Motor vehicle accidents are the No. 1 cause of death, disability, and severe injuries among young and middle-aged adults. Although improvements in car design, such as crumple zones, airbags, collision warnings, antilock braking systems (ABS), and others have dramatically improved safety for drivers and passengers, human error still poses a threat. When a driver is distracted, drowsy, intoxicated, aggressive, or otherwise reckless, severe injury or fatal collisions can occur.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident due to someone else’s negligence in Johnson City, you may be entitled to compensation. The person at fault could be held responsible for paying for your medical bills, lost wages, lost property, pain and suffering, and other losses.

With a family tradition of legal services dating back to 1960, The Terry Law Firm is prepared to address your needs and seek the compensation you may be entitled to. We do more than just try to settle injury cases. When a collision was not your fault, we work to hold the at-fault driver and their insurer accountable for your losses.

Call us at 423-403-3595, chat with us live, or fill out a contact form to schedule your free consultation now with our Johnson City car accident lawyers.

Why Choose The Terry Law Firm to Handle Your Case?

If you’ve been hurt in a car accident in Johnson City, turn to a legal team with the right resources, skills, and experience to handle your case. The trial attorneys at The Terry Law Firm provide compassionate legal guidance when you need it most. Past car crash recoveries for our clients include $1.25 million in a car accident case, $1 million in an automobile accident case, $1 million for a construction worker struck by a distracted driver, and $950,000 in a wrecker negligence case. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome, and every case depends on its own facts.

We know how devastating car accidents and their aftermath can be. Our team serves injured people from four East Tennessee offices in Johnson City, Morristown, Greeneville, and Sevierville, and we are ready to put our experience to work for you. We are available 24/7 to take your call, and we offer night and weekend consultations to better fit our clients’ schedules. Our attorneys work on a contingency-fee basis, which means you’ll never pay us a single cent until we recover compensation for you.

There’s absolutely no risk to speak to us about your accident, so call us at 423-403-3595, fill out a contact form, or chat with us live right away.

Car Accidents Attorneys in Johnson City, TN: We Stand Up for Justice, Integrity & Accountability

Managing Communication with the Insurance Company after a Car Accident in Johnson City

No matter the extent of the injury that you have suffered, you deserve to be compensated if you were involved in an accident due to someone else’s negligence, such as distracted driving, drunk driving, texting while driving, car defects, truck drivers, motorcycle riders, pedestrians, or cyclists. Many insurance companies will actively work to reduce or deny valid compensation claims, including uninsured and underinsured motorist claims that go through your own insurer. Insurance adjusters may try to pressure you into accepting a low settlement offer, or they may try to get you to make statements that could ultimately hurt your case. Our Johnson City injury attorneys can handle communication with the insurance company for you, and we also review any hospital liens filed against your claim for amounts the hospital may not be entitled to recover.

Dealing with Hospital Liens & Medical Bills After a Johnson City Car Accident

Hospitals in Tennessee can file liens to try to recover bills you have incurred. We find that hospitals often file liens for a larger amount than they are entitled to recover. The auto accident attorneys at The Terry Law Firm can review these liens and challenge amounts that look higher than the hospital is entitled to recover.

Causes of Car Accidents in Johnson City, TN

All drivers have a responsibility to operate their vehicles with due care and caution at all times. When a driver fails to be responsible behind the wheel, a crash can happen in an instant.

While there are a wide variety of reasons for collisions, some of the most common include: 

Any of these or other factors could result in a collision on local streets or on major highways, and many of them play a part in Interstate 26 accidents in Johnson City. While some crashes are minor “fender benders” that result in property damage only, others could result in severe or catastrophic injuries. In the worst-case scenario, the victim’s injuries could prove to be fatal.

Injuries Suffered by Car Crash Victims in Johnson City, TN

When vehicles collide, the impact of the crash can cause severe, catastrophic, or fatal injuries to the occupants inside.

Some common injuries victims suffer include: 

  • Amputation
  • Burns
  • Scarring and disfiguration
  • Broken bones and fractures
  • Cuts and lacerations

Victims of collisions are often forced to deal with pain, surgeries, other medical treatment, and rehabilitation. If the injury is particularly severe or catastrophic, they may never be the same again.

