Between January and mid-July, 597 motor vehicle accident fatalities occurred in the state of Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security also reported that there were a total of 3,053 collisions causing serious or fatal injuries.
Every one of these accidents represent lives lost or changed forever. Sadly, many were preventable and would not have occurred if motorists had not been careless on the roadways. If you or someone you love was a victim of this carelessness, you need a legal advocate on your side.
You don’t want to just hire any Knoxville car accident attorney, though. You need a firm that has an established track record, that prioritizes developing trust, and that is prepared to resolve your case through negotiation or litigation depending on what’s necessary to maximize your compensation.
The Lawyers of Brown and Roberto can provide the advocacy you’re looking for. Since 1979, our firm has focused exclusively on representing injured victims including those harmed in car wrecks. We’ve recovered more than $50 million for clients, including $2.1 million for a pedestrian hit by a car as well as $1 million in several recent claims including crashes caused by a truck driver who entered an intersection unsafely and a driver who ran a stop sign.
We can bring our legal skills and experience to your case and help you fight for the full compensation you deserve. Give us a call today at (865) 691-2777 to schedule your free consultation, with no office visit required, to find out what our firm can do for you.
Why Trust Our Knoxville Car Accident Lawyers?
- The Lawyers of Brown & Roberto have over 50 years of combined experience handling car accident claims in Knoxville. Our deep understanding of Tennessee traffic laws and insurance regulations allows us to build stronger cases for our clients.
- We believe in being accessible and that meeting your attorney makes a difference in car accident cases. Our firm takes the time to get to know you and hear your story so that we understand your needs and tailor our approach to achieve the best possible outcome for your car accident claim.
- Our lawyers work quickly to get your car accident claim moving, recognizing that bills add up and lost income can hurt your credit. We aggressively pursue compensation for your lost wages, pain and suffering, and vehicle damage to help you recover financially, emotionally, and physically from your car accident.
Types of Car Accidents In Knoxville
Crashes happen on Tennessee’s roads every day, and The Lawyers of Brown and Roberto provide invaluable help in all different kinds of motor vehicle accidents. Some of the different Knoxville car accident claims our firm handles include:
- Truck accidents
- Bicycle wrecks
- Motorcycle crashes
- Pedestrian injuries
- Uber and Lyft accidents
Whether you were walking, riding your bike, or in a passenger car at the time of the incident, our firm can help you to fight for the compensation you deserve after someone hurt you.
Car Accidents Can Lead to Life-Altering Injuries
A car accident can shatter your life in an instant, leaving deep emotional scars, financial burdens, and physical injuries that may last a lifetime. The trauma of a crash often triggers anxiety, depression, and even post-traumatic stress disorder, affecting your daily life and relationships. Financially, you may face exorbitant medical bills, lost wages, and extensive property damage that requires repairs and replacements.
Physically, the injuries sustained in a car accident can range from minor bruises to severe, life-altering conditions that require ongoing medical care and rehabilitation. These injuries may include:
- Whiplash
- Broken bones
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Burns and scarring
- Permanent disfigurement
- Lacerations
- Spinal cord damage
- Soft tissue injuries
- Neck and back injuries
- Amputations
- Facial injuries
- Psychological trauma
- Nerve damage
- Joint injuries
- Chronic pain
Who is Responsible for a Knoxville Car Accident?
Tennessee is a fault state for car accidents, so you can take legal action against any driver whose negligence or carelessness was the direct cause of your accident.
Giggers v. Memphis Housing Auth explains that negligence is “defined as the failure to exercise reasonable care.” As the case explains, to establish negligence you must show:
- The defendant had a duty or obligation to you
- Their conduct fell below the standard of care, either because they violated a specific safety regulation or because they behaved less carefully than a reasonable driver would have
- You were hurt as a direct result of their failures.
You do not have to show the other driver was 100% to blame for the incident in order to recover compensation. A case called McIntyre v. Balentine established a “modified comparative fault” rule in Tennessee.
This sounds complicated, but as the court explains in McIntyre,”so long as a plaintiff’s negligence remains less than the defendant’s negligence the plaintiff may recover; in such a case, plaintiff’s damages are to be reduced in proportion to the percentage of the total negligence attributable to the plaintiff.”
If the other driver was at least 51% responsible for the crash, this comparative fault rule allows you to make your claim. If you suffered $100,000 in damages and the other driver was 60% to blame, they’d have to pay you $60,000 of your losses.
It is up to you to prove that the defendant was to blame, and the Knoxville personal injury attorneys at The Lawyers of Brown & Roberto will help you to do that.
How Can a Knoxville Car Accident Attorney Help You?
A Knoxville car accident lawyer provides invaluable assistance after you or someone you love was hurt or killed in a motorcycle accident. Our firm will focus on the legal issues while you focus on recovering and rebuilding. We’ll advocate for and assist you in many important ways including:
- Gathering evidence: Tennessee law requires most car accidents to be reported. As the Tennessee Department Of Safety And Homeland Security explains, failure to file a report could lead to a license suspension. An attorney can help you to obtain copies of accident reports, police records, and witness statements that you can use to bolster your case.
