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V13.4XXA is the ICD-10-CM external-cause code that appears on a Tennessee ER bill or insurance EOB when a pedal-cycle driver is hit by a car, pickup, or van during traffic. It documents the circumstance of the injury, not the injury itself, and not fault. The settlement value of a V13.4XXA case in Tennessee is driven by three things: the paired S-codes describing the actual injuries (most commonly S52 wrist, S42 clavicle, S06 TBI even with helmet), the TCA Section 55-8-175 three-foot-passing rule as a liability lever, and the one-year statute of limitations at TCA Section 28-3-104.
V13.4XXA at a glance
V13.4XXA Settlement Value Snapshot (Tennessee, 2026)
Last updated
- Definition
- Pedal cycle driver injured in collision with car, pick-up truck or van in traffic accident, initial encounter (ICD-10-CM, FY2026).
- TN 3-foot pass
- TCA Section 55-8-175(c)(2) (Jeff Roth and Brian Brown Bicycle Protection Act of 2007) requires motorists to leave no less than 3 feet when overtaking a bicycle. Violation is a Class C misdemeanor.
- TN settlement
- $15,000 to $750,000+. Minor (clavicle, FOOSH wrist) $15,000 to $75,000; moderate surgical $75,000 to $250,000; severe TBI or spinal $250,000 to $750,000; catastrophic and wrongful death $1,000,000+ in economic damages.
- TN helmet law
- Required only under 16 (TCA Section 55-52-105). Adults legally ride helmetless; non-use is not statutory negligence but may support a comparative-fault argument.
- TN legal layer
- One-year statute (TCA Section 28-3-104; 2 years if criminal charges). 49% bar modified comparative fault (McIntyre v. Balentine). $750,000 non-economic cap (TCA Section 29-39-102).
- A suffix
- Initial encounter. Follow-up becomes V13.4XXD; long-term sequelae become V13.4XXS. Treatment-gap discounting after 30 days at A.
Source: SetCalc analysis of Tennessee court records and confirmed settlements, 2025 to 2026. Estimate your V13.4XXA settlement value →
What V13.4XXA Actually Means
V13.4XXA reads character by character as: V13 (pedal cyclist injured in collision with car, pickup, or van), .4 (the pedal cyclist is the driver of the bicycle, in traffic), XX (two placeholder characters), A (initial encounter). Closely related codes a Tennessee coder may use on the same chart include V13.5XXA (pedal cyclist passenger, traffic), V13.9XXA (unspecified pedal cyclist, traffic), and V13.0XXA (non-traffic).
The ICD-10 V-chapter treats pedal cycles as their own category (V10 through V19) and a separate code applies if you were hit by a truck or bus (V14) or by a transit vehicle (V15 or V16). V13 specifically captures the most common Tennessee scenario: cyclist on a roadway or in a bike lane, hit by a passenger vehicle.
V13.4XXA does not say who was at fault
How a V13.4XXA Crash Typically Happens in Tennessee
V13.4XXA covers the full range of cyclist-versus-passenger-vehicle traffic collisions. The four patterns we see most often in Tennessee cases:
Right hook at an intersection
Motorist overtakes a cyclist on a roadway or in a bike lane, then turns right across the cyclist's path. The cyclist hits the side of the vehicle or the door panel. Most common at signalized intersections along the Music City Bikeway and the Cumberland Avenue corridor in Knoxville.
Left cross
Motorist turning left across the cyclist's path. Driver typically reports “I didn't see the cyclist”; visibility and lighting at impact drive the comparative-fault analysis under the 49% bar.
Dooring
Parked-car door swung into a cyclist riding in or alongside a bike lane. No statewide statute (Nashville and Memphis have local ordinances), but general due-care doctrine and the predictable injury profile (S52 distal radius, S42 clavicle, S06 TBI) usually produce clean liability.
3-foot-pass overtake
Motorist overtakes a cyclist with less than 3 feet of clearance and either clips the cyclist or forces the cyclist into a fixed object or off the roadway. Direct TCA Section 55-8-175(c)(2) violation supports negligence-per-se.
The Injury Codes Paired With V13.4XXA
Cyclist crashes produce a recognizable cluster of paired S-codes. The most common pairings in Tennessee V13.4XXA cases:
- S52.5 distal radius fracture: the classic FOOSH (fall onto outstretched hand) cyclist injury. Often closed-reduced or ORIF. See the broken bone settlement guide.
- S42 clavicle and AC joint: shoulder-first impact from being thrown forward over the handlebars. ORIF for displaced clavicles is common.
- S06.0X through S06.9X traumatic brain injury: occurs even with helmet use, especially in high-speed motorist-strike crashes. See the TBI settlement guide.
- S22 ribs and thoracic spine: handlebar or hood loading.
