Tennessee Crash Investigation, Evidence Preservation & One-Year Limitation

Tennessee generally requires actions for personal injury to be commenced within one year after accrual under Tenn. Code § 28-3-104. The statute contains a limited two-year provision when specified criminal charges and prosecution conditions are satisfied.

Calendar the one-year personal-injury deadline immediately after a crash.
Do not assume a criminal citation or investigation automatically extends the deadline; the statutory conditions must be satisfied.
Preserve vehicles, event-data recorder information, video, photographs, crash reports and witness evidence promptly.
Government, wrongful-death, contract and insurance claims may have different or additional deadlines.

Primary Tennessee Source

Tenn. Code § 28-3-104 — Personal Tort Limitations

Current-law review: September 17, 2026. Tennessee’s short one-year personal-injury period makes early evidence preservation especially important.

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