Nevada Revised Statutes

Nev. Rev. Stat. § 616C.230 (2026)

Grounds for denial, reduction or suspension of compensation; evidence of and examination for use of alcohol or controlled substance

✓ current as of July 2026
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NRS 616C.230  Grounds for denial, reduction or suspension of compensation; evidence of and examination for use of alcohol or controlled substance.

      1.  Compensation is not payable pursuant to the provisions of chapters 616A to 616D, inclusive, or chapter 617 of NRS for an injury:

      (a) Caused by the employee’s willful intention to injure himself or herself.

      (b) Caused by the employee’s willful intention to injure another.

      (c) That occurred while the employee was in a state of intoxication, unless the employee can prove by clear and convincing evidence that his or her state of intoxication was not the proximate cause of the injury. For the purposes of this paragraph, an employee is in a state of intoxication if the level of alcohol in the bloodstream of the employee meets or exceeds the limits set forth in subsection 1 of NRS 484C.110.

      (d) That occurred while the employee was under the influence of a controlled or prohibited substance, unless the employee can prove by clear and convincing evidence that his or her being under the influence of a controlled or prohibited substance was not the proximate cause of the injury. For the purposes of this paragraph, an employee is under the influence of a controlled or prohibited substance if the employee had an amount of a controlled or prohibited substance for which the employee did not have a current and lawful prescription issued in the employee’s name in his or her system at the time of his or her injury that was equal to or greater than:

 

                                                                                                      Urine                             Blood

                                                                                     Nanograms per             Nanograms per

             Prohibited substance                                               milliliter                          milliliter

 

             (1) Amphetamine                                                            500                                 100

             (2) Cocaine                                                                       150                                   50

             (3) Cocaine metabolite                                                   150                                   50

             (4) Heroin                                                                      2,000                                   50

             (5) Heroin metabolite:

                   (I) Morphine                                                          2,000                                   50

                   (II) 6-monoacetyl morphine                                     10                                   10

             (6) Lysergic acid diethylamide                                       25                                   10

             (7) Methamphetamine                                                    500                                 100

             (8) Phencyclidine                                                              25                                   10

             (9) Marijuana (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol)                                                       2

 

      2.  For the purposes of paragraphs (c) and (d) of subsection 1:

      (a) The affidavit or declaration of an expert or other person described in NRS 50.310, 50.315 or 50.320 is admissible to prove the existence of an impermissible quantity of alcohol or the existence, quantity or identity of an impermissible controlled or prohibited substance in an employee’s system. If the affidavit or declaration is to be so used, it must be submitted in the manner prescribed in NRS 616C.355.

      (b) When an examination requested or ordered includes testing for the use of alcohol or a controlled or prohibited substance, the laboratory that conducts the testing must be licensed pursuant to the provisions of chapter 652 of NRS.

      (c) The results of any testing for the use of alcohol or a controlled or prohibited substance, irrespective of the purpose for performing the test, must be made available to an insurer or employer upon request, to the extent that doing so does not conflict with federal law.

      3.  No compensation is payable for the death, disability or treatment of an employee if the employee’s death is caused by, or insofar as the employee’s disability is aggravated, caused or continued by, an unreasonable refusal or neglect to submit to or to follow any competent and reasonable surgical treatment or medical aid.

      4.  If any employee persists in an unsanitary or injurious practice that imperils or retards his or her recovery, or refuses to submit to such medical or surgical treatment as is necessary to promote his or her recovery, the employee’s compensation may be reduced or suspended.

      5.  An injured employee’s compensation, other than accident benefits, must be suspended if:

      (a) A physician or chiropractic physician determines that the employee is unable to undergo treatment, testing or examination for the industrial injury solely because of a condition or injury that did not arise out of and in the course of employment; and

      (b) It is within the ability of the employee to correct the nonindustrial condition or injury.

Ê The compensation must be suspended until the injured employee is able to resume treatment, testing or examination for the industrial injury. The insurer may elect to pay for the treatment of the nonindustrial condition or injury.

      6.  As used in this section, “prohibited substance” means any of the following substances if the person who uses the substance has not been issued a valid prescription to use the substance and the substance is classified in schedule I or II pursuant to NRS 453.166 or 453.176 when it is used:

      (a) Amphetamine.

      (b) Cocaine.

      (c) Cocaine metabolite.

      (d) Heroin.

      (e) Heroin metabolite:

             (1) Morphine.

             (2) 6-monoacetyl morphine.

      (f) Lysergic acid diethylamide.

      (g) Methamphetamine.

      (h) Phencyclidine.

      (i) Marijuana (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol).

