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Hurt in a crash in Tennessee? What claims cost, and the rules that decide it.

Bills, missed work, an insurer already calling? Here are Tennessee's claim numbers, your deadline and the fault rule. Asking for a call is free, and you can say no.

General information, not legal advice. Updated November 10, 2026. Attorney review pending

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On this page
  1. What injury claims cost insurers in Tennessee
  2. Real results from the Memphis area
  3. Unpaid medical bills and uninsured drivers in Tennessee
  4. One year, with exceptions.
  5. Tennessee uses modified comparative fault.
  6. Minimum car insurance and uninsured drivers.
  7. Who writes the report decides where you get it.
  8. Questions
  9. Sources

What claims cost

What injury claims cost insurers in Tennessee

No source we found reports what claims cost insurers inside any one city, so these numbers are for all of Tennessee. Each figure says what it is and where it comes from.

$736.6 millionin bodily injury liability losses insurers recorded for Tennessee crashes (Table 8B: $736,560,931 across 32,324 claims), accidents in 2022Incurred losses: money paid plus the insurers' own estimates for claims still open, plus adjustment expenses. Private passenger auto, separate-limit bodily injury coverage only, so the true total is higher. This is what these claims cost insurers, not what injured people received.Source: NAIC (Table 8B, Bodily Injury Liability 2020-2022, Total Business, printed p. 42).
$22,787average insurer loss per bodily injury liability claim in Tennessee ($22,786.81 exactly), accidents in 2022Incurred losses divided by incurred claims, so it is what a claim cost insurers on average, not what an injured person received. The countrywide figure in the same table is $28,918.86.Source: NAIC (Table 8D, Bodily Injury Liability 2020-2022, Total Business, printed p. 44).
$28,278Many claims are smallerwhat the average bodily injury liability claim cost insurers, 2024Private passenger auto, excluding Massachusetts and most no-fault states; some claims are far larger and many are smaller. It includes insurers' claim-handling costs, so injured people received less than this on average.Source: Triple-I / ISO.
$10.05 billionestimated total economic cost of motor vehicle crashes in Tennessee (about $1,472 per person), 2019A cost estimate for the whole state, whoever paid. Not money paid to injured people. The national average was $1,035 per person.Source: NHTSA (Table 6-1, p. 100).
About these numbers
  • $736.6 million Incurred losses: money paid plus the insurers' own estimates for claims still open, plus adjustment expenses. Private passenger auto, separate-limit bodily injury coverage only, so the true total is higher. This is what these claims cost insurers, not what injured people received.
  • $22,787 Incurred losses divided by incurred claims, so it is what a claim cost insurers on average, not what an injured person received. The countrywide figure in the same table is $28,918.86.
  • $28,278 Private passenger auto, excluding Massachusetts and most no-fault states; some claims are far larger and many are smaller. It includes insurers' claim-handling costs, so injured people received less than this on average.
  • $10.05 billion A cost estimate for the whole state, whoever paid. Not money paid to injured people. The national average was $1,035 per person.

These are averages and totals across many claims. They describe what insurers and courts have done, not what any one claim is worth. Every case is different, and most claims end in a settlement, which is often far less than a headline verdict. CrashFirst is not a law firm and cannot tell you what your claim is worth.

Real examples

Real results from the Memphis area

Past results do not predict yours.These are real, public results, picked to show a range rather than the biggest numbers. Each turned on its own facts. CrashFirst has no results of its own and does not say you would get anything like them.

The problems here

Unpaid medical bills and uninsured drivers in Tennessee

When the other side has no insurance, or the bills keep coming before anything is settled, the money problem is real. These are the state numbers we could source.

6.1%of Tennessee people with a credit record had medical debt in collections (median $1,473), Aug. 2026Only counts medical debt that reached collections and sits on a credit file. The national share was 3.0%.Source: Urban Institute (Tennessee row, medcoll = .0607489; medcollpos_p50 = 1473).
21.3%of Tennessee drivers estimated to be uninsured, 2023The Insurance Research Council estimates this from insurance claims, not from a count of cars. The national estimate was 15.4%.Source: Triple-I / IRC (Estimated Percentage of Uninsured Motorists by State, 2023).
About these numbers
  • 6.1% Only counts medical debt that reached collections and sits on a credit file. The national share was 3.0%.
  • 21.3% The Insurance Research Council estimates this from insurance claims, not from a count of cars. The national estimate was 15.4%.
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Deadline

One year, with exceptions.

In most Tennessee injury cases a lawsuit has to be filed within one year of the date of the injury (Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104(a)(1)). Property damage is usually three years, and claims involving a city or county have a 12-month limit. The full rule, the statute text and the exceptions are on the Tennessee statute of limitations page. Or use the deadline calculator.

Fault

Tennessee uses modified comparative fault.

In general, you can recover if your share of fault is less than the other side's, and your damages are reduced by your percentage. How the 50 percent rule works, with the McIntyre v. Balentine decision.

Insurance

Minimum car insurance and uninsured drivers.

What the minimum limits are, what each number covers, and how uninsured motorist coverage is offered: Tennessee minimum car insurance.

Crash reports

Who writes the report decides where you get it.

THP reports can be bought on the State of Tennessee crash report site. For Memphis agency steps, fees and addresses see how to get a Memphis police crash report. Where crashes happen: the Memphis Crash Report 2026.

More in Tennessee

Keep reading

Sources

Page last updated November 10, 2026. Attorney review pending. General information, not legal advice. Fees, hours and rules change; confirm on the official page. How we source.

Questions

How long do I have to sue after a car accident in Tennessee?

Usually one year from the date of the injury (Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104). Exceptions exist, so ask an attorney about your situation.

Is Tennessee a comparative fault state?

Yes, modified comparative fault. In general a person found 50 percent or more at fault cannot recover damages from another party, and anyone found less than 50 percent at fault may recover damages reduced by their share (McIntyre v. Balentine, 1992).

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