Tennessee Code Annotated
Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-22-101 (2026)
Lien created - Application - Priority
✓ current as of May 2026
- (a) Every person, firm, association, corporation, institution, or any governmental unit, including the state of Tennessee, any county or municipalities operating and maintaining a hospital in this state, shall have a lien for all reasonable and necessary charges for hospital care, treatment and maintenance of ill or injured persons upon any and all causes of action, suits, claims, counterclaims or demands accruing to the person to whom such care, treatment or maintenance was furnished, or accruing to the legal representatives of such person in the case of such person's death, on account of illness or injuries giving rise to such causes of action or claims and which necessitated such hospital care, treatment and maintenance.
- (b) The hospital lien, however, shall not apply to any amount in excess of one-third (1/3) of the damages obtained or recovered by such person by judgment, settlement or compromise rendered or entered into by such person or such person's legal representative by virtue of the cause of action accruing thereto.
- (c) The lien herein created shall be subject and subordinate to any attorney's lien whether by contract, suit or judgment upon such claim or cause of action and shall not be applicable to accidents or injuries within the purview of the Tennessee Workers' Compensation Law, compiled in title 50, chapter 6. Any such lien arising out of a motor vehicle accident shall not take priority over a mechanic's lien or prior recorded lien upon a motor vehicle involved in such accident.
Acts 1970, ch. 527, § 1; impl. am. Acts 1980, ch. 534, § 1; T.C.A., § 23-3201.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 24
cases (4 in the last 5 years), 1997–2025 · leading case: Diane West v. Shelby Cnty. Healthcare Corp. d/b/a Reginal Med. Ctr. at Memphis, 459 S.W.3d 33 (Tenn. 2014).
Diane West v. Shelby Cnty. Healthcare Corp. d/b/a Reginal Med. Ctr. at Memphis, 459 S.W.3d 33 (Tenn. 2014). “If the Med decides that a third party may be personally liable for the patient’s injuries, the hospital perfects a lien for the full, unadjusted charges for the care the patient received while hospitalized, pursuant to the Tennessee Hospital Lien Act (“HLA”), Tenn.Code Ann. §§…”
Shelby Cnty. Health Care Corp. v. Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co., 325 S.W.3d 88 (Tenn. 2010). “§§ 29-22-101 to -107 (2000)), was adopted in 1970 and captioned “AN ACT to create for hospitals a lien upon all causes of action for damages accruing to persons having received care and treatment for illness *93 or injuries and to provide the procedure for the perfecting,…”
Benton v. Vanderbilt Univ., 137 S.W.3d 614 (Tenn. 2004). “[2] See Tenn.Code Ann. § 29-22-101 (2000) (providing for hospital liens).”
Shelby Cnty. Health Care Corp. v. S. Farm Bureau Cas. Ins. Co., 855 F.3d 836 (8th Cir. 2017). “Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-22-101 . The Med mailed a copy of the hospital lien to the attorneys for Smiley’s estate.”
In re Reeves, 521 B.R. 827 (Bankr. E.D. Tenn. 2014). “See Tenn.Code Ann. § 29-22-101. 6 *836 The Trustee notes that in Spivey v.”
Doroshow, Pasquale, Krawitz & Bhaya v. Nanticoke Mem'l Hosp., Inc., 36 A.3d 336 (Del. 2012). “Laws § 9-3-4 (2006); Tennessee, Tenn.Code Ann. § 29-22-101 (2002); Utah, Utah Code Ann.”
Lacey Robinett v. Shelby Cnty. Healthcare Corp., 895 F.3d 582 (8th Cir. 2018). “Instead, pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-22-101 , the Med pursued a lien against Robinett's third-party claim against the tortfeasor "for all reasonable and necessary charges for hospital care, treatment and maintenance.”
Shelby Cnty. Health Care Corp. v. S. Farm Bureau Cas. Ins., 798 F.3d 686 (8th Cir. 2015). “Pursuant to the Tennessee Hospital Lien Act (“HLA”), Tenn.Code Ann. § 29-22-101 et seq., the Med filed a statutory hospital lien in the Circuit Court of Tennessee for the Thirtieth Judicial District at Memphis for the unpaid balance owed on Smiley’s hospital bill, which is over…”
Shelby Cnty. Health Care Corp., d/b/a Reg'l Med. Ctr. v. John Baumgartner, Elizabeth Baumgartner, a/k/a Daray Baumgartner, Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co., & Hartford Accident & Indem. (Tenn. Ct. App. 2011). “Pursuant to the Hospital Lien Act of Tennessee, Tennessee Code Annotated § 29-22-101, et seq. (“HLA”), the lien affidavit was filed with the Circuit Court Clerk for the Thirtieth Judicial District at Memphis (“Circuit Court Clerk”).”
