(a)

Terms Used In Tennessee Code 53-15-103

  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
  • Property: includes both personal and real property. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
(1) Any person who suffers an injury or death, or an ascertainable loss of money or property, as a result of a violation of this chapter, may bring an action individually to recover actual damages.
(2) The action may be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction in the county where the alleged violation took place or is taking place, or in the county in which such person resides, has such person’s principal place of business, conducts, transacts, or has transacted business, or, if the person cannot be found in any of the foregoing locations, in the county in which such person can be found.
(b)

(1) The trial court may award reasonable expenses, including court costs, discretionary costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees to a plaintiff who prevails in a proceeding that is brought pursuant to this chapter.
(2) On termination of the proceeding, the trial court may require the plaintiff to pay any defendant‘s reasonable expenses, including court costs, discretionary costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees, incurred in defending the proceeding if the court finds that the proceeding was commenced without reasonable cause.
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