Like every aspect of law, personal injury claims in the Volunteer State feature statutes of limitations in which plaintiffs are limited to predetermined time periods to file claims. Any personal injury lawsuits filed in Tennessee after statutes of limitations have expired result in cases totally null and void in courts of law.
These statutes vary based on what particular type of case is involved, with ins-and-outs, loopholes, and nuances of Tennessee state law changing filing windows based on variables. Personal injury claims in Tennessee can be filed for up to one (1) calendar year following the incident(s) that caused bodily and property damage.
It may seem that statutes of limitation for personal injury claims don’t make sense, because those who are injured understand their injuries and costs of them immediately upon realization. However, some personal injuries occur over periods of time or go unreported because potential plaintiffs may not believe they can take cases to court and win. Outlined below are the basics of Tennessee’s most popular personal injury suits and factors that weigh into personal injury claims’ statutes of limitations.
Statutes of limitations are beneficial for car wreck victims in Tennessee. Those on the receiving ends of wrecks may not experience symptoms from injuries immediately. Rather than a victim developing complications later on and be unable to file a personal injury suit, the state of Tennessee allows victims to file within one calendar year of the accident.
When products bought in Tennessee fail, become faulty, or are toxic and subsequently disease or cause disorders to their buyers. If toxic paint is left on an action figure or painted object and not immediately removed, people who play with that toy may incur cancer, disease, or disorders as a result. Barring immediate injuries such as choking on small, hazardous pieces may not present immediate, lasting damage either. For example, scarring could occur, forcing doctors to stretch your esophagus. This procedure is undoubtedly as nasty as it looks, necessitating doctors in the great, hilly Eastern flank of Tennessee to place large balloons or plastic dilators to stretch your throat to normal size. Those with small throats may choke themselves and have trouble breathing!
Mistakes that doctors make are rarely noticeable “right off the [proverbial] bat.” For example, if a doctor prescribes a patient too much acetaminophen — let’s say twice the amount of the 4,000 mg recommended limit for six months straight — that patient is likely to incur liver damage. Because NSAID-induced liver damages take extensively long periods of time to surface, potential plaintiffs’ filing dates may take close to the entire statute of limitations.
The team at G3 Help Me is the best in Tennessee at helping clients secure settlements to account for time taken off from work, school, and to cover emotional damages. Choose our practice to represent your case in any municipality in Tennessee.
After spending his secondary years of study at The McCallie School in Chattanooga, G Turner Howard III earned his BA at Tulane University. A member of the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association, he received his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law. Before becoming an attorney, he earned a Master’s and Doctor of Divinity at Andrews Theological Seminary and Columbia Theological Seminary. He also served as a 1st Lieutenant in the US Army in Vietnam. With more than 20 years of experience, his firm has helped clients receive millions of dollars for personal injury, and in many cases, much faster than they ever expected.
