Calculadora de Compensación por Negligencia Médica de Tennessee
Estime el acuerdo por negligencia médica en Tennessee — límite de $750K en daños no económicos ($1M en casos catastróficos), prescripción de 1 año, aviso previo obligatorio más Certificado de Buena Fe.
Tennessee medical malpractice claims are governed by Tenn. Code Ann. §29-26-115 (Standard of Care & Expert Testimony): Plaintiff must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant failed to meet the recognized standard of acceptable professional practice in the community where the defendant practices or a similar community; expert testimony from a licensed practitioner in Tennessee or a contiguous state who practiced the relevant specialty within the year preceding the alleged injury is required, and injury alone does not raise a presumption of negligence. Of the 5 landmark Tennessee medical malpractice awards documented on this page, the largest is $47M (Boughton v. Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital (Case No. 19C2245, Davidson County 6th Circuit Court); 2024).
TN: límite de $750K en daños no económicos / $1M en casos catastróficos (§29-39-102) — bajo impugnación constitucional renovada en McClay 2025. Prescripción de 1 año más plazo de repose de 3 años. Culpa comparativa modificada (límite del 49%). Pago promedio ~$185K, mediana ~$95K.
Su lesión
Su Acuerdo Estimado
$36,000 — $66,000
Dolor y sufrimiento = $15,000 en facturas médicas × multiplicador de gravedad de 3.0. Sus facturas ya están incluidas en esa cifra, por lo que no se suman de nuevo.
What you'd actually take home
- Estimated settlement
- $51,000
- Attorney fee (33–40%)
- −$17,000 to −$20,400
- Roughly yours
- $30,600 – $34,000
Not included: case costs (court filing, expert witnesses, medical records) and any medical liens or health-insurance reimbursement. Those come out of your share too, so treat the figure above as an upper bound.
Keep this estimate — it is gone when you close the tab.
Cómo se compara su estimación
Basado en 529,804 pagos por negligencia médica reportados al National Practitioner Data Bank (2000–2025):
Source: Análisis del NPDB of the HRSA National Practitioner Data Bank, Public Use Data File, 2000-2025 payment reports. Malpractice cases only. Payments are range-coded; midpoints used for calculations.
Revisado Editorialmente — Contenido revisado en cuanto a exactitud utilizando investigación legal publicada, datos gubernamentales y registros judiciales verificados. Vea nuestra metodología
Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor
Negligencia Médica en Tennessee — Marco Clave
Tennessee limita los daños no económicos a $750,000 en casos estándar de negligencia médica y a $1,000,000 en lesiones catastróficas (lesión espinal/parálisis, amputación, quemaduras graves, muerte injusta del padre o madre de un menor) bajo el Código de Tennessee §29-39-102. El límite está bajo impugnación constitucional renovada en 2025 (casos de la línea McClay) por motivos de juicio con jurado e igual protección — hay que seguir el expediente de la Corte Suprema de Tennessee.
Prescripción: 1 año desde la lesión o su descubrimiento bajo §29-26-116 — uno de los plazos más cortos de EE. UU. — con un plazo absoluto de repose de 3 años desde el acto negligente (con excepciones de ocultamiento fraudulento y objetos extraños). Menores: se suspende hasta los 18 años, pero limitado por el plazo de repose de 3 años, salvo en casos de fraude.
Tennessee exige un aviso previo de 60 días a cada proveedor de salud demandado (§29-26-121) Y un Certificado de Buena Fe presentado junto con la demanda (§29-26-122) que certifique que un experto calificado ha revisado el caso y ha encontrado una base de buena fe. La falta de cualquiera de los dos es motivo de desestimación. Culpa comparativa modificada bajo McIntyre v. Balentine (1992): el demandante queda excluido con 50% o más de culpa.
Estatutos Clave de Negligencia Médica en TN
Disposiciones clave de la Ley de Responsabilidad de Atención Médica de Tennessee:
Tenn. Code Ann. §29-26-115
Standard of Care & Expert TestimonyStandard: Plaintiff must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant failed to meet the recognized standard of acceptable professional practice in the community where the defendant practices or a similar community; expert testimony from a licensed practitioner in Tennessee or a contiguous state who practiced the relevant specialty within the year preceding the alleged injury is required, and injury alone does not raise a presumption of negligence.
Tenn. Code Ann. §29-26-116
Statute of Limitations & ReposeStandard: Health care liability actions must be filed within one year of the date the negligent act occurred or was discovered; in no event may suit be brought more than three years after the negligent act, except where a foreign object was left in the body or the defendant fraudulently concealed the cause of action.
