Statute of Limitations Medical Debt Tennessee

Overview

Run this scenario in DocketMath using the Statute Of Limitations calculator.

In Tennessee, the statute of limitations (SOL) for medical debt is 1 year under the general/default rule stated in Tennessee Code Annotated § 40-35-111(e)(2).

Medical debt often involves a claim for unpaid services. If the balance remains unpaid, the provider—or another party that has standing to sue—may file a lawsuit within the SOL window. DocketMath focuses on the most time-sensitive question: how long the claim may still be filed after the triggering event (often referred to as accrual).

Because this page is specifically about medical debt, it’s important to be clear about the basis for the time limit: this content uses the general/default period because no claim-type-specific sub-rule for medical debt was identified in the cited authority.

Limitation period

Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-35-111(e)(2), the applicable general/default SOL period is 1 year.

What the 1-year window means

In SOL calculations, the “clock” typically runs from a triggering event (often called accrual). In many debt situations, that triggering date may relate to when the amount became due and unpaid. The precise accrual date can vary depending on your records, such as:

• the billing or due date used by the provider,
• when the account was treated as past due,
• and any supporting documentation showing the last relevant date.

Since DocketMath is built for real-world calculations, the key is to select the trigger date that best matches your understanding of when the claim accrued.

Typical inputs you’ll use in a DocketMath SOL calculation

To estimate the last date a suit could be filed under the 1-year default rule, consider inputs like:

• Date of service (if that’s when the charges were incurred)
• Date billing/statement became due (if the account has a due date)
• Date of last payment (sometimes relevant to how the account status changed)
• Date you learned the debt was collected or assigned (often helpful context, but not always the accrual date)
• Target “file by” date (the date you want to compare with a lawsuit filing date)

How the output changes

DocketMath’s SOL expiration date is driven by your selected triggering date:

• If you enter an earlier trigger date, the SOL expires earlier.
• If you enter a later trigger date (for example, a date tied to when the account became past due and unpaid), the SOL expires later.

So, even though the SOL period is fixed at 1 year for the general/default rule, the expiration date you get depends on the trigger/accrual date you input.

Key exceptions

For Tennessee medical debt under the general/default rule, the baseline is 1 year. The “exception” question is largely about whether a different, more specific limitations rule applies or whether tolling/reset concepts change the timeline.

What this page does—and doesn’t—cover

This page does not identify a medical-debt-specific exception within the cited authority. That means:

• No claim-type-specific sub-rule was found here, so the general/default 1-year period is the rule applied.
• Any exception that changes the result would likely require a different statute or facts showing that the limitations period was paused (tolling) or reset/altered by a legally significant event.

Practical exception checklist (record-focused)

When reviewing medical debt records, gather details that can affect the accrual or limitations analysis:

• Last bill date and any stated due date(s)
• Date of last payment (if any)
• Any written agreements or acknowledgments of the debt
• Communications showing how the creditor treated the account (active, past due, settled, etc.)
• Any court documents that identify the asserted claim and alleged accrual date

Pitfall to avoid: Using the debt assignment date (when ownership transfers to a collector) as the SOL trigger. Assignment can matter for other reasons (like standing), but it is not necessarily the accrual date that controls limitations.

When tolling or resets might matter (high-level)

Without giving legal advice, some situations in general debt litigation can affect timing, such as:

• events that pause the creditor’s ability to sue,
• legally significant acknowledgments or agreements that change the limitations posture,
• or procedural developments tied to a case history.

If you’re comparing a possible lawsuit filing date to the SOL window, the biggest actionable step is to confirm the accrual/trigger date reflected by your documents and compare it to the filing date on the summons/complaint.

Statute citation

The general/default statute of limitations period applied here is:

• Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-35-111(e)(2) — 1-year limitations period under the cited general rule.
  Source: https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-40/chapter-35/part-1/section-40-35-111/

This page applies the general/default period because no claim-type-specific sub-rule for medical debt was found in the cited authority.

Use the calculator

Use DocketMath’s Statute of Limitations calculator at: /tools/statute-of-limitations.

For Tennessee (US-TN) medical debt, this workflow starts with the 1-year general/default rule from Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-35-111(e)(2).

Step-by-step: inputs that typically matter

1. Open the calculator: /tools/statute-of-limitations
2. Choose Tennessee (US-TN).
3. Enter the trigger/accrual date you believe the claim accrued (often a due date tied to when the balance became past due and unpaid).
4. Enter any additional relevant date fields the calculator supports (such as a last payment date) if applicable.
5. Review the result:

   • SOL expiration date
   • the day count used (if shown)

Reading the output like a timing test

After you get the SOL expiration date:

• If the lawsuit filing date is after the SOL expiration date, that timing often supports an “untimely” argument.
• If the lawsuit filing date is on or before the SOL expiration date, it is more likely within the limitations window.

Disclaimer: A calculator result is an estimate based on the dates you enter. If your records support a different accrual/trigger date, the expiration date will change accordingly.

Related reading

• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Vermont — How to choose the right calculator
• Statute of limitations in Singapore: how to estimate the deadline — Full how-to guide with jurisdiction-specific rules
• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Connecticut — How to choose the right calculator