If you have been injured and are considering pursuing compensation, you must act quickly in any state. In Tennessee you have even less time to take action than in most states. The statute of limitations is just one of many state-specific personal injury laws that can affect you.
Statute of limitations
Time limits for filing a lawsuit exist in every state, for every type of case. In Tennessee, you only have one year to file in most types of personal injury cases. However, there are certain circumstances that give you more time. If your injury was caused by silicone breast implants you have 25 years after receiving the implants or up to four years after learning of your injury. If the injured person is disabled or a minor child, the time limit is extended in some but not all cases.
One year is a very short amount of time for you to get started. If you believe that you may have a case, you need to get help immediately. Your attorney needs time to review the facts involved in your case and may need to conduct an investigation before filing.
Fault
In most personal injury cases you must prove negligence in order to prove fault. Negligence does not require that the responsible party intentionally caused you harm, but merely that they failed to use reasonable care and that failure caused your injuries.
Tennessee follows the doctrine of modified comparative negligence. If your own negligence contributed to your injury, you may still have a case. You can receive compensation if you are less than 50% to blame for your injury, so even if you feel that you may have played a role in causing your own injuries, you should talk to an experienced personal injury attorney to find out if you may be entitled to, at least, partial compensation.
Compensation
Compensation for your losses, in Tennessee, can include:
- Past, current, and estimated future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Permanent disability
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Interference with family relationships
- Property damage
- Other expenses directly caused by you injury
Liability
In many personal injury cases there are multiple responsible parties. When this is the case in Tennessee, several liability applies. Under several liability you must collect the money owed to you from each party. If one party fails to pay, you cannot collect their portion from another party or parties.
If you believe that you may be entitled to compensation for an injury or the loss of loved one, in Tennessee, you have very little time to take action. Please contact one of our Tennessee personal injury lawyers for a free claim evaluation.