- Dental and facial injuries: face-first impact when the cyclist goes over the bars. Long-term restorative costs are economic damages and survive the non-economic cap.
- S82 tibia / fibula: lower-leg strike when the cyclist is hit from the side.
Tennessee Bicycle Law: TCA Sections 55-8-172 through 55-8-179
Tennessee treats a bicycle as a vehicle on the roadway and applies most of the same rules of the road. The Title 55 Chapter 8 bicycle subsections most relevant to V13.4XXA cases:
- Section 55-8-172: a person riding a bicycle has all the rights and is subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle.
- Section 55-8-175: cyclists must ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable, with statutory exceptions for overtaking, preparing for a left turn, avoiding hazards, or when a lane is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to safely share side-by-side.
- Section 55-8-175(c)(2): the Jeff Roth and Brian Brown Bicycle Protection Act of 2007. A motorist overtaking a bicycle must leave no less than 3 feet of clearance and maintain it until safely past. Violation is a Class C misdemeanor and supports negligence-per-se in civil cases.
- Section 55-8-177: hand-and-arm signals for turns and stops. Failure to signal can support a comparative-fault argument.
- Section 55-8-179: riding two abreast permitted (but not more than two except on paths set aside exclusively for bicycles).
- Section 55-52-105: helmet required only for cyclists under 16. Adults legally ride helmetless. Parent or guardian of a child under 12 may be cited; first offense is a warning.
Local ordinances often add to the statewide rules
Tennessee Settlement Ranges for V13.4XXA Cases
Settlement ranges reflect SetCalc analysis of Tennessee court records and confirmed settlements involving cyclist-versus-passenger-vehicle traffic collisions, 2025 to 2026. The bands track injury severity; the upper end assumes recovery is not constrained by policy limits or the non-economic damages cap.
| Severity Band | Tennessee Range | Typical Paired S-Codes |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (single-region, recovery) | $15,000 to $75,000 | S52.5 distal radius (closed reduction), S42 clavicle conservatively managed, road rash T14 |
| Moderate (surgical or multi-region) | $75,000 to $250,000 | S52.5 ORIF, S42 clavicle ORIF, S06.0X concussion, dental restoration |
| Severe (TBI, spinal, permanent) | $250,000 to $750,000 | S06.2 moderate TBI, S22 multiple ribs, S82 tibia ORIF, permanent impairment rating |
| Catastrophic | $750,000 to $3,000,000+ | S24 / S34 spinal cord, severe S06 TBI, life-care-plan-driven economic damages |
| Wrongful death | $1,000,000 to $10,000,000+ | TCA Section 20-5-106 / 20-5-113 wrongful-death damages; non-econ portion capped, economic uncapped |
Source: SetCalc analysis of Tennessee verdicts and confirmed settlements, 2025 to 2026. Most Tennessee cyclist cases settle pre-suit; large-verdict reporting is thin. The non-economic damages cap at TCA Section 29-39-102 constrains the pain-and-suffering portion at $750,000 standard or $1,000,000 catastrophic. See the verdict and settlement database for case-by-case comparables.
Tennessee Cyclist Case Examples
Three representative Tennessee case profiles that would carry a V13.4XXA code on the medical chart. Facts are composites drawn from public Tennessee settlements and reported patterns; numbers reflect settlement ranges seen for similar fact patterns.
Example 1: Right hook at Cumberland Avenue (Knox County, Knoxville)
Facts:
Graduate student commuting east on Cumberland Avenue in a bike lane; SUV passed and turned right into a campus driveway across the cyclist's path. Cyclist hit the rear quarter panel.
Injuries (paired codes):
V13.4XXA + S52.5 distal radius ORIF + S42.0 clavicle (conservative) + S06.0X concussion. 4 months of treatment, full recovery.
Settlement range: $85,000 to $135,000. Clean 3-foot-pass / right-hook liability; driver carried a $100,000 policy. Settled pre-suit within 8 months.
Example 2: Dooring on Music City Bikeway (Davidson County, Nashville)
Facts:
45-year-old cyclist on a Music City Bikeway segment in East Nashville; parked-vehicle passenger swung the rear door into the bike lane without checking. Cyclist hit the door, vaulted over, and struck the pavement.
Injuries (paired codes):
V13.4XXA + S42.0 clavicle ORIF + S22 multiple rib fractures + S06.2 moderate TBI with persistent post-concussive symptoms + dental restoration.
Settlement range: $185,000 to $325,000. Local Nashville ordinance on dooring established negligence-per-se; vehicle owner's personal-auto policy of $100,000 plus $300,000 UIM on cyclist's household policy stacked.