Shelby Cnty. Health Care Corp. v. Globe Am. Cas. Co., 638 F. Supp. 2d 882 (W.D. Tenn. 2008). “CONTENTIONS OF THE PARTIES AND ANALYSIS At the center of the controversy between the parties lies § 29-22-101, et seq, the Tennessee Hospitals’ Liens Statute, and its application to this case.”
Jean Dedmon v. Debbie Steelman, 535 S.W.3d 431 (2017). “granted (Tenn. Oct. 21, 2016). Citing limiting language in West, the appellate court concluded that West did not apply to personal injury cases.”
Shelby Cnty. Health Care Corp. v. Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co. (Tenn. Ct. App. 2009). “The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of Appellant hospital, finding that Appellant had perfected its lien under Tenn. Code Ann. §29-22-101 , and that the Appellee had impaired that lien pursuant to Tenn.”
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-22-101(a) — 4 cases
Diane West v. Shelby Cnty. Healthcare Corp. d/b/a Reginal Med. Ctr. at Memphis, 459 S.W.3d 33 (Tenn. 2014). “If the Med decides that a third party may be personally liable for the patient’s injuries, the hospital perfects a lien for the full, unadjusted charges for the care the patient received while hospitalized, pursuant to the Tennessee Hospital Lien Act (“HLA”), Tenn.Code Ann. §§…”
Shelby Cnty. Health Care Corp. v. Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co., 325 S.W.3d 88 (Tenn. 2010). “§§ 29-22-101 to -107 (2000)), was adopted in 1970 and captioned “AN ACT to create for hospitals a lien upon all causes of action for damages accruing to persons having received care and treatment for illness *93 or injuries and to provide the procedure for the perfecting,…”
Shelby Cnty. Health Care Corp., d/b/a Reg'l Med. Ctr. v. John Baumgartner, Elizabeth Baumgartner, a/k/a Daray Baumgartner, Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co., & Hartford Accident & Indem. (Tenn. Ct. App. 2011). “Pursuant to the Hospital Lien Act of Tennessee, Tennessee Code Annotated § 29-22-101, et seq. (“HLA”), the lien affidavit was filed with the Circuit Court Clerk for the Thirtieth Judicial District at Memphis (“Circuit Court Clerk”).”
Shelby Cnty. Health Care Corp. v. Globe Am. Cas. Co., 638 F. Supp. 2d 882 (W.D. Tenn. 2008). “CONTENTIONS OF THE PARTIES AND ANALYSIS At the center of the controversy between the parties lies § 29-22-101, et seq, the Tennessee Hospitals’ Liens Statute, and its application to this case.”
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-22-101(b) — 8 cases
Shelby Cnty. Health Care Corp. v. Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co., 325 S.W.3d 88 (Tenn. 2010). “§§ 29-22-101 to -107 (2000)), was adopted in 1970 and captioned “AN ACT to create for hospitals a lien upon all causes of action for damages accruing to persons having received care and treatment for illness *93 or injuries and to provide the procedure for the perfecting,…”
Shelby Cnty. Health Care Corp., d/b/a Reg'l Med. Ctr. v. John Baumgartner, Elizabeth Baumgartner, a/k/a Daray Baumgartner, Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co., & Hartford Accident & Indem. (Tenn. Ct. App. 2011). “Pursuant to the Hospital Lien Act of Tennessee, Tennessee Code Annotated § 29-22-101, et seq. (“HLA”), the lien affidavit was filed with the Circuit Court Clerk for the Thirtieth Judicial District at Memphis (“Circuit Court Clerk”).”
Shelby Cnty. Health Care Corp. v. S. Farm Bureau Cas. Ins., 798 F.3d 686 (8th Cir. 2015). “Pursuant to the Tennessee Hospital Lien Act (“HLA”), Tenn.Code Ann. § 29-22-101 et seq., the Med filed a statutory hospital lien in the Circuit Court of Tennessee for the Thirtieth Judicial District at Memphis for the unpaid balance owed on Smiley’s hospital bill, which is over…”
Shelby Cnty. Health Care Corp. v. Globe Am. Cas. Co., 638 F. Supp. 2d 882 (W.D. Tenn. 2008). “CONTENTIONS OF THE PARTIES AND ANALYSIS At the center of the controversy between the parties lies § 29-22-101, et seq, the Tennessee Hospitals’ Liens Statute, and its application to this case.”
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