The most common car accident in Chattanooga is probably a rear-end collision. Often, a driver is going too fast or not paying close attention to the vehicles in front of them, and something goes wrong. There are a lot of accidents involving people on their phones as well. The consequences of a car crash can be life-changing for the victims. Car accident claims in Chattanooga, and throughout Tennessee, have a statute of limitations of only one year, which is why it is vital to get in touch with an accident attorney who can help. An experienced car crash lawyer will know how to prove negligence in Chattanooga car accidents and can use their knowledge and experience to fight for a positive outcome for you.
Steps Following an Accident
First of all, if someone has been involved in a car accident, they should contact the authorities and make sure a police report is filed, and that all official steps are complied with. Next, an individual involved in an accident should notify their own insurance company and ensure that claims get opened on a timely basis. Most importantly, the accident victim should seek medical treatment if they are having any medical issues at all. If they are experiencing any physical pain, they need to be seen by a medical professional as quickly as possible. Lastly, the accident victim should contact an experienced attorney.
Is Chattanooga a Contributory or Comparative Negligence Jurisdiction?
There are a lot of factors that come into play in a car accident, and the main question is whether the injured person contributed to the collision: was the crash partially their fault, and who was more at fault? This is where comparative fault comes into play. The City of Chattanooga and the State of Tennessee follow a modified comparative fault system. That means that negligence in Chattanooga car accidents can also be partially attributed to the victim. More specifically, if the collision is partially the fault of driver number one and partially the fault of driver number two, then driver number two has to pay a percentage of the damages based on their percentage of fault.
If a collision is partially the victim’s fault, they may still be able to recover money to cover part of their losses. For example, if driver number two is 75% at fault and driver number one is 25% at fault, then driver number two has to pay 75% of the losses that driver number one suffered. If somebody rear-ends a person who slowed down or stopped very quickly when there was no good reason to, comparative fault would apply in that situation. If a person gets rear-ended while turning into a driveway or a parking lot but did not have their turn signal on, that could also constitute comparative fault.
