Evidence

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Increasing Limit for Medical Bills in Civil Cases

This bill changes Tennessee's law to increase the limit from $4,000 to $10,000 for medical bills that can be used as prima facie evidence of necessity and reasonableness in civil cases.

What This Bill Does

• Changes the limit from $4,000 to $10,000 for how much in medical bills can be shown as prima facie evidence in a lawsuit.
• Medical bills up to $10,000 are considered reasonable and necessary if they are included with a complaint or warrant in court.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who file lawsuits involving medical bills over $4,000 but under $10,000.
• Courts that handle these types of civil cases.

Terms To Know

Prima facie evidence

Evidence that is accepted as true until proven otherwise.

Civil action

A lawsuit between individuals or organizations in court.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill only affects cases where medical bills are part of the evidence.
• It does not change how much proof is needed for bills over $10,000.

Official Summary Text

Present law provides that proof in any civil action that
medical, hospital
,
or doctor bills were paid or incurred because of any illness, disease, or injury may be itemized in the complaint or civil warrant with a copy of bills paid or incurred attached as an exhibit to the complaint or civil warrant.

The bills itemized and attached as an exhibit
must
be prima facie evidence that the bills so paid or incurred were necessary and reasonable.

This prima facie presumption
applies
to the medical, hospital
,
an
d doctor bills itemized with copies of bills attached to the complaint or civil warrant
as long as
the total amount of such bills does not excee
d
$4,000.
This bill increases such total amount limit from $4,000 to $10,000.

Current Bill Text

<BillNo> <Sponsor>

SENATE BILL 571
By Kyle

SB0571
001362
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 16
and Title 24, relative to evidence.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 24-5-113(a)(3), is amended by
deleting "four thousand dollars ($4,000)" and substituting "ten thousand dollars ($10,000)".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.