Unfortunately, yes. While you are allowed to file an injury or wrongful death claim against the State of Tennessee, there are strict limits on the amount of compensation you may receive.
Maximum Compensation in Injury Cases Against the State of Tennessee
Like any other entity, the State of Tennessee can be named in a lawsuit for the acts of negligent government agents or employees, such as the negligent operation of vehicles or allowing dangerous conditions on highways, bridges, or public buildings. But unlike other defendants, the Tennessee Legislature has capped the amount recoverable in all three types of damages.
If a state agency or government caused your injury, your recovery would be limited to:
- $300,000 per person. The State of Tennessee places a cap on the total amount of damages recoverable in injury claims against the State. No matter how severe your injury is, you won’t be able to recover more than $300,000. This applies to both economic and non-economic damages, so you may not be able to recover the full amount of your medical bills and lost wages.
- $1 million per occurrence. The total payout for any one incident that resulted in injuries is $1,000,000, regardless of how many people were injured. Under this cap, multiple people who are hurt in the same accident could receive far less than the single-victim maximum of $300,000. For example, if you were struck by a government vehicle while driving four friends and everyone was seriously injured, the most any of you would receive in your claim is $200,000.
- Zero punitive damages. The State has waived its immunity from injury lawsuits, but it’s still protected from paying any punitive damages in these cases.
This is just one way that cases against the State of Tennessee differ from other injury claims. With so much at stake, it’s vital that you work with a personal injury trial attorney who knows the many special rules that apply to these cases.
If you suffered a serious injury, contact the legal team at GriffithLaw today or give us a call at (615) 807-7900 to have us fight on your behalf. We explain all costs to you and work to secure a settlement that will allow you to put your accident behind you.
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