Statute of Limitations in Tennessee
State-specific overview · Contract Law
Tennessee sets a three-year deadline for personal injury claims and four years for contract breaches.
How Tennessee treats Statute of Limitations
Personal injury actions must be filed within three years of the injury under Tennessee Code Annotated § 28-3-104. Written contract disputes have a four-year limit under § 28-3-105, while oral contracts have six years. Medical malpractice claims follow the three-year rule but may be tolled if the injury was not reasonably discoverable. Tennessee also imposes a statute of repose that generally bars claims more than four years after the act causing injury, even if discovery occurs later.
The general definition of Statute of Limitations
A law setting the maximum time period within which a lawsuit can be filed after an injury or breach occurs.
Every type of legal claim has a deadline. Once that deadline passes, you lose the right to sue, even if you have a valid claim. The statute of limitations varies depending on the type of case—contract disputes might have a different deadline than personal injury claims, for example. These time limits exist to protect defendants from being sued years or decades after an event, when evidence may be lost and memories fade. Once the deadline expires, the claim is essentially dead, and courts will dismiss any lawsuit filed after that point.
Read the full Statute of Limitations entry →This page is a plain-English reference and is not legal advice. State laws change frequently. For specific situations consult a licensed attorney in Tennessee.