In 2011, Tennessee (along with several other states) passed a tort reform law that restricts the amount of money companies would pay individuals injured by that company’s products or services. The Civil Justice Act of 2011 placed financial caps on noneconomic damages, including:
- $750,000 cap per plaintiff on “noneconomic damages” (physical and emotional pain, humiliation, physical impairment, disfigurement, injury to reputation, etc)
- $1 million cap on “catastrophic loss or injury” (spinal cord injury, amputation, severe burns, wrongful death)
The caps do not apply in the following cases:
- The victim sustained injuries that the at-fault party intended to cause
- The at-fault party intentionally falsified documents
- The at-fault party was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the incident
By passing this law, the Tennessee legislature sent a clear message: a company’s bottom line is more important than an individual’s right to seek justice.
Imagine that your family was involved in a fatal car accident that killed your spouse and paralyzed your child. Funeral costs, medical costs, and lost wages for days of missing work – along with the unimaginable emotional toll such an event would have on the rest of your life – all add up to a mountain of debt. If that accident was the car manufacturer’s fault, you would get a maximum of $1 million in damages. That is not nearly enough to repay what you lost.
If you or a loved one suffered injury or emotional distress due to another party’s mistake, do not let Tennessee tort reform laws stop you from seeking justice. Contact the Law Office of Stanley A. Davis today for a free initial consultation.
“When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.” – Proverbs 21:15
The Law Office of Stanley A. Davis – Nashville car accident lawyer