(a) Whenever any person is convicted of an offense and an order for the payment of compensation is or has been made under this chapter for a personal injury or death resulting from the act constituting such offense, the state of Tennessee may institute an action against such person for the recovery of the whole or any specified part of the compensation in the circuit courts of the state of Tennessee in any county, in a state, or in a federal court of any other state or district in which such person resides.

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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 29-13-113

  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Court: means the circuit courts of the state of Tennessee, for the purposes of filing a claim, and any court of the state which has the jurisdiction to try a crime against person or property, for the purpose of assessing the costs provided for in §. See Tennessee Code 29-13-102
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Division: means the division of claims and risk management created pursuant to §. See Tennessee Code 29-13-102
  • Lawsuit: A legal action started by a plaintiff against a defendant based on a complaint that the defendant failed to perform a legal duty, resulting in harm to the plaintiff.
  • Offender: means a person who has or is alleged to have committed a crime. See Tennessee Code 29-13-102
  • Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • United States: includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(b) An order for the payment of compensation under this chapter shall not affect the right of any person to recover damages from any other person by a civil action for the injury or death.
(c) As a condition for the receipt of a criminal injuries compensation award, the recipient of an award shall agree, by such form as the board of claims may direct, to cooperate fully with appropriate officials of the state should the state proceed to institute an action against the criminal offender to recover the whole or any specified part of the compensation awarded.
(d) Should any person receiving an award for criminal injuries compensation choose to exercise such person’s right to recover damages in civil court for injury or death, such person shall notify the district attorney general and the division of the institution of such a lawsuit by serving the district attorney general and the division through the United States mail with a copy of the complaint, all subsequent pleadings and a copy of the final judgment in order to give the state notice of the existence of such an action so that the state may pursue its subrogated interest.