Tennessee Personal Injury Lawyer

Is It Worth Getting a Personal Injury Lawyer?

If you’ve been injured by the negligence of someone else, you’re facing considerable physical, financial, and emotional losses that make tackling a personal injury claim on your own exceptionally difficult. Additionally, personal injury claims are legally exacting, which makes working closely with a dedicated personal injury lawyer (from early in the process) in your best interest. The fact is that most reputable Tennessee personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, which means their pay is contingent (or based) on you receiving a settlement or court award. In other words, there is no financial risk to you, and it is worth hiring a personal injury lawyer.

What Percentage Do Most Personal Injury Lawyers Take?

Personal injury lawyers generally work on contingency, and as such, they are paid a prearranged percentage of your settlement or court award (if you receive neither, you won’t owe your personal injury lawyer anything). You and your personal injury lawyer will discuss the percentage he or she will receive prior to you hiring him or her, and in the State of Tennessee, this percentage is capped at 33 and a third percent (or one-third of your overall compensation).

What Falls under Personal Injury Law?

Personal injury law covers those civil cases in which claimants are injured by the negligence of other parties, and while personal injury claims come in many different varieties, some of the most common include:

• Traffic accidents of all kinds, including auto, tractor-trailer, and motorcycle accidents
• Boating accidents
• Property damage, such as to vehicles in traffic accidents or to boats in boating accidents
• Accidents that lead to catastrophic injuries, including traumatic brain injuries and burn injuries
• Slip and fall accidents and other kinds of premises liability claims, including dog bites
• Product liability claims involving dangerously defective consumer goods
• Injuries sustained by children
• Sports-related injuries

Other kinds of closely related claims that are also based on negligence include:

• Workers’ compensation claims, including construction accidents
• Wrongful death claims

What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer?

There are many benefits associated with hiring a personal injury lawyer:

• Your personal injury lawyer will skillfully negotiate with the involved insurance company on your behalf.
• Your personal injury lawyer will gather all relevant evidence in his or her focused effort to build your strongest claim.
• Your personal injury lawyer will skillfully advocate for your claim’s best possible resolution.
• Your personal injury lawyer will help you make the right decisions for you throughout the legal process.

What Damages Can I Recover in a Personal Injury Lawsuit?

In a Tennessee personal injury lawsuit, you can recover on all the following losses (or legal damages):

• On any property damage incurred (such as to your vehicle in a traffic accident)
• On your related medical expenses (both current and ongoing)
• On your lost wages, which can include any decrease in your earning potential
• Your physical and psychic pain and suffering

One of the primary tasks your personal injury lawyer will take on is ensuring that your losses are all well represented in your personal injury case.

Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury in Tennessee

In Tennessee, you have only one year from the date you were injured by someone else’s negligence (in the accident in question) to file a lawsuit, and this is known as the statute of limitations. This one-year limit represents considerably less time than many other states allow. The complications and challenges that are inherent to personal injury claims make reaching out to a seasoned personal injury lawyer sooner rather than later the best policy.

Can You Sue for Pain and Suffering in Tennessee?

One of the legal damages addressed by personal injury law in the State of Tennessee is pain and suffering, which can be one of the most challenging obstacles to tackle on your journey toward regaining your health and well-being.

How Is a Personal Injury Settlement Determined?

Personal injury settlements are negotiated between the involved insurance company and the claimant. Your personal injury lawyer will knowledgeably advocate for a settlement that covers your full range of physical, financial, and emotional damages, and your settlement will be predicated on the extent of your damages in each category.

How Much Is the Average Personal Injury Case Worth?

Every personal injury case is unique to the claimant and the circumstances involved, which means that no two are ever exactly alike. You can estimate your personal injury case’s worth, however, by totaling your damages in each of the areas of loss defined above.

Tennessee Personal Injury Statistics

The Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security shares all the following important statistics related to accidents that commonly lead to personal injury claims throughout the state:

• In 2020, there were 1,217 traffic fatalities in the state, which is up considerably for every preceding year (back to 2016).
• In 2018, there were 168 motorcycle fatalities, which is more than any preceding year all the way back to 1998.
• In 2019, there were 153 fatal motorcycle accidents, which is second only to the amount in 2018.

Reach Out to an Experienced Tennessee Car Accident Lawyer Today

If someone else’s negligence leaves you injured, the accomplished personal injury lawyers at Ford, Nichols & Frye in Loudon, Tennessee, have the compassion, legal skill, and keen insight to help. We’re on your side, so please don’t delay contacting or calling us for more information today.