reasonably incurred as a result of the personal injury or death of the victim, including, but not limited to, actual expenditures of moneys for or indebtedness resulting from medical services, hospital services, funeral and burial expenses; (2) "Permanent partial disability" or "permanent total disability" as defined in § 29-13-107 ; (3) Expenses actually and reasonably incurred as the result of the claimant traveling to and from the trial of the defendant or defendants alleged to have committed an offense as defined in § 29-13-104 , regardless of whether the claimant is called as a witness, and expenses actually and reasonably incurred as the result of the claimant traveling to and from appellate, post-conviction or habeas corpus proceedings resulting from the trial of a defendant or defendants alleged to have committed a compensable offense as defined in § 29-13-104 . Any award made under the preceding sentence to a claimant shall not exceed a cumulative total of one thousand two hundred fifty dollars ($1,250) for all such travel. For the purposes of this subdivision (a)(3) "claimant" means the victim, the guardian of a victim if the victim is a minor, the legal representative of the estate of a deceased victim, or relative of the victim as defined in § 29-13-102 . As used in the preceding sentence, "legal representative of the estate of a deceased victim" shall not be construed or implemented to include any attorney who, for a fee, serves as legal representative of the estate of such victim. In no case shall compensation be awarded under this subdivision (a)(3) to more than four (4) claimants as a result of the "same criminal act" as defined in subsection (e). Further, no award shall be made to a claimant under this subdivision (a)(3) if the claimant is otherwise eligible for the payment of travel expenses by the state or any county of this state as a result of the claimant attending the trial as a witness; (4) Reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred for cleaning supplies, equipment rental and labor needed to clean the scene of a homicide, sexual assault or aggravated assault, if the scene was the residence of the victim or a relative of the victim as defined in § 29-13-102 . "Cleaning the scene" means to remove, or attempt to remove, from the crime scene blood, dirt, stains or other debris caused by the crime or the processing of the crime scene; (5) Pecuniary loss to the dependents of a deceased victim; (6) Any other pecuniary loss, including lost wages, as defined in § 29-13-107 , resulting from the personal injury or death of the victim that is determined to be reasonable; (7) The victim's reasonable moving expenses, storage fees and fees for transfer of utility service if the move is a direct result of an assault committed upon such victim at the victim's residence, provided that the victim shall not receive compensation for more than two (2) moves resulting from the assault; and (8) Reasonable costs of cleaning, repairing or replacing eyeglasses and hearing aids owned by the victim that were damaged or destroyed by the crime or the processing of the crime scene, and the reasonable costs of repairing or replacing personal property owned by the victim or a relative of the victim as defined in § 29-13-102 that was damaged or destroyed in processing the scene of a homicide, sexual assault or aggravated assault if the scene was the residence of the victim or the relative of the victim who owned the property. (b) In no case will any compensation be awarded for any damage to real or personal property, except as provided in subdivision (a)(8). For the purpose of this section, "dental devices", "artificial prosthetic devices" and "medically related devices" are not considered personal property. (c) Compensation must not be awarded for any personal injury or loss alleged to have been incurred as a result of pain and suffering, except for victims of the crime of rape, victims of a human trafficking offense, and victims of a crime involving sexual deviancy, including minors who are victims of the crimes contained in § 39-13-314 , § 39-13-316 , §§ 39-13-502 - 39-13-505, § 39-13-522 , § 39-15-302 , § 39-17-902 , and §§ 39-17-1003 - 39-17-1005, or any attempt, conspiracy, or solicitation to commit such offenses. (d) Except as provided in subdivision (a)(3), no award shall be made unless the claimant has incurred a minimum out of pocket loss of one hundred dollars ($100) or has lost at least two (2) continuous weeks earnings or support, unless it is determined that the interest of justice would not be served by such a limitation. (e) No compensation shall be awarded on account of the same criminal act in an amount in excess of thirty thousand dollars ($30,000), except as provided in subsection (h). All awards granted under subsection (a) shall be aggregated in determining this amount. For the purposes of this chapter, where a victim is injured as a result of two (2) or more criminal acts that occur: (1) Sequentially, but involve the same criminal or group of criminals, and the same victim or group of victims; and (2) The victim or victims remain in the presence or under the control of the criminal or criminals, then the injuries shall be deemed to have resulted from a single criminal act. For the purposes of this chapter, where a minor is the victim of crimes listed in subsection (c), and there are multiple occurrences of one (1) or more of these listed crimes by a single criminal over a period of time, then such injuries shall be deemed to have resulted from a single criminal act. (f) (1) Any award shall be reduced by the amounts of payment already received or any amounts which claimant is legally entitled to receive as a result of the injury: (A) From or on behalf of the offender; (B) From any other public or private source; or (C) As an emergency award pursuant to § 29-13-114 . (2) It is the intent of this subsection (f) to prohibit double recoveries by criminal victims, but it shall not be construed to prohibit recovery of compensation under this chapter if the recovery from the sources set forth in subdivisions (f)(1)(A) and (B) is insufficient to reimburse the victim for total compensable injuries as set forth in this chapter. Recoveries under subdivisions (f)(1)(A) and (B) shall be considered as primary indemnification, and recoveries under subsection (a) shall be limited to compensating for injuries over and above any recoveries under subdivisions (f)(1)(A) and (B). In claims involving the death of a victim, the proceeds from any life insurance contracts payable to the victim's dependent or dependents making the claim for compensation shall not be considered a source of reimbursement. (g) If two (2) or more persons are entitled to compensation as a result of the death of the victim, amounts shall be apportioned among claimants in proportion to their loss. (h) It is the intent of the general assembly that the maximum award pursuant to subsection (e) equal no less than one hundred five percent (105%) of the national average of the maximum compensation award provided by the fifty (50) states within the United States, the District of Columbia and the United States Virgin Islands. No later than October 1 of each year, the treasurer shall compare the maximum award limit for this program with the average of the maximum award limits of the other states; provided, however, that the other states have a maximum award limit which is ascertainable or set in a manner similar to that of Tennessee. In the event that any of the states or territories do not have an overall maximum award, the treasurer shall eliminate that state or territory from comparison. If the treasurer determines that the maximum is less than one hundred five percent (105%) of the national average, the treasurer shall adjust the maximum award to an amount equal to one hundred five percent (105%) of the national average; provided, however, that the maximum award shall be rounded up to the nearest one hundred dollars ($100). Any adjustment made pursuant to this provision shall be effective on July 1 of the next fiscal year and shall apply to claims filed for crimes occurring on or after such date. The treasurer shall make any adjustment to the maximum award by rule promulgated in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5.
Amended by 2023 Tenn. Acts, ch. 359, s 2, eff. 5/5/2023. Acts 1976, ch. 736, § 6; T.C.A., §§ 23-3506, 23-35-106; Acts 1981, ch. 163, § 4; 1984, ch. 752, §§ 1, 3, 8; 1985, ch. 278, §§ 4, 12; 1985, ch. 478, § 23; 1986, ch. 834, §§ 1, 2, 5, 8; 1986, ch. 911, § 3; 1988, ch. 776, §§ 1, 2, 5, 6; 1989, ch. 129, §§ 5-9; 1990, ch. 755, §§ 6-8; 1993, ch. 494, §§ 17, 18; 1996, ch. 675, § 13; 1997 , ch. 302, §§ 1, 5; 1997 , ch. 509, § 1, 2, 4; 1998, ch. 785, § 19; 1998, ch. 1037, § 1; 1999, ch. 271, §§ 1 - 3; 2000, ch. 975, §§ 1, 2; 2002, ch. 869, §§ 1, 2, 6 - 9.