HomeLaws by stateTennessee
Tennessee car accident laws
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 injuries and damage.
Tennessee gives you one year to file a personal injury lawsuit (Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104(a)(1)(A)).
The legal minimum liability coverage in Tennessee is $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash and $25,000 for property (25/50/25).
If you are 50% or more at fault you recover nothing; below 50%, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault (the 49% rule).
Quoted from Tennessee statutes and official pages, checked October 2, 2026 · not legal advice
The rules in one table
| Rule | Tennessee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Deadline to sue for an injury | One year after the cause of action accrued (two years in limited cases where criminal charges are brought and prosecuted within one year) | Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104(a)(1)(A) |
| Deadline for vehicle damage | Three years from the accruing of the cause of action for injuries to personal or real property | Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-105(1) |
| Deadline for a wrongful death claim | One year; Tennessee courts treat a wrongful death claim as an action for 'injuries to the person' under 28-3-104(a)(1)(A) and run the year from the date of death | Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104(a)(1)(A); § 20-5-106(a) |
| Claims against a government body | Tennessee sets no notice-of-claim period in the Governmental Tort Liability Act; an action against a governmental entity must be commenced within twelve months after the cause of action arises. | Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-20-305(b) |
| Insurance system | at-fault | Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-12-139(b)(1)(A) (evidence of financial responsibility required) |
| If you were partly at fault | modified comparative (50% bar). If you are 50% or more at fault you recover nothing; below 50%, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault (the 49% rule). | Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-39-102(b); McIntyre v. Balentine, 833 S.W.2d 52 (Tenn. 1992) |
| Minimum liability coverage | $25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash / $25,000 property | Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-12-102(12)(D) |
| Dog bites | mixed. An owner must keep the dog under reasonable control and is liable for injuries to a person in a public place or lawfully on another's property if they breach that duty, even if the dog had shown no dangerous tendencies and the owner had no warning. | Tenn. Code Ann. § 44-8-413(a) |
| Cap on pain-and-suffering damages | $750,000 per injured plaintiff for noneconomic damages; $1,000,000 for catastrophic loss or injury (paraplegia/quadriplegia, amputation of two limbs, third-degree burns over 40% of the body, or wrongful death of a parent leaving minor children). | Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-39-102(a)(2), (c), (d) |
Deadlines can be shorter or longer for minors, for injuries found later, and for claims against a government. A lawyer licensed in Tennessee can tell you the date that applies to you.
Next steps after a Tennessee crash
How to get a Tennessee crash report ($10.00 online (credit card, no prepaid cards); $4.00 for THP-investigated crashes by mail or at a THP District Office).
Check your deadline and a rough claim range
A filing date and a rough value range for Tennessee. Both take under a minute.
Questions
How long do you have to sue after a car accident in Tennessee?
One year for an injury claim (Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104(a)(1)(A)) and three years for vehicle damage. Shorter notice rules can apply to claims against a government.
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 injuries and damage.
Can I recover if I was partly at fault in Tennessee?
Tennessee follows modified comparative (50% bar). If you are 50% or more at fault you recover nothing; below 50%, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault (the 49% rule).
What is the minimum car insurance in Tennessee?
The legal minimum liability coverage in Tennessee is $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash and $25,000 for property (25/50/25).
Sources
- Deadline to sue for an injury (Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104(a)(1)(A)): law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-28/chapter-3/part-1/section-28-3-104/
(a) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (a)(2), the following actions shall be commenced within one (1) year after the cause of action accrued: (A) Actions for libel, injuries to the person, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, or breach of marriage promise;
- Deadline for vehicle damage (Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-105(1)): law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-28/chapter-3/part-1/section-28-3-105/
The following actions shall be commenced within three (3) years from the accruing of the cause of action: (1) Actions for injuries to personal or real property;
- Deadline for a wrongful death claim (Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104(a)(1)(A); § 20-5-106(a)): law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-28/chapter-3/part-1/section-28-3-104/
(a)(1) Except as provided in subdivision (a)(2), the following actions shall be commenced within one (1) year after the cause of action accrued: (A) Actions for libel, injuries to the person, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, or breach of marriage promise;
- Claims against a government body (Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-20-305(b)): law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-29/chapter-20/part-3/section-29-20-305/
(b) The action must be commenced within twelve (12) months after the cause of action arises.
- Insurance system (Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-12-139(b)(1)(A) (evidence of financial responsibility required)): law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-55/chapter-12/part-1/section-55-12-139/
At the time a driver of a motor vehicle is charged with any violation under chapters 8 and 10, parts 1-5, and chapter 50 of this title; chapter 9 of this title; any other local ordinance regulating traffic; or at the time of an accident for which notice is required under § 55-10-106, an officer shall request evidence of financial responsibility as required by this section.
- If you were partly at fault (Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-39-102(b); McIntyre v. Balentine, 833 S.W.2d 52 (Tenn. 1992)): law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-29/chapter-39/section-29-39-102/
so long as the plaintiff's comparative fault (or in a wrongful death action, the fault of the decedent) is not equal to or greater than fifty percent (50%), in which case recovery for any damages is barred.
- Minimum liability coverage (Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-12-102(12)(D)): law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-55/chapter-12/part-1/section-55-12-102/
(D) (i) If proof is required after December 31, 2022, proof means: (a) A written proof of liability insurance coverage provided by a single limit policy with a limit of not less than sixty-five thousand dollars ($65,000) applicable to one (1) accident; (b) A split-limit policy with a limit of not less than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for bodily injury to or death of one (1) person, not less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for bodily injury to or death of two (2) or more persons in any one (1) accident, and not less than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for damage to prop…
- Dog bites (Tenn. Code Ann. § 44-8-413(a)): law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-44/chapter-8/part-4/section-44-8-413/
(a) (1) The owner of a dog has a duty to keep that dog under reasonable control at all times, and to keep that dog from running at large. A person who breaches that duty is subject to civil liability for any damages suffered by a person who is injured by the dog while in a public place or lawfully in or on the private property of another. (2) The owner may be held liable regardless of whether the dog has shown any dangerous propensities or whether the dog's owner knew or should have known of the dog's dangerous propensities
- Cap on pain-and-suffering damages (Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-39-102(a)(2), (c), (d)): law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-29/chapter-39/section-29-39-102/
(a) In a civil action, each injured plaintiff may be awarded: (1) Compensation for economic damages suffered by each injured plaintiff; and (2) Compensation for any noneconomic damages suffered by each injured plaintiff not to exceed seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($750,000) for all injuries and occurrences
Read October 2, 2026. Laws and fees change; the linked page is the authority.