Key facts: Tennessee
- Wrongful death deadline
- 1 year
- When the clock starts
- Generally the date of injury for personal injury claims; the date of death for wrongful death. Tennessee follows the discovery rule for most negligence claims, which delays accrual when the injury was not, or could not reasonably have been, discovered at the time.
- Last verified
- 2026-05-22
- Source type
- Primary (state code or court opinion)
Details and exceptions for Tennessee
One-year deadline (one of the shortest in the U.S.) for both PI and wrongful death (from date of death). Extended to two years if criminal charges are filed against the defendant arising from the same incident. The discovery rule applies.
Related: Tennessee comparative negligence rule
Tennessee follows a modified 50% bar rule. Modified comparative fault with a 50% bar (the "49% rule") adopted in McIntyre v. Balentine. The plaintiff must be less than 50% at fault to recover; at exactly 50% recovery is barred.
Read the full Tennessee comparative negligence rule →This page is informational and does not constitute legal advice. Notice deadlines for claims against governmental units, medical malpractice, intentional torts, and other special categories run on separate tracks and can be much shorter. Confirm the controlling rule with a licensed Tennessee attorney before relying on it.