Tenn. Code Ann. §29-26-121
60-Day Pre-Suit NoticeStandard: A claimant must provide written notice to every prospective defendant at least 60 days before filing suit; the notice must include the claimant's name and birth date, attorney contact information, a list of all providers being notified, and a HIPAA-compliant medical authorization allowing defendants to obtain records from each other provider named in the notice — failure to substantially comply results in dismissal.
Tenn. Code Ann. §29-26-122
Certificate of Good FaithStandard: Plaintiff or plaintiff's counsel must file a certificate of good faith simultaneously with the complaint certifying that a qualified expert has reviewed the claim and provided a signed written statement that there is a good faith basis to maintain the action consistent with §29-26-115 requirements; non-compliance results in dismissal absent extraordinary cause.
Tenn. Code Ann. §29-39-102
Non-Economic Damage CapStandard: Non-economic damages (pain, suffering, loss of consortium) are capped at $750,000 in the aggregate per action; the cap rises to $1,000,000 for catastrophic injuries including spinal cord injuries causing paraplegia or quadriplegia, bilateral limb amputations, third-degree burns covering 40% or more of the body, or wrongful death of a parent leaving minor children — economic damages are not capped.
McIntyre v. Balentine, 833 S.W.2d 52 (Tenn. 1992)
Modified Comparative Fault (49% Bar)Standard: Tennessee abolished contributory negligence and adopted modified comparative fault: a plaintiff may recover damages only if their share of fault is less than 50%; if the plaintiff is 50% or more at fault, recovery is barred; damages are reduced proportionally to the plaintiff's fault percentage.
Estructura de Recuperación
Daños económicos: facturas médicas, salarios perdidos, cuidado futuro — sin límite. No económicos: dolor y sufrimiento con límite de $750K estándar / $1M en casos catastróficos según §29-39-102. Punitivos: limitados al mayor entre $500K o 2 veces los daños compensatorios bajo §29-39-104 (anulado a nivel federal en Lindenberg 2018 para casos de diversidad, pero aún aplicado en los tribunales estatales de TN).
Requisitos de Peritos y Honorarios de Abogados
Se requiere testimonio pericial: el estándar de cuidado, la desviación y la causalidad deben ser probados por un profesional con licencia en Tennessee o en un estado contiguo bajo §29-26-115. Aviso previo (60 días) más Certificado de Buena Fe al momento de presentar la demanda — vea Estatutos. Honorarios de abogados: típicamente contingencia del 33% al 40%, sin recuperación no hay honorario.
Límites de Daños
Límite de daños no económicos: $750,000 estándar / $1,000,000 en casos catastróficos (§29-39-102, confirmado en Yebuah v. Center for Urological Treatment, Tenn. 2021). Catastrófico = lesión de médula espinal con parálisis, amputación, quemaduras de tercer grado en más del 40% del cuerpo, o muerte injusta de un padre o madre que deja hijos menores. Límite punitivo: el mayor entre $500K o 2 veces los daños compensatorios (§29-39-104). Daños económicos: sin límite.
Veredictos y Promedios de Negligencia Médica en TN
Los veredictos y pagos promedio de Tennessee reflejan el marco específico del estado:
| Amount | Year | Case / Injury |
|---|---|---|
| $47M | 2024 | Boughton v. Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital (Case No. 19C2245, Davidson County 6th Circuit Court) — Newborn Vivian Boughton suffered hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and permanent brain damage during delivery at Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital in 2018 after the medical team failed to expedite delivery despite worsening fetal distress — Tennessee's largest medical malpractice verdict in state history. |
| $16.1M | 2023 | Bing v. Nagy et al. (5th Circuit Court, Nashville) — Justin Bing, 26, suffered cardiac arrest, strokes, and permanent brain damage after physicians at Tristar Skyline Hospital failed to properly treat a bile leak following routine gallbladder surgery — at the time the largest malpractice verdict in Nashville history. |
| $23.6M | 2009 | Hill v. Moise et al. (Shelby County Jury, Memphis) — Courtney Hill's breast cancer was not diagnosed for 18 months after Dr. Claudia Moise of OB-GYN Specialists P.C. dismissed repeated complaints about a breast lump without ordering imaging, allowing the cancer to spread to her liver — one of Tennessee's largest malpractice verdicts at the time. |
| $10.7M | 2010 | Barkes v. River Park Hospital, Inc. (No. M2006-01214-SC-R11-CV, Tenn. Supreme Court) — Wayne Barkes was sent home from the River Park Hospital emergency room with a misdiagnosis of arm sprain without a physician evaluation, dying of cardiac arrest within two hours; the Tennessee Supreme Court affirmed the $7.2M verdict (grown to $10.7M with interest) and established direct hospital liability independent of vicarious liability. |
| $7.8M | 2021 | Yebuah v. Center for Urological Treatment, PLC (Tenn. Supreme Court) — A portion of a Gelport surgical device was unintentionally left inside Mrs. Yebuah's abdomen during kidney surgery and remained undetected for eight years; the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled the $750,000 aggregate non-economic damage cap applied to both plaintiffs combined, reducing the jury award. |
Preguntas Frecuentes sobre Negligencia Médica en Tennessee
¿Cuál es el límite de Tennessee para daños por negligencia médica?
