Tennessee Motorcycle Accidents

Tennessee Motorcycle Law

Under Tennessee Law, negligent drivers are legally responsible and liable to Tennessee motorcyclists that they may injure.

Damages to the motorcycle victim are the same as anyone else injured due to anothe r’s negligence. This includes compensation for pain and suffering, scarring , disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, economic loss, damage to your bike, and other damages.

If you have been injured in a motorcycle collision in Tennessee, contact us now and find out more about your rights. If you have a case, we’ll help.

 The laws for motorcycles in Tennessee have been passed by the Tennessee State legislature. In many ways the laws for motorcycles in Tennessee are similar to many other states, but there are differences. What follows is a restatement of some of the Tennessee Laws regarding motorcycles. The Tennessee State Legislature meets every year from January through May, and these statutes can be changed with very little notice. If you have a question about Tennessee Law for Motorcycles, contact our office.  For convenience, we have made bold statements of what the law provides in Tennessee

 In Tennessee, Motorcycles are considered “motor vehicles”. 

T. C. A. § 55-12-102 § 55-12-102. Definitions

(6) "Motor vehicle" means every self- propelled vehicle which is designed for use upon the highway, including trailers and semi trailers designed for use with such vehicles, and every vehicle which is propelled by electric power obtained from overhead wires but not operated upon rails, except traction engines, road rollers and farm tractors. "Motor vehicle" does not include "motorized bicycle" as defined in § 55-8-101;

In Tennessee you are required to wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle.

 T. C. A. § 55-9-302 § 55-9-302. Helmets

(a) The driver of a motorcycle, motorized bicycle, as defined in chapter 8 of this title, or motor-driven cycle, and any passenger on any of these, shall be required to wear either a crash helmet meeting federal standards contained in 49CFR 571.218, or, if such driver or passenger is twenty-one (21) years of age or older, a helmet meeting the following requirements:(1) Except as provided in subdivisions (a)(2)-(4), the helmet shall meet federal motor vehicle safety standards specified in 49 CFR 571.218; 

Tennessee motorcyclists must use a windscreen or safety goggles.

T. C. A. § 55-9-304 § 55-9-304. Windshields; safety goggles,face shields or glasses Every motorcycle or motor-driven cycle operated upon any highway or public road of this state shall be equipped with a windshield, or, in th e alternative, the operator and any passenger on any such motorcycle or motor-driven cycle shall be required to wear safety goggles, face shields, or glasses containing impact resistant lenses.

In general (there are exceptions) you have 1 year from the date of your collision to file suit.

 T. C. A. § 28-3-104 § 28-3-104. Torts; persons (a) The following actions shall be commenced within one (1) year after the cause of action accrued: (1) Actions for libel, for injuries to the person, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, breach of marriage promise; 

Although the safest thing is to assume that you must file suit with a 1 year, there are exceptions. The information provided here cannot explore or explain all the possibilities. If you have a Tennessee Motorcycle case, contact our office.

In general (there are exceptions) you must file suit in the county where the collision occurred. in each case a lawsuit must be filed in the county seat for the town where the collision occurred, a list of possible towns where your wreck may have happened include:

 A Adams, Adamsville, Afton, Alamo, Alcoa, Alexandria, Alpine, Altamont, Antioch, Ardmore, Arlington, ArnoldArrington, Arthur, Ashland City, Athens, Atoka, Atwood, 

B Bartlett, Bath Springs, Baxter, Bean Station, Beech, Beersheba Springs, Belfast, Bell, Bellevue, Bells, Benton, Bethel Springs, Bethpage, Big Rock, Big Sandy, Birchwood, Blaine, Bloomingdale, Bloomington Springs, Blountville, Bluff, Bluff City, Bolivar, Bon Aqua, Braden, Bradford, Brentwood, Brighton, Bristol, Brownsville, Bruceton, Brunswick, Brush Creek, Buchanan, Buckle, Buena Vista, Buffalo Valley, Bulls Gap, Burns, Butler, Byrdstown

C Calhoun, Camden, Campaign, Carthage,Cedar Grove, Cedar Hill, Celina, Centerville, Chapel Hill, Chapmansboro, Charleston, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Chestnut Mound, Christiana, Chuckey, Church Hill, City, Clarksburg, Clarksville, Cleveland, Clifton, Clinton, Coalfield, College Grove, Collegedale, Collierville, Collinwood, Colonial Heights, Columbia, Como, Concord, Cookeville, Copperhill, Cordova, Corryton, Cosby, Cottage Grove, Cottontown, ,Covington, Cowan, Crab Orchard, Crawford, Crockett Mills, Cross Plains, Crossville, Crump, Culleoka, Cumberland, Cumberland Furnace, Cumberland Gap, Cunningham, Cypress Inn

D Dandridge, Darden, Dayton, Decatur, Decaturville,Deer Lodge, Del Rio, Delano, Denmark, Denver, Dickson, Dixon Springs, Dover, Doyle, Dresden, Drummonds, Duck River, Ducktown, Duff, Dukedom, Dunlap, Dyer, Dyersburg

