Tennessee's public-accommodation law does not cover disability at all, so there is no state-law website-accessibility claim here; only the federal ADA applies (plus a narrow guide-dog misdemeanor). On top of that, the federal ADA applies in Tennessee as everywhere: a business that loses or settles a website accessibility suit pays the plaintiff’s attorney’s fees.
The law
The federal baseline
ADA Title III gives a private plaintiff no money damages, but a business that loses or settles pays the plaintiff’s attorney’s fees (42 U.S.C. § 12205 (opens in a new tab)). That fee-shifting is what makes a website claim expensive, in Tennessee and everywhere else.
Lawsuits in Tennessee
The lawsuit tracker has no indexed court records from Tennessee yet.
Questions
Can a business in Tennessee be sued over an inaccessible website?
Yes. The federal ADA applies in every state, and a plaintiff can sue in federal court for an order to fix the site plus attorney's fees. Tennessee law doesn't let a person sue for money directly; complaints go to a state agency. We found no court decision applying Tennessee law to a website.
What is the minimum a Tennessee court awards for a website accessibility violation?
Tennessee law sets no fixed minimum per violation. Tennessee's public-accommodation law does not cover disability at all, so there is no state-law website-accessibility claim here; only the federal ADA applies (plus a narrow guide-dog misdemeanor).
Do I pay the plaintiff's lawyer if I lose or settle in Tennessee?
Under the federal ADA, yes: a business that loses or settles usually pays the plaintiff's attorney's fees (42 U.S.C. § 12205). Tennessee law itself doesn't add a fee award.
Which accessibility standard should a Tennessee business website meet?
The ADA doesn't name a technical standard for businesses. The Justice Department's 2022 guidance points to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and its 2024 rule for state and local governments adopted WCAG 2.1 Level AA.