$750,000 en daños no económicos estándar, $1,000,000 para lesiones catastróficas (lesión espinal/parálisis, amputación, quemaduras graves, muerte injusta del padre o madre de un menor) bajo el Código de Tennessee §29-39-102. La Corte Suprema de Tennessee confirmó el límite en Yebuah v. Center for Urological Treatment (2021), pero el límite está bajo impugnación constitucional renovada en 2025 por motivos de juicio con jurado (casos de la línea McClay). Los daños económicos no tienen límite.
¿Cuál es el plazo de prescripción para negligencia médica en Tennessee?
1 año desde la lesión o su descubrimiento bajo §29-26-116 — uno de los más cortos de Estados Unidos. Repose absoluto: 3 años desde el acto negligente, sin importar el descubrimiento (excepciones: ocultamiento fraudulento y objetos extraños dejados en el cuerpo). Los menores se suspenden hasta los 18 años, pero generalmente siguen sujetos al plazo de repose de 3 años. Si se le pasa el plazo de 1 año, su reclamo está muerto — presente temprano.
¿Necesito enviar un aviso previo antes de presentar una demanda en Tennessee?
Sí — el §29-26-121 exige un aviso previo por escrito de 60 días a cada proveedor de salud que pretenda demandar, con autorización HIPAA y una lista de los proveedores que reciben el aviso. Un aviso conforme extiende la prescripción por 120 días. El incumplimiento es motivo de desestimación. Además, el §29-26-122 exige un Certificado de Buena Fe presentado junto con la demanda, indicando que un experto calificado ha revisado el caso y ha encontrado una base de buena fe — la falta de esto también es motivo de desestimación.
¿Cómo funciona la culpa comparativa modificada de Tennessee?
Bajo McIntyre v. Balentine, 833 S.W.2d 52 (Tenn. 1992), Tennessee usa culpa comparativa modificada del 49% — a los demandantes se les impide cualquier recuperación si se determina que tienen 50% o más de culpa. Si tiene menos del 50% de culpa, la recuperación se reduce según su porcentaje de culpa. Ejemplo: 30% de culpa en un veredicto de $500K → recupera $350K. Con 50% de culpa → $0.
¿Cuáles son los mayores veredictos de negligencia médica en Tennessee?
Boughton v. Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital (2024): $46,993,500 — récord estatal actual, lesión cerebral hipóxico-isquémica durante el parto. Bing v. Nagy (2023): $16.1M — fuga biliar que provocó paro cardíaco. Yebuah v. Center for Urological Treatment (Tenn. 2021): $7.8M — el caso de la Corte Suprema de Tennessee que confirmó el límite de $750K/$1M. Nota: los veredictos del jurado normalmente se reducen después del juicio por el límite del §29-39-102 sobre la porción no económica.
Asuntos Pendientes sobre Negligencia Médica en TN
Active legal developments (as of April 2026):
- The $750,000 non-economic damage cap under §29-39-102 faces a renewed constitutional challenge as of June 2025 (McClay v. Airport Management Services, LLC) — the Tennessee Supreme Court had not yet issued a final ruling; verify current cap status before advising clients.
- The $46,993,500 Boughton verdict (2024) was entered as a trial court judgment and may be subject to post-trial motions or appeal; confirm final judgment amount before citing.
- The 60-day pre-suit notice requirement under §29-26-121 tolls the statute of limitations by 120 days when properly served, but Tennessee courts have issued conflicting decisions on what constitutes 'substantial compliance' — verify current case law before filing.
Informational only — consult a licensed attorney for case-specific advice.