E Eads, Eagan, Eagleville, East Ridge, Eaton, Elgin, Elizabethton, Elkton, Ellendale, Elmwood,Englewood, Erin, Erwin, Estill Springs, Etowah, Eva,

F Fairfield, Fairview, Fall Branch, Fayetteville, Finley, Five Points, Flatwoods, Flintville,Franklin, Friendship, Friendsville, Fruitvale

G Gadsden, Gainesboro, Gallatin, Gates, Gatlinburg, Georgetown, Germantown, Gibson, Glade, Gladeville, Gleason, Goodlettsville, Gordonsville, Grand Junction, Grandview, Granville, Gray, Graysville, Greenback, Greenbrier, Greeneville, Greenfield, Guys

H Halls, Hampshire, Hampton, Harriman, Harrison, Hartford, Hartsville, Henderson, Hendersonville, Henning, Henry, Hermitage, Hickman, Hickory, Hickory Valley, Hickory Hill, Hillsboro, Hixson, Hohenwald, Holladay, Hollow Rock,Hornbeak, Hornsby, Humboldt, Huntingdon, Huntsville, Hurricane Mills

I Indian Mound, Iron City

J Jacks Creek, Jacksboro, Jackson, Jamestown, Jasper, Jefferson City, Jellico, Joelton, Johnson City, Jonesborough

K Kelso, Kenton, Kimball, Kingsport,Kingston, Kingston Springs, Knoxville, Kodak

L La Grange, Laconia, Lafayette, Lake City, Lancaster, Lancing, Lascassas, LaVergne, Lawrenceburg, Lebanon, Lenoir City, Lenox, Leoma, Lewisburg, Lexington, Liberty, Limestone, Linden, Livingston, Lookout Mountain, Loudon, Luray, Luttrell, Lyles, Lynchburg, Lynn Garden, Lynnville

M Macon, Madison, Madisonville, Manchester, Mansfield, Martin, Maryville, Mascot, Mason, MauryCity, Maynardville, Mc Kenzie, McEwen, McMinnville, Medina, Melrose, Memphis, Mercer, Michie, Middleton, Midway, Milan,Milligan College, Millington, Milton, Minor Hill, Monroe, Monteagle, Monterey, Morris Chapel, Morrison, Morristown, Moscow, Mosheim, Moss, Mount Carmel, Mount Juliet, Mount Pleasant, Mount Vernon, Mountain City, Mountain Home,Mulberry, Munford, Murfreesboro

N Nashville, New Johnsonville, New Market, New Tazewell, Newbern, Newcomb, Newport, Nolensville, Normandy, Norris,

O Oak Ridge, Oakdale, Oakfield, Oakland, Obion, Ocoee, Old Hickory, Oldfort, Oliver Springs, Oneida, Only, Ooltewah, Orlinda,

P Paris, Parsons, Pegram, Pelham, Petersburg, Petros, Pickwick Dam, Pigeon Forge, Pikeville, Piney Flats, Pinson, Pioneer, Plaza, Pleasant Hill, Pleasant Shade, Pleasant View, Pleasantville, Pocahontas, Portland, Powder Springs, Prospect, Pulaski

R Ramer, Readyville, Reagan, Red Bank, Red Boiling Springs, Reliance, Riceville, Rickman, Ridgetop, Ripley, Rives, Roan Mountain, Robbins, Rock Island, Rockford, Rockvale, Rockwood, Rogersville, Rossville, Rugby, Russellville, Rutherford, Rutledge

S Saint Andrews, Saint Joseph, Sale Creek, Santa Fe, Savannah, Selmer, Sequatchie, Sevierville, Sewanee, Seymour, Shady Valley, Sharon, Sharps Chapel, Shelbyville, Sherwood, Shiloh, Signal Mountain, Silver Point, Smithville, Smyrna, Ferry, Sneedville, Soddy Daisy, Somerville, South Fulton, South Pittsburg, Southside, Sparta, Speedwell, Spencer, Spring City, Spring Creek, Spring Hill, Springfield, Stanton, Stewart, Strawberry Plains, Sugar Tree, Summertown, Summitville, Sweetwater

T Taft, Tallassee, Tazewell, Telford, Tellico Plains, Ten Mile, Tennessee Ridge, Thompson's Station, Thorn Hill, Tipton, Tiptonville, Townsend, Tracy City, Trade, Trenton, Troy, Tullahoma,Turtletown, Tusculum

U Unicoi, Union City, Unionville

V Vanleer, Viola

W Wartburg, Wartrace, Washburn, Watauga, Watertown, Watts Bar Dam, Waverly, Waynesboro, Westmoreland, White Bluff, White House, White Pine, Whites Creek, Whitesburg, Whiteside, Whiteville, Whitwell, Wilder, Winchester, Winfield,Woodbury, Woodland Mills, Woodlawn