Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-39-104 (2024)

• (a) In a civil action in which punitive damages are sought:
  • (1) Punitive damages may only be awarded if the claimant proves by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant against whom punitive damages are sought acted maliciously, intentionally, fraudulently or recklessly;
  • (2) In an action in which the claimant seeks an award of punitive damages, the trier of fact in a bifurcated proceeding shall first determine whether compensatory damages are to be awarded and in what amount and by special verdict whether each defendant's conduct was malicious, intentional, fraudulent or reckless and whether subdivision (a)(7) applies;
  • (3) If a jury finds that the defendant engaged in malicious, intentional, fraudulent, or reckless conduct, then the court shall promptly commence an evidentiary hearing in which the jury shall determine the amount of punitive damages, if any;
  • (4) In all cases involving an award of punitive damages, the trier of fact, in determining the amount of punitive damages, shall consider, to the extent relevant, the following: the defendant's financial condition and net worth; the nature and reprehensibility of the defendant's wrongdoing; the impact of the defendant's conduct on the plaintiff; the relationship of the defendant to the plaintiff; the defendant's awareness of the amount of harm being caused and the defendant's motivation in causing such harm; the duration of the defendant's misconduct and whether the defendant attempted to conceal such misconduct; the expense plaintiff has borne in attempts to recover the losses; whether the defendant profited from the activity, and if defendant did profit, whether the punitive award should be in excess of the profit in order to deter similar future behavior; whether, and the extent to which, defendant has been subjected to previous punitive damage awards based upon the same wrongful act; whether, once the misconduct became known to defendant, defendant took remedial action or attempted to make amends by offering a prompt and fair settlement for actual harm caused; and any other circumstances shown by the evidence that bear on determining a proper amount of punitive damages. The trier of fact shall be instructed that the primary purpose of punitive damages is to punish the wrongdoer and deter similar misconduct in the future by the defendant and others while the purpose of compensatory damages is to make the plaintiff whole;
  • (5) Punitive or exemplary damages shall not exceed an amount equal to the greater of:
    • (A) Two (2) times the total amount of compensatory damages awarded; or
    • (B) Five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000);
  • (6) The limitation on the amount of punitive damages imposed by subdivision (a)(5) shall not be disclosed to the jury, but shall be applied by the court to any punitive damages verdict;
  • (7) The limitation on the amount of punitive damages imposed by subdivision (a)(5) shall not apply to actions brought for damages or an injury:
    • (A) If the defendant had a specific intent to inflict serious physical injury, and the defendant's intentional conduct did, in fact, injure the plaintiff;
    • (B) If the defendant intentionally falsified, destroyed or concealed records containing material evidence with the purpose of wrongfully evading liability in the case at issue; provided, however, that this subsection (a) does not apply to the good faith withholding of records pursuant to privileges and other laws applicable to discovery, nor does it apply to the management of records in the normal course of business or in compliance with the defendant's document retention policy or state or federal regulations;
    • (C) If the defendant was under the influence of alcohol, drugs or any other intoxicant or stimulant, resulting in the defendant's judgment being substantially impaired, and causing the injuries or death. For purposes of this subsection (a), a defendant shall not be deemed to be under the influence of drugs or any other intoxicant or stimulant, if the defendant was using lawfully prescribed drugs administered in accordance with a prescription or over-the-counter drugs in accordance with the written instructions of the manufacturer; or
    • (D) If the defendant's act or omission results in the defendant being convicted of a felony under the laws of this state, another state, or under federal law, and that act or omission caused the damages or injuries;
  • (8) If there is a disputed issue of fact, the trier of fact, by special verdict, shall determine whether the exceptions set forth in subdivision (a)(7) apply to the defendant and the cause of action;
  • (9) The culpability of a defendant for punitive damages whose liability is alleged to be vicarious shall be determined separately from that of any alleged agent, employee or representative.

• (b) Nothing in this section shall be construed as creating a right to an award of punitive damages or to limit the duty of the court, or the appellate courts, to scrutinize all punitive damage awards, ensure that all punitive damage awards comply with applicable procedural, evidentiary and constitutional requirements, and to order remittitur when appropriate.

• (c) The seller of a product other than the manufacturer shall not be liable for punitive damages, unless the seller exercised substantial control over that aspect of the design, testing, manufacture, packaging or labeling of the product that caused the harm for which recovery of damages is sought; the seller altered or modified the product and the alteration or modification was a substantial factor in causing the harm for which recovery of damages is sought; or the seller had actual knowledge of the defective condition of the product at the time the seller supplied the same.

• (d)
  • (1) Except as provided in subdivision (d)(2), punitive damages shall not be awarded in a civil action involving a drug or device if the drug or device which allegedly caused the claimant's harm:
    • (A) Was manufactured and labeled in relevant and material respects in accordance with the terms of an approval or license issued by the federal food and drug administration under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. §§ 301-392), as amended, or the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. §§ 201-300cc-15 ); or
    • (B) Was an over-the-counter drug or device marketed pursuant to federal regulations, was generally recognized as safe and effective and as not being misbranded pursuant to the applicable federal regulations, and satisfied in relevant and material respects each of the conditions contained in the applicable regulations and each of the conditions contained in an applicable monograph.
  • (2) Subdivision (d)(1) shall not apply in an action against a manufacturer of a drug or device, if, at any time before the event alleged to have caused the harm, the manufacturer, in violation of applicable regulations of the food and drug administration:
    • (A) Withheld from the food and drug administration information known to be material and relevant to the harm that the claimant allegedly suffered; or
    • (B) Misrepresented to the food and drug administration information of that type.
  • (3) For purposes this subsection (d):
    • (A) "Device" has the same meaning as in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. § 321(h));
    • (B) "Drug" has the same meaning as in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. § 321(g)(1)).

• (e) Punitive damages shall not be awarded in any civil action when a defendant demonstrates by a preponderance of the evidence that it was in substantial compliance with applicable federal and state regulations setting forth specific standards applicable to the activity in question and intended to protect a class of persons or entities that includes the plaintiff, if those regulations were in effect at the time the activity occurred.

• (f) Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to limit a court's authority to enter judgment as a matter of law prior to or during a trial on a claim for punitive damages.

• (g)
  • (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (a)(9), punitive damages may be awarded against a defendant based on vicarious liability for the acts or omissions of an agent or employee only if the finder of fact determines by special verdict based on clear and convincing evidence that one or more of the following has occurred:
    • (A) The act or omission was committed by a person employed in a management capacity while that person was acting within the scope of employment;
    • (B) The defendant was reckless in hiring, retaining, supervising or training the agent or employee and that recklessness was the proximate cause of the act or omission that caused the loss or injury; or
    • (C) The defendant authorized, ratified or approved the act or omission with knowledge or conscious or reckless disregard that the act or omission may result in the loss or injury.
  • (2) Nothing in this subsection (g) shall be construed to expand or increase the scope of vicarious liability or punitive damages liability under Tennessee law.
  • (3) For purposes of this subsection (g), "a person employed in a management capacity" means an employee with authority to set policy and exercise control, discretion, and independent judgment over a significant scope of the employer's business.

Amended by 2013 Tenn. Acts, ch. 224, s 1, eff. 7/1/2013.

Acts 2011 , ch. 510, §10; 2012 , ch. 902, § 2.