Example 3: 3-foot-pass overtake, severe TBI (Shelby County, Memphis)
Facts:
Cyclist riding south on a Memphis arterial overtaken by a pickup with less than 2 feet of clearance; cyclist clipped, thrown into the adjacent traffic lane, struck by a second vehicle. Helmeted; helmet cracked at impact.
Injuries (paired codes):
V13.4XXA + S06.2 moderate-to-severe TBI + S82.2 tibia (ORIF) + S22 multiple ribs + S42 clavicle. Permanent cognitive impairment; unable to return to prior occupation.
Settlement range: $600,000 to $950,000. Negligence-per-se under TCA Section 55-8-175(c)(2); primary driver $250,000 plus $1M umbrella; second-vehicle policy $100,000. Non-economic portion capped at $750,000; economic damages (medical, future care, lost-earnings capacity) drove the total.
Tennessee Legal Context for V13.4XXA Cases
- Statute of limitations: one year from the crash date under TCA Section 28-3-104(a)(1)(A). Extended to two years if criminal charges are brought against the driver (Section 28-3-104(a)(2)). GTLA deadlines apply if a public-entity vehicle is involved.
- Comparative fault: 49% bar modified comparative under McIntyre v. Balentine. See the Tennessee comparative negligence page.
- Non-economic damages cap: $750,000 standard, $1,000,000 catastrophic, under TCA Section 29-39-102. Economic damages uncapped.
- 3-foot passing law: TCA Section 55-8-175(c)(2). Violation supports negligence-per-se.
- Adult helmet: not required. TCA Section 55-52-105 covers only cyclists under 16.
- Several liability only: TCA Section 29-11-107.
- Auto-insurance minimums: $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident, $15,000 property damage (TCA Section 55-12-102). 21 percent TN drivers uninsured.
- UM/UIM follows the insured: TCA Section 56-7-1201. Household auto UM coverage typically applies even when the insured is on a bicycle.
How a Tennessee Adjuster Reads V13.4XXA
Carrier severity-evaluation systems (Colossus, Liability Navigator, Claim IQ) ingest diagnosis and external-cause codes from the medical records as scoring inputs. Three things to know about how Tennessee adjusters specifically treat a V13.4XXA chart:
- V13 sits in a higher severity band than V43 at the same paired S-code level because unprotected cyclists predictably sustain higher-severity injuries at the same impact energy. Helmeted-cyclist TBI claims are still heavily contested by adjusters who attempt to downgrade S06.0X “concussion” to “post-concussive symptoms” later in treatment.
- Tennessee Farmers Mutual is the most likely defense carrier in rural and suburban TN crashes. State Farm and Allstate dominate urban Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, and Chattanooga. All three open conservatively and lean on the 49% bar; the $750,000 non-economic cap is treated as a hard ceiling on pain-and-suffering valuation pre-suit.
- Helmet non-use is raised even though it is not statutory negligence for adults under TCA Section 55-52-105. Adjusters argue comparative fault for helmet non-use under general due-care doctrine; the argument is real but weaker than statutory violations like running a stop sign or riding without lights at night.
For more on adjuster severity software, see our Colossus settlement-software guide.
What to Do If V13.4XXA Is on Your Tennessee Hospital Bill
Move fast: TN has a one-year SOL
Preserve the bike, helmet, and clothing
Document the 3-foot pass and lane position
Pull the Tennessee Uniform Crash Report within 10 days
Notice your own UM carrier within 30 days
Frequently Asked Questions
What does V13.4XXA mean on my Tennessee hospital bill?
V13.4XXA is the ICD-10-CM external-cause code for a pedal-cycle driver injured in a collision with a car, pickup, or van during traffic, initial encounter. Tennessee hospitals place it on the ER face sheet, the itemized bill, and the EOB. It documents how the injury happened (the crash type), not the injuries themselves and not who was at fault. The final A means initial encounter; follow-up visits become V13.4XXD; long-term sequelae become V13.4XXS.
What is the average bicycle accident settlement in Tennessee?
Tennessee cyclist cases range widely by injury severity: minor cases (clavicle fracture, FOOSH wrist, conservative care) settle from $15,000 to $75,000; moderate cases involving surgery or multi-region injury run $75,000 to $250,000; severe cases with TBI or spinal injury reach $250,000 to $750,000; catastrophic and wrongful-death cases can exceed $1,000,000. Pain-and-suffering recovery is constrained by the Tennessee non-economic damages cap at TCA Section 29-39-102 (standard $750,000, catastrophic $1,000,000). Economic damages (medical expenses, lost earnings, future care) are uncapped.
Tennessee has a 3-foot passing law. How does that work?
TCA Section 55-8-175(c)(2), known as the Jeff Roth and Brian Brown Bicycle Protection Act of 2007, requires motorists to leave no less than three feet of clearance when overtaking a bicycle on the roadway and to maintain that clearance until safely past. Violation is a Class C misdemeanor. In a V13.4XXA case, video, witness testimony, or scene-evidence proof that the motorist passed inside three feet supports negligence-per-se and is often the cleanest liability angle.
