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LAWSUITS AGAINST LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
In Tennessee, lawsuits against local governments, such as counties
and cities, are controlled by special laws passed by the state
legislature. Generally, you cannot sue a city or county for
personal injuries or wrongful death caused by negligence unless the
legislature has passed a specific statute authorizing the lawsuit.
Lawsuits for injuries caused by the negligent operation of vehicles,
defective streets and roads, or dangerous or unsafe buildings have
been authorized. In certain other circumstances the law
permits a lawsuit against a city or county for injuries caused by
the negligence of its employees.
The legislature
also places limits on the amount of compensation that can be awarded
in a lawsuit against a city or county. Although the amount
allowed was increased in 2002, a severely injured person or the
family of someone who has been killed is still only entitled to a
maximum recovery of Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars
($250,000.00). The maximum amount that a city or county will
be liable to pay in any one case is Six Hundred Thousand Dollars
($600,000.00) regardless of the number of people injured or killed. |
