Statute of Limitations

Tennessee sets different deadlines for different claims, and the differences are substantial. The period for a written contract is considerably longer than for many other claims, and some causes of action have notably short windows.

Two features cause the most difficulty. The clock usually starts when the claim accrues, which is not always when the loss was discovered, although discovery rules modify this for certain claims. And the deadline is jurisdictional in effect: a well-evidenced claim filed a day late is generally worth nothing.

Because determining the applicable period requires characterising the claim correctly, and a single set of facts can give rise to claims with different deadlines, it is worth confirming early rather than assuming.