- Making certain you file your claim on time. Tennessee Code Section 28-3-104 establishes a one year statute of limitations for injury claims and Tennessee Code Section 28-3-105 establishes a three year statute of limitations for property damage claims. If you wait too long, your claim will be time-barred and can’t move forward. Our firm will help you keep your case on track and on time.
- Negotiating a settlement. Many car accident claims settle outside of court. Our firm can negotiate with the insurance company to maximize the chances you reach an agreement that allows you to avoid trial.
- Fighting for you in court. If no fair settlement offer is forthcoming, we’re prepared to represent you in court. While not all attorneys are ready to go to trial, the Lawyers of Brown and Roberto are part of the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association and we have extensive experience in a courtroom. We’ll be there to help you make a compelling case.
We want to make your life easier and earn your trust in the aftermath of an accident, so we offer free consultations to help you understand more about the ways in which we can represent you. We also don’t charge legal fees unless we win your case.
Our goal is to ensure you are made whole, or recover the full amount of compensation necessary to pay for economic and non-financial damages. While Tennessee Code Section 29-39-102 caps non-economic losses at $750,000, or $1 million for catastrophic injuries, we work to ensure that you get the maximum available to you under the law given the facts of your case and the state’s limits.
Compensation Available for Car Accident Victims
In Tennessee, victims of car accidents may be entitled to various forms of compensation to help them recover and rebuild their lives. This compensation aims to cover both the immediate and long-term consequences of the accident, addressing financial losses and the impact on your quality of life.
The types of damages you may be able to recover include:
- Past and future medical expenses: This compensation covers all healthcare costs related to your injuries, from emergency room visits to ongoing rehabilitation. It may encompass hospital bills, doctor’s appointments, prescription medications, physical therapy, and any future medical treatments you may need as a result of the accident.
- Lost wages and future earnings: This category accounts for income lost due to your inability to work following the accident, as well as potential future earnings if your earning capacity is diminished. It considers not only your current salary but also potential promotions, raises, and career advancements you may miss out on due to your injuries.
- Property repairs and replacements: Your car accident settlement can pay for the costs of repairing and replacing your vehicle and any other personal property damaged in the accident. It covers everything from minor vehicle repairs to total replacement of a totaled car, as well as any valuable electronics, clothing, jewelry, or other items that were in the vehicle at the time of the crash.
- Disability accommodations: If your injuries result in permanent disability, you may be entitled to compensation for necessary home or vehicle modifications. This can include installing wheelchair ramps, widening doorways, or adding special equipment to your vehicle to accommodate your new needs.
- Physical and emotional pain and suffering: This addresses the physical pain and emotional distress caused by the accident and your injuries. It compensates you for the reduction in your quality of life, including physical discomfort, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of activities, and the overall impact on your well-being.
When pursuing a car accident claim, it is important to accept a fair settlement—otherwise, you risk experiencing financial hardship in the future. Leveraging our skills and wide network of experts, The Lawyers of Brown and Roberto will work diligently to calculate the full value of your car accident settlement.
We meticulously review all relevant documents, including medical records, police reports, and financial statements to build a comprehensive picture of your losses. We also work with medical professionals, economists, and life care planners to project future expenses and losses. This comprehensive approach helps us pursue full and fair compensation that accounts for all aspects of your damages, including those that may not be immediately obvious.
Dealing with Insurance Adjusters After a Car Accident
When filing a car accident claim in Tennessee, your first step will likely be to file an insurance claim against the at-fault party’s coverage. These claims may seem straightforward, but navigating conversations with insurance adjusters requires caution and strategy. It is important to remember that these professionals work for the insurance company, not for you, and their primary goal is to protect the company’s best interests—not yours.
As a result, the company may employ various tactics that aim to minimize the amount of compensation that they need to pay. For example, insurance adjusters may pressure you to provide recorded statements shortly after the accident. These statements can be used against you later if your recollection changes or if the full extent of your injuries becomes apparent over time. The company may point to inconsistencies in your statement as justification for offering less compensation.
Insurance companies often offer quick settlements that may seem tempting but are usually far less than what you deserve. These early offers rarely account for long-term medical needs or unforeseen complications. Some adjusters may even try to shift blame for the accident onto you, suggesting that your actions contributed to the crash.
When you are dealing with insurance adjusters after a car accident, you need an advocate in your corner. The Lawyers of Brown and Roberto can protect your interests when dealing with insurance companies. Our attorneys understand the tactics insurers use and can counter them effectively, advocating for your rights and pushing for fair compensation.
We handle all communications on your behalf, making sure that you do not accidentally say anything that could harm your claim. If the insurance company refuses to offer a fair settlement, we will not hesitate to take your case to court and file a car accident lawsuit on your behalf. Our commitment is to your fair recovery, and we will fight to protect your interests at every stage.
Let A Knoxville Car Accident Attorney Help You Today
Don’t wait to get the help you need from a Knoxville car accident attorney after a car accident. Contact The Lawyers of Brown and Roberto at (865) 691-2777 today.