Meigs County Car Accident Lawyer

Meigs County car collisions can result in simple fender-benders to serious injuries which can be life-altering. While the former can often be resolved between the parties and their insurance companies, serious injuries which result in substantial medical bills, lost income, and physical and emotional pain and suffering may be better handled through experienced legal representation.

Tennesseans who have been involved in a car accident should contact a Meigs County car accident lawyer to review their situation, determine their legal options, and decide what course of action makes sense for them. It may be critical to contact a skilled personal injury attorney before Tennessee’s statute of limitations which is only one year from the date of the accident.

Typical Accident Causes

The simple and most direct answer is anything and everything. Tennessee car accidents are just that – accidents. Yet, while accidents happen, the truth is that someone is generally at fault. Some of the most common types of negligence include speeding, aggressive or reckless driving, distracted driving (including texting and talking on cell phones), failing to follow traffic signs and signals, and tailgating.

While these types of negligence can be attributed to drivers, other factors may also be involved such as dangerous road conditions, bad weather, improperly marked construction zones, auto defects including brakes and tires, and others which can be attributed to those not driving the car.

The bottom line is that Tennessee car crashes can have numerous defendants depending upon the facts and circumstances of the situation. A Meigs County car accident lawyer can review all of those facts and determine who might be liable.

Comparative Negligence Laws

Tennessee follows comparative negligence laws which allow a plaintiff to recover for damages even if they were partially negligent. However, that fault cannot exceed 49 percent. If a plaintiff is 50 percent or more at fault for their injuries, they cannot pursue a personal injury case against the other party and their damages will be reduced in proportion to their degree of fault.

Comparative negligence laws which assign percentages of fault can be complex, especially when several drivers are involved. An experienced Meigs County car accident attorney can explain how the law applies and determine who might liable and their percentage of fault.

Help from an Attorney

Tennessee car accident damages are intended to make the plaintiff whole after an injury. Essentially, that means receiving compensation for medical and hospital bills, lost income and wages, physical pain and suffering, emotional pain and suffering, and any other type of loss they have incurred due to someone else’s negligence.

While this list is not finite, other types of compensation can include rehabilitation and various forms of physical therapy, retrofitting a home to accommodate wheelchairs and other medical equipment, the value of the loss of services that the injured party provided to the household (such as mowing the lawn, maintaining the home, driving children to school, and others which the family may have to pay someone else to do).

These are important to keep in mind as simply accepting an insurance settlement often leaves families worse off when every detail of how the injury will affect them has not been reviewed in its entirety. That is how the experience of a Meigs County car accident lawyer can be most beneficial.