Accidents happen even to the most cautious motorists because a myriad of variables come into play when on the road. You may have been involved in a car wreck in one of the roads in East Tennessee and wondering about the appropriateness of contacting an attorney. Besides seeking medical help, not many people know how to proceed when involved in a vehicle crash. A car wreck that leaves you, your passengers, or other motorists with personal injuries can involve various legal elements that are hard to handle for a layperson.
The legal professionism of an accident lawyer is invaluable if the car crash was the result of negligence of some kind. Maybe the other driver was intoxicated or failed to meet his/her duty of care while using the road. In some circumstances, it may not be evident where the fault lies and an experienced attorney can help navigate the murky legal waters. You can also get legal representation if the wreck was the result of a defective vehicle or poorly constructed road.
If you or other victims sustained severe or permanent injuries in the car crash, then consult a lawyer. Such injuries compromise your ability to earn an income not to mention they come with hefty medical bills. When you have a family that depends on your earnings, being out of commission for a while means that they suffer as well. If it’s a permanent injury, then the victim may never be able to resume normal duties.
It is not uncommon for vehicle accident victims to handle their cases by themselves. However, a car crash lawyer can help you comprehend all the technical, legal, and medical aspects of the car wreck. It is easy for a motorist to get confused. An attorney is your guide to the right and wrong actions to pursue in the course of the case.
Accident attorneys are useful in establishing and proving fault. Just saying the other party was responsible is not sufficient to get an insurance company to pay compensation. Lawyers use other legal professionals to gather evidence, which makes it is easier to determine the validity of your case and the winning chances.
Every state has its accident rules hence the need to have an attorney who specializes in that area by your side. Tennessee, for example, operates under a “modified” comparative fault rule, which determines how much compensation a vehicle crash victim can receive. It means that if you were partly responsible for the accident, the settlement would be less your degree of fault. Say, you are 30% at fault and the award is $20,000, you get ($20,000-30%) = $14,000. This law only applies if your fault is less than 50%; any more than that and you don’t receive anything.
The legal professionism of a Tennessee accident attorney is useful in car wrecks that involve significant personal injury or property damage. Note that Tennessee has a statute of limitations of one year for personal injury cases and three years for property damage lawsuits.
After spending his secondary years of study at The McCallie School in Chattanooga, G Turner Howard III earned his BA at Tulane University. A member of the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association, he received his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law. Before becoming an attorney, he earned a Master’s and Doctor of Divinity at Andrews Theological Seminary and Columbia Theological Seminary. He also served as a 1st Lieutenant in the US Army in Vietnam. With more than 20 years of experience, his firm has helped clients receive millions of dollars for personal injury, and in many cases, much faster than they ever expected.
