STATE LAW – TENNESSEE LIBRARY – GUIDE 05
Tennessee Uninsured & Underinsured Motorist Coverage
Tennessee Code § 56-7-1201 generally requires uninsured-motorist coverage in automobile liability policies at limits equal to the bodily-injury liability limits unless the named insured rejects UM coverage entirely or selects lower limits in writing, subject to statutory minimum requirements. Tennessee’s UM statutory scheme also addresses underinsured motorists.
Tennessee generally includes UM unless it is changed in writing
Section 56-7-1201 generally requires UM coverage in Tennessee auto liability policies within its scope. The default bodily-injury UM limit matches the liability limit unless the named insured rejects UM or selects lower limits in a qualifying writing, subject to the statutory minimum.
A rejection or lower selection must be proved
Request the signed selection or rejection, declarations and endorsements effective on the accident date. Kiser v. Wolfe is a central Tennessee authority on whether the written selection requirement was satisfied.
Section 56-7-1206 controls important claim procedure
Section 56-7-1206 supplies procedure for serving and litigating UM/UIM claims and contains settlement, subrogation and arbitration rules. Procedural mistakes can jeopardize otherwise valuable coverage.
Settle liability only after preserving first-party rights
Before accepting a tortfeasor’s limits, analyze §56-7-1206 and the policy’s consistent notice/consent terms. Preserve the proposed settlement, notices, carrier responses and payment allocation so the first-party claim is not impaired.
Current-law review: October 4, 2026. Verify the accident-date policy, current primary authority, later case treatment, and claim-specific deadlines before legal reliance.
PUBLIC-INTEREST LEGAL EDUCATION
VictimsGuide does not provide legal services or create an attorney-client relationship. Insurance requirements, deadlines, remedies and controlling authority can change. Verify current primary authority, policy language and the law applicable to the particular event before legal reliance.
Authorities and source notes
- Tennessee uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage statute — Tenn. Code Ann. § 56-7-1201
- Kiser v. Wolfe — 353 S.W.3d 741 (Tenn. 2011)
- Tennessee UM/UIM procedure, service, arbitration and settlement statute — Tenn. Code Ann. § 56-7-1206
- White / Goan — Tennessee UM/UIM settlement-preservation procedure — Sidney White v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co., W2019-00918-COA-R3-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. 2020); Goan v. Mills, E2016-01206-COA-R3-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. 2017)
Registry authority mapping and cited propositions reviewed October 4, 2026. Canonical source preservation and formal subsequent-history review remain maintenance items where noted.
Citizen crossroads