Tennessee Code Annotated

Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-20-305 (2026)

Action in circuit court generally - General sessions court in certain counties

✓ current as of May 2026

Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section JustiaTenn. Code CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar

(a) If the claim is denied, a claimant may institute an action in the circuit court against the governmental entity in those circumstances where immunity from suit has been removed as provided for in this chapter; provided, that in counties having a population of more than eight hundred fifty thousand (850,000), according to the 2000 federal census or any subsequent federal census, an action under this section may also be instituted in the general sessions court.

(b) The action must be commenced within twelve (12) months after the cause of action arises.

Acts 1973, ch. 345, § 15; T.C.A., § 23-3317; Acts 1981, ch. 527, § 3; 2011 , ch. 180, § 1.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 89 cases (9 in the last 5 years), 1982–2026 · leading case: Daniel Ex Rel. Daniel v. Hardin Cnty. Gen. Hosp., 971 S.W.2d 21 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1997).

Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment

Daniel Ex Rel. Daniel v. Hardin Cnty. Gen. Hosp., 971 S.W.2d 21 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1997). · cites it 17× “We will first deal with the issue of whether the twelve month limitation for bringing suit against a governmental entity pursuant to TGTLA, T.C.A. § 29-20-305(b), can be extended by T.”

Sutton v. Barnes, 78 S.W.3d 908 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2002). · cites it 12× “We will then examine Tennessee cases involving the GTLA statute of limitations set forth in T.C.A. § 29-20-305(b). Finally, we will look at other jurisdictions to see how the discovery rule has been applied to governmental tort liability statutes in those venues.”

Walton Cunningham v. Williamson Cnty. Hosp. Dist. d/b/a Williamson Med. Ctr., 405 S.W.3d 41 (Tenn. 2013). · cites it 7× “Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-20-305 (b). The second statute at issue in this case is Tennessee Code Annotated section 29-26-121, which is part of the Tennessee Medical Malpractice Review Board and Claims Act (“Medical Malpractice Act”).”

Collier v. Memphis Light, Gas & Water Div., 657 S.W.2d 771 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1983). · cites it 11× “§§ 29-20-201, 204 and 301 through 305 and the 12-month limitation of action period provided in Tenn.Code Ann. § 29-20-305. The court overruled the motions of both defendants, but certified certain questions for review which are common to all causes except the issue as to the…”

Richard Moreno v. City of Clarksville, 479 S.W.3d 795 (Tenn. 2015). · cites it 8× “” Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-20-305 (b). The City argues that a broad general statute such as Section 9-8-402 may not be used to extend the GTLA statute of limitations in the absence of statutory language clearly evidencing legislative intent to do so.”

Williams v. Memphis Light, Gas & Water Div., 773 S.W.2d 522 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1989). · cites it 10× “The issue is whether the twelve-month limitation for bringing suit against a governmental entity pursuant to the Tennessee Governmental Tort Liability Act, T.C.A. § 29-20-305(b) can be extended by the Tennessee savings statute.”

Wanda Cruise v. City of Columbia - Concurring, 922 S.W.2d 492 (Tenn. 1996). · cites it 8× “” Tenn.Code Ann. § 29-20-305(a) (1995 Supp.”

Doyle v. Frost, 49 S.W.3d 853 (Tenn. 2001). · cites it 3× “…governmental entities are engaged in the exercise and discharge of any of their functions....”). 7 . Term-Code Ann. § 29-20-305.”

Doe a v. Coffee Cnty. Bd. of Educ., 852 S.W.2d 899 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1992). · cites it 4× “§ 28-3-104(a)(1) and Tenn.Code Ann. § 29-20-305(b) (Supp.1992).”

Nationwide Mut. Fire Ins. Co. v. Memphis Light, Gas, & Water, 578 S.W.3d 26 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2018). · cites it 2× “Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-20-305 (b). The GTLA is in derogation of the common law and must be strictly construed.”

Nance v. City of Knoxville, 883 S.W.2d 629 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1994). · cites it 6× “T.C.A. § 29-20-305(b) provides as follows: (b) The action [under the Governmental Tort Liability Act] must be commenced within twelve (12) months after the cause of action arises.”

Lynn v. City of Jackson, 63 S.W.3d 332 (Tenn. 2001). · cites it 2× “§ 29-20-305(b). The plaintiffs opposed the motion to dismiss, arguing that the action was timely because it was filed within one year of John Darryl Bates attaining majority.”

Show all 89 citing cases →

— Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-20-305(2) — 1 case

Erwin v. Rose, 980 S.W.2d 203 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1998).

— Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-20-305(a) — 2 cases

Wanda Cruise v. City of Columbia - Concurring, 922 S.W.2d 492 (Tenn. 1996). “” Tenn.Code Ann. § 29-20-305(a) (1995 Supp.”

John Haynes v. Rutherford Cnty., 359 S.W.3d 585 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2011).

— Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-20-305(b) — 38 cases

Daniel Ex Rel. Daniel v. Hardin Cnty. Gen. Hosp., 971 S.W.2d 21 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1997). “We will first deal with the issue of whether the twelve month limitation for bringing suit against a governmental entity pursuant to TGTLA, T.C.A. § 29-20-305(b), can be extended by T.”

Sutton v. Barnes, 78 S.W.3d 908 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2002). “We will then examine Tennessee cases involving the GTLA statute of limitations set forth in T.C.A. § 29-20-305(b). Finally, we will look at other jurisdictions to see how the discovery rule has been applied to governmental tort liability statutes in those venues.”

Walton Cunningham v. Williamson Cnty. Hosp. Dist. d/b/a Williamson Med. Ctr., 405 S.W.3d 41 (Tenn. 2013). “Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-20-305 (b). The second statute at issue in this case is Tennessee Code Annotated section 29-26-121, which is part of the Tennessee Medical Malpractice Review Board and Claims Act (“Medical Malpractice Act”).”

Williams v. Memphis Light, Gas & Water Div., 773 S.W.2d 522 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1989). “The issue is whether the twelve-month limitation for bringing suit against a governmental entity pursuant to the Tennessee Governmental Tort Liability Act, T.C.A. § 29-20-305(b) can be extended by the Tennessee savings statute.”

Collier v. Memphis Light, Gas & Water Div., 657 S.W.2d 771 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1983). “§§ 29-20-201, 204 and 301 through 305 and the 12-month limitation of action period provided in Tenn.Code Ann. § 29-20-305. The court overruled the motions of both defendants, but certified certain questions for review which are common to all causes except the issue as to the…”

Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.