      [70:168:1947; 1943 NCL § 2680.70] + [71:168:1947; 1943 NCL § 2680.71] + [72:168:1947; 1943 NCL § 2680.72]—(NRS A 1979, 1057; 1981, 1198; 1991, 2421; 1993, 745; 1995, 2153; 1997, 1394, 1421; 1999, 224, 442, 2215; 2001, 3072; 2009, 1280; 2015, 1135; 2017, 324; 2021, 1465)

     

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 5 cases, 1997–2008 · leading case: Constr. Indus. Workers' Comp. Grp. Ex Rel. Mojave Elec. v. Chalue, 74 P.3d 595 (Nev. 2003).
Constr. Indus. Workers' Comp. Grp. Ex Rel. Mojave Elec. v. Chalue, 74 P.3d 595 (Nev. 2003). · cites it 11× “OPINION Per Curiam: This is an appeal from a district court order upholding the decision of an appeals officer that respondent John Chalue provided sufficient evidence to rebut the presumption that marijuana was a proximate cause of his work-related injuries pursuant to NRS…”
Vredenburg Ex Rel. Vredenburg v. Sedgwick CMS, 188 P.3d 1084 (Nev. 2008). · cites it 7× “While workers’ compensation benefits are generally available for accidental employee deaths, under NRS 616C.230(1), Nevada’s *555 willful self-injury exclusion, the employee’s surviving family members are precluded from recovering benefits if the employee’s death results from a…”
State Indus. Ins. Sys. v. Engel, 971 P.2d 793 (Nev. 1998). · cites it 12× “575 notwithstanding, Engel contends that NRS 616C.230(4) governs this dispute: An injured employee's compensation, other than accident benefits, must be suspended if: (a) A physician or chiropractor determines that the employee is unable to undergo treatment, testing or…”
Desert Valley Constr. v. Hurley, 96 P.3d 739 (Nev. 2004). · cites it 12× “Aside from seeking an interpretation of NRS 616C.230, which we provided in Chalue, EICN asserts that substantial evidence does not support the appeals officer’s proximate cause findings, and that Hurley should not have been permitted to rebut the presumption against compensation…”
Browning v. Young Elec. Sign Co., 936 P.2d 322 (Nev. 1997). · cites it 3× “The district judge reversed the appeals officer’s decision based on the fact that the appeals officer had concluded that Browning had been intoxicated at the time of the injury and had failed to rebut the presumption that alcohol was the proximate cause of his injury.”
— Nev. Rev. Stat. § 616C.230(1) — 2 cases
Vredenburg Ex Rel. Vredenburg v. Sedgwick CMS, 188 P.3d 1084 (Nev. 2008). “While workers’ compensation benefits are generally available for accidental employee deaths, under NRS 616C.230(1), Nevada’s *555 willful self-injury exclusion, the employee’s surviving family members are precluded from recovering benefits if the employee’s death results from a…”
Desert Valley Constr. v. Hurley, 96 P.3d 739 (Nev. 2004). “Aside from seeking an interpretation of NRS 616C.230, which we provided in Chalue, EICN asserts that substantial evidence does not support the appeals officer’s proximate cause findings, and that Hurley should not have been permitted to rebut the presumption against compensation…”
— Nev. Rev. Stat. § 616C.230(1)(d) — 2 cases
Constr. Indus. Workers' Comp. Grp. Ex Rel. Mojave Elec. v. Chalue, 74 P.3d 595 (Nev. 2003). “OPINION Per Curiam: This is an appeal from a district court order upholding the decision of an appeals officer that respondent John Chalue provided sufficient evidence to rebut the presumption that marijuana was a proximate cause of his work-related injuries pursuant to NRS…”
Desert Valley Constr. v. Hurley, 96 P.3d 739 (Nev. 2004). “Aside from seeking an interpretation of NRS 616C.230, which we provided in Chalue, EICN asserts that substantial evidence does not support the appeals officer’s proximate cause findings, and that Hurley should not have been permitted to rebut the presumption against compensation…”
— Nev. Rev. Stat. § 616C.230(4) — 1 case
State Indus. Ins. Sys. v. Engel, 971 P.2d 793 (Nev. 1998). “575 notwithstanding, Engel contends that NRS 616C.230(4) governs this dispute: An injured employee's compensation, other than accident benefits, must be suspended if: (a) A physician or chiropractor determines that the employee is unable to undergo treatment, testing or…”
— Nev. Rev. Stat. § 616C.230(4)(a) — 1 case
State Indus. Ins. Sys. v. Engel, 971 P.2d 793 (Nev. 1998). “575 notwithstanding, Engel contends that NRS 616C.230(4) governs this dispute: An injured employee's compensation, other than accident benefits, must be suspended if: (a) A physician or chiropractor determines that the employee is unable to undergo treatment, testing or…”
— Nev. Rev. Stat. § 616C.230(l)(d) — 2 cases
Constr. Indus. Workers' Comp. Grp. Ex Rel. Mojave Elec. v. Chalue, 74 P.3d 595 (Nev. 2003). “OPINION Per Curiam: This is an appeal from a district court order upholding the decision of an appeals officer that respondent John Chalue provided sufficient evidence to rebut the presumption that marijuana was a proximate cause of his work-related injuries pursuant to NRS…”
Desert Valley Constr. v. Hurley, 96 P.3d 739 (Nev. 2004). “Aside from seeking an interpretation of NRS 616C.230, which we provided in Chalue, EICN asserts that substantial evidence does not support the appeals officer’s proximate cause findings, and that Hurley should not have been permitted to rebut the presumption against compensation…”
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