Primary Sources
- law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-29/chapter-26/part-1/section-29-26-115
- law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-29/chapter-26/part-1/section-29-26-116
- law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-29/chapter-26/part-1/section-29-26-121
- law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-29/chapter-26/part-1/section-29-26-122
- law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-29/chapter-39/section-29-39-102
- law.justia.com/cases/tennessee/supreme-court/1992/833-s-w-2d-52-2.html
- law.justia.com/cases/tennessee/supreme-court/2010/barkesdebra-opn.html
- www.wsmv.com/2024/05/22/nearly-47-million-verdict-won-after-tennessee-girl-injured-during-birth
- www.newschannel5.com/news/in-a-record-setting-verdict-16-1-million-was-awarded-to-a-man-who-suffered-brain-damage-after-surgery
- caselaw.findlaw.com/court/tn-supreme-court/2130714.html
- www.thompsonlawtn.com/blog/is-tennessees-750k-non-economic-damages-cap-unconstitutional
Other State Medical Malpractice Calculators
New York
NO caps, 2.5-yr SOL, Lavern's Law cancer exception, $595M 2024 (highest US)
California
MICRA 2026: $470K/$650K caps phasing to $750K/$1M by 2033
Florida
NO caps post-Estate of McCall 2014, §766.106 pre-suit + expert affidavit
Texas
$250K/$750K hard caps never inflation-adjusted, §74.351 expert report fatal
Illinois
NO caps post-Lebron 2010, §5/2-622 expert affidavit at filing, Cook County
Pennsylvania
NO caps (constitutional bar Art. III §18), MCARE Act, 2-yr SOL
Ohio
$250K/$500K caps (R.C. §2323.43), 1-yr SOL, affidavit of merit
New Jersey
NO general cap, $350K punitive cap, Affidavit of Merit Statute
Michigan
$521K/$929K caps (MCL §600.1483), 6-mo notice + 182-day pre-suit
Washington
NO caps (Sofie 1989), 3-yr SOL, certificate of merit RCW §7.70.150
Georgia
NO non-economic cap (Nestlehutt 2010), $250K punitive cap, 2-yr SOL + 5-yr repose, OCGA §9-11-9.1 affidavit required
North Carolina
$712,847 cap (CPI-indexed), PURE CONTRIBUTORY (any fault = $0), 3-yr SOL + 4-yr repose, Rule 9(j) certification
Arizona
NO cap (Constitution Art. 2 §31), 2-yr SOL no repose, pure comparative negligence, Banner $31.5M 2024
Massachusetts
$500K cap (NOT inflation-indexed, jury-lifted exceptions), Tribunal §60B, 3-yr SOL + 7-yr repose, modified comparative 51%
Virginia
$2.70M TOTAL cap (combined econ+non-econ), PURE CONTRIBUTORY (any fault = $0), 2-yr SOL + 10-yr repose, §8.01-20.1 certification
Colorado
$530K cap (2026, rising to $875K by 2029 under HB24-1472), Banner Health v. Gresser 2025 = $39.8M cap-exceedance, 2-yr SOL + 3-yr repose, modified comparative 50%
Maryland
$920K cap (2026, +$15K/yr fixed from 2009 $650K base), MANDATORY HCADRO pre-suit arbitration, 3-yr SOL or 5-yr repose (earlier of), Certificate of Qualified Expert §3-2A-04(b)
Missouri
Dual cap $481K non-cat / $842K cat (2026, +1.7%/yr). Original cap struck Watts 2012, reinstated 2015 as statutory cause. 2-yr STRICT occurrence (no discovery rule). Pure comparative fault.
Minnesota
NO cap. SOL just cut 4→2 years (Aug 2025, SF3489). Mandatory 2-affidavit expert system §145.682. Modified comparative 50%. Thapa $111M (2022) largest MN history, reduced to $11.25M.
Indiana
$1.8M TOTAL cap (provider $500K + PCF $1.3M). PURE CONTRIBUTORY for qualified providers (any fault = $0). Mandatory 3-doctor review panel pre-suit. 2-yr strict occurrence (no discovery rule).
Connecticut
NO statutory cap (judicial remittitur §52-228c only check at >$1M), 2-yr SOL + 3-yr repose §52-584 (among shortest in US), pre-suit good-faith certificate §52-190a, modified comparative 51% bar
South Carolina
$350K base CPI-indexed to ~$580K (2025) §15-32-220 per-defendant, 3-yr SOL + 6-yr repose §15-3-545, Notice of Intent + expert affidavit §15-79-125 + mandatory mediation, modified 51% bar (Nelson 1991)
Louisiana
$500K TOTAL MMA cap §40:1231.2 + uncapped future medical via PCF, MANDATORY Medical Review Panel §40:1231.8 before suit (unique to LA), 1-yr SOL + 3-yr repose §9:5628, cap unchanged since 1975
Nevada
$590K cap (2026, escalating $80K/yr to $750K by 2028 then 2.1% CPI) §41A.035 AB 404 2023, 2-yr discovery / 3-yr occurrence SOL §41A.097 (post-Oct 2023), expert affidavit at filing §41A.071, modified 51% bar §41.141
Main Medical Malpractice Calculator
Nationwide med-mal overview
Other Calculators for Tennessee
Each Tennessee calculator reflects state-specific laws (caps, statutes of limitations, comparative-negligence rules) and uses Tennessee verdict data where available.