Do I need to have been wearing a helmet to recover in Tennessee?
No, not as an adult. TCA Section 55-52-105 only requires helmets for cyclists under 16. Adults are free to ride helmetless without violating any statute. Defense lawyers still raise helmet non-use as a comparative-fault argument under the general due-care doctrine, and Tennessee's 49% bar means the argument can reduce recovery percentage-by-percentage. In practice, juries weigh helmet non-use less heavily than statutory violations like running a stop sign or riding against traffic.
Does Tennessee have a dooring statute?
No statewide statute. Tennessee handles dooring under general due-care doctrine: a driver or passenger must exercise reasonable care before opening a vehicle door into traffic or a bike lane. Nashville and Memphis both have local ordinances specifically prohibiting opening a door in a way that interferes with bike-lane traffic. In a V13.4XXA dooring case, the local ordinance (if applicable) plus the due-care principle plus the typical injury profile (S52 distal radius from FOOSH, S42 clavicle, S06 TBI even with helmet) usually produces clean liability.
What is the statute of limitations on a Tennessee bicycle case?
One year from the date of the crash under TCA Section 28-3-104(a)(1)(A), among the shortest personal-injury statutes in the country. If criminal charges (DUI, vehicular assault) are brought against the driver for the same conduct, TCA Section 28-3-104(a)(2) extends the deadline to two years. If a Metro Nashville Public Works vehicle, a city bus, a school bus, or a TDOT vehicle is involved, the Governmental Tort Liability Act at TCA Section 29-20-302 imposes notice requirements and caps damages at $300,000 per claimant under TCA Section 29-20-403.
How does Tennessee's 49% comparative fault bar apply to cyclists?
Under McIntyre v. Balentine (1992), a Tennessee plaintiff recovers only if their fault is less than the defendant's. The driver's defense in cyclist cases typically attacks the cyclist for failure to ride as far right as practicable, riding against traffic, running a stop sign, or non-use of lights at night. Each argument is graded into a percentage; cross the 50% line and the case is barred entirely. Documenting the cyclist's lane position, signal compliance, and lighting in the first 72 hours is the single biggest counter to these arguments.
What injuries are typically coded along with V13.4XXA?
Cyclist crashes produce a recognizable cluster of paired S-codes. Most common: S52.5 distal radius fracture from FOOSH (fall onto outstretched hand, the classic cyclist injury), S42 clavicle and AC joint, S06.0X through S06.9X traumatic brain injury (even with helmet use, especially in high-speed motorist-strike crashes), S22 ribs and thoracic spine from handlebar or hood loading, and dental and facial injuries from face-first impact. The S-code severity (especially S06 TBI grade) drives most of the value, not the V-code.
Where in Tennessee do most V13.4XXA crashes happen?
Tennessee bicycle crashes cluster on the urban arterial network. In Nashville: the Music City Bikeway corridor, the West End / 21st Avenue corridor near Vanderbilt, the Murfreesboro Pike, and the Demonbreun / Broadway crossings. In Memphis: the Greenline corridor, Madison Avenue, Cooper-Young, and the Overton Park perimeter. In Knoxville: Cumberland Avenue near UT, Kingston Pike, and the Third Creek Greenway connectors. In Chattanooga: the Riverwalk crossings and Frazier Avenue across the Walnut Street Bridge. State-route arterials with painted shoulders rather than separated bike lanes produce the highest fatal-cyclist counts.
Should I file a UM claim if the driver fled or was uninsured?
Yes, immediately. With approximately 21 percent of TN drivers uninsured (5th highest in the U.S.), hit-and-run and uninsured-motorist V13.4XXA cases are common. TCA Section 56-7-1201 requires Tennessee insurers to offer UM coverage at equal limits to BI unless rejected in writing; your own auto policy (or a household-resident policy) frequently provides UM coverage even when you are on a bicycle, because UM coverage follows the insured person, not the vehicle. Anti-stacking under Section 56-7-1201(b)(2) limits you to the UM/UIM on the vehicle involved (if any) but the cyclist personally is still covered under household auto policies in most cases.
Does the V13.4XXA code itself affect settlement value?
Indirectly. Adjuster severity software (Colossus, Liability Navigator) maps V13 (cyclist hit by car) to a higher severity band than V43 (car-vs-car) at the same paired S-code level because unprotected cyclists predictably sustain higher-severity injuries at the same impact energy. The dominant value drivers remain the paired S-codes, treatment intensity, permanent impairment ratings, and the available policy stack (driver liability plus your household UM/UIM). V-code alone does not generate a number.
Estimate your V13.4XXA settlement value
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