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Tennessee accident law

Tennessee car accident settlement calculator

Tennessee is an at-fault state that uses modified comparative negligence, 50% bar. You generally have 1 year to file an injury lawsuit. The calculator below applies these rules to your numbers.

Checked against official sources November 5, 20265 cited sourcesHow we calculate

Injury lawsuit deadline1 yearTenn. Code Ann. 28-3-104(a)(1), (a)(2); 28-3-105(1); 29-20-305(b)
Fault ruleModified (50% bar)McIntyre v. Balentine, 833 S.W.2d 52 (Tenn. 1992) (judicially adopted); Grandstaff v. Hawks, 36 S.W.3d 482, 493 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2000), as quoted in Stamper v. Miller, No. E2025-01304-COA-R3-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. Oct. 19, 2026)
Insurance systemAt-faultNo PIP requirement
Minimum liability25/50/25thousands of dollars

Tennessee settlement estimate

How serious is the injury?
Moderate: months of treatment, full recovery. Typical multiplier 2 to 3.
Applied to your medical bills. Set by the injury above, adjust if you like.
Leave at 0 if unknown.
Lawyer fee, costs and liens
Estimated amount to you
$46,500

Likely range depends on the injury

Economic damages
$16,500
Pain and suffering
$30,000
Injury claim value
$46,500
After your share of fault
$46,500
Attorney fee and costs
$0
Liens repaid
$0

Tennessee: Modified comparative negligence, 50% bar, at-fault (tort) state.

An estimate, not legal advice. Deadlines can be shorter in some situations, for example for claims against a city or state agency. Talk to a Tennessee attorney about your case.

Tennessee filing deadlines

ClaimDeadline
Personal injury lawsuit1 year
Vehicle and property damage3 years
Wrongful death1 year
Notice of a claim against a governmentNo pre-suit notice requirement; actions under the Governmental Tort Liability Act must be commenced within 12 months after the cause of action arises (Tenn. Code Ann. 29-20-305(b)), treated as a condition precedent
Tenn. Code Ann. 28-3-104(a)(1), (a)(2); 28-3-105(1); 29-20-305(b). Counted from the accident date in most cases.

If you were partly at fault

Tennessee follows modified comparative negligence, 50% bar. Your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, and you recover nothing if you were at least as much at fault as the other side (50% or more).

  • With $100,000 in damages and 30% of the fault, you would recover $70,000.
  • With 55% of the fault, you would recover $0, because the rule bars your claim.

Plaintiff must be less than 50% at fault; at 50% recovery is barred. No statute; rule from case law.

Source: McIntyre v. Balentine, 833 S.W.2d 52 (Tenn. 1992) (judicially adopted); Grandstaff v. Hawks, 36 S.W.3d 482, 493 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2000), as quoted in Stamper v. Miller, No. E2025-01304-COA-R3-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. Oct. 19, 2026). Compare all states in the comparative negligence table.

At-fault (tort) state

In Tennessee the driver who caused the crash is responsible for the damage, so you claim against their liability insurance or sue them. Your own medical payments or health coverage can pay bills while the claim is pending.

Tennessee is a traditional tort state; only liability coverage is required under the Financial Responsibility Law.

Minimum car insurance in Tennessee

$25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for injuries, $25,000 for property damage. Uninsured motorist coverage is optional or can be rejected in writing.

Many drivers carry only the minimum, so the bodily injury limit is often the most the at-fault driver's insurer will pay one person.

Damage caps

Tennessee caps noneconomic damages: $750,000 per injured plaintiff for all injuries and occurrences; $1,000,000 for catastrophic loss or injury (e.g. paraplegia, quadriplegia, amputations, serious burns, wrongful death of a parent leaving a minor child); no cap where the defendant had specific intent to inflict serious injury, was intoxicated, or committed a felony causing the injury

Applies to actions accruing on or after October 1, 2011.

Dog bite law

Mixed rule. Owner who fails to keep the dog under reasonable control or lets it run at large is liable to a person injured in a public place or lawfully on another's private property, without proof of dangerous propensity (44-8-413(a)). Exceptions include police or military dogs, trespassers and provocation. If the injury occurs on the owner's residential, farm or other noncommercial property, the claimant must prove the owner knew or should have known of the dog's dangerous propensities (44-8-413(c)).

Source: Tenn. Code Ann. 44-8-413. Estimate a claim with the dog bite calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to file a car accident claim in Tennessee?

1 year from the accident for an injury lawsuit and 3 years for vehicle damage (Tenn. Code Ann. 28-3-104(a)(1), (a)(2); 28-3-105(1); 29-20-305(b)). Insurance claims should be reported much sooner, and claims against a government agency can have shorter notice deadlines.

Is Tennessee a no-fault state?

No. Tennessee is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the other people's injuries and damage.

What happens if I was partly at fault in Tennessee?

Tennessee follows modified comparative negligence, 50% bar (McIntyre v. Balentine, 833 S.W.2d 52 (Tenn. 1992) (judicially adopted); Grandstaff v. Hawks, 36 S.W.3d 482, 493 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2000), as quoted in Stamper v. Miller, No. E2025-01304-COA-R3-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. Oct. 19, 2026)). Your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, and you recover nothing if you were at least as much at fault as the other side (50% or more).

What is the minimum car insurance in Tennessee?

$25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for injuries, $25,000 for property damage (25/50/25).

Does Tennessee cap pain and suffering damages?

Yes: $750,000 per injured plaintiff for all injuries and occurrences; $1,000,000 for catastrophic loss or injury (e.g. paraplegia, quadriplegia, amputations, serious burns, wrongful death of a parent leaving a minor child); no cap where the defendant had specific intent to inflict serious injury, was intoxicated, or committed a felony causing the injury

Sources

Checked against official Tennessee sources November 5, 2026.

  1. Tennessee statute of limitations: Tenn. Code Ann. 28-3-104(a)(1), (a)(2); 28-3-105(1); 29-20-305(b)
  2. Tennessee comparative fault: McIntyre v. Balentine, 833 S.W.2d 52 (Tenn. 1992) (judicially adopted); Grandstaff v. Hawks, 36 S.W.3d 482, 493 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2000), as quoted in Stamper v. Miller, No. E2025-01304-COA-R3-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. Oct. 19, 2026)
  3. Tennessee insurance system: Tenn. Code Ann. 55-12-102(12)(D) (financial responsibility minimums), per Tennessee Department of Safety
  4. Tennessee damage caps: Tenn. Code Ann. 29-39-102(a)(2), (c)-(d), (h) (2011 Tenn. Pub. Acts ch. 510); upheld in McClay v. Airport Management Services, LLC, 596 S.W.3d 686 (Tenn. 2020)
  5. Tennessee dog bite liability: Tenn. Code Ann. 44-8-413