If your injuries place undue strain on your finances or impact your ability to support yourself and your loved ones and enjoy life as you once used to, you have the right to file an injury claim against the at-fault party and demand that they pay what you’re owed.

In particularly tragic circumstances, the victim may succumb to their injuries. When this happens, the surviving family members could be eligible to file a wrongful death claim to recover compensation and gain some closure.

Tennessee’s Statute of Limitations for Car Accidents

A statute of limitations is a legal time limit for victims to file a case.

In Tennessee, the statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit over a car crash is only one year. If you don’t file a claim within a year of the accident, the courts will not even hear your case unless a very narrow exception applies. This is why it is vital to call our law firm as soon as possible after your accident.

We will need to gather evidence and prepare the paperwork, processes that can take time. You don’t want to miss out on any compensation that you deserve by waiting to take legal action.

Types of Damages You May Recover After a Car Accident

If someone else is determined to be at fault for your accident, you may be entitled to the following compensation:

  • Current medical bills
  • Any future medical bills incurred during the ongoing treatment of health conditions caused by your injuries
  • Any costs related to the repair or replacement of your vehicle
  • Lost wages from time missed from work for treatment
  • Any lost future wages if your injuries have caused disabilities that prevent you from returning to your former line of work
  • Pain and emotional distress

If your loved one was killed in the accident or died due to injuries incurred in the accident, you may also be entitled to:

  • Funeral and burial costs
  • Loss of financial support
  • Loss of emotional support

Costs of medical bills and lost wages are usually straightforward to determine. The compensation for pain and suffering is not.

Tennessee caps pain and suffering compensation at $750,000 unless you suffered a catastrophic injury that left you disabled, in which case the cap for pain and suffering is $1 million. However, if the person who caused the accident was found guilty of driving under the influence or was intentionally trying to cause injury, there is no cap on the pain and suffering compensation.

How Is Fault Determined After a Car Crash?

If you are hurt in a car accident in Johnson City and another driver is at fault, you may be entitled to recover damages from them and their insurance company through a personal injury claim.

Tennessee follows a “comparative negligence” doctrine, which means a certain share of the blame will be assigned to each driver after a crash, depending on how their actions contributed to the collision – if any. If, for example, the other driver was found to be 90% at fault for the crash, and you were found to be 10% at fault, your award would be reduced by 10%, or proportionate to your share of responsibility.

A driver who is more than 50% at fault for a crash will be barred from recovering any damages.

Proving fault after a crash means proving negligence. If a driver fails to exercise reasonable care and caution and causes you harm as a result, you can seek compensation from them.

The more evidence you can collect and preserve, the stronger a case your attorney may be able to make for compensation. Remember that the other side’s insurer will do everything they can to deny, delay, or diminish your injury claim to save themselves money. That’s why it is crucial to have an experienced car accident attorney on your side to protect you and help you seek what you’re owed.

How Much Is Your Car Accident Case Worth?

It’s important to keep in mind that each case is unique. That said, a few common factors influence the amount of compensation you could receive in a personal injury case stemming from a car accident. You can also read about how to maximize your car accident settlement, including the steps to take after a crash and the mistakes to avoid.

For one, the severity of your injuries plays a role in determining compensation. Severe injuries that require surgery and other costly treatments, lead to extensive rehabilitation, or result in permanent disability may entitle you to more substantial compensation.

Another factor in determining compensation is the total cost of all your medical bills. Keep in mind this includes all past, present, and future medical expenses related to the accident, including:

  • Emergency room visits
  • Primary care
  • Hospitalization
  • Surgery
  • Medication 
  • Physical therapy
  • Occupational therapy
  • Imaging and diagnostic tests
  • Prosthetics
  • Medical devices
  • Mental health treatment

If your injuries prevent you from working, you can also claim lost wages. That includes past lost income and any future earning capacity you may have lost due to the accident.

Another factor to consider is property damage. In the case of a car accident, property damage could include the cost of repairing or replacing your vehicle. You may also be entitled to compensation for any other property damaged in the accident, such as personal electronics.

Non-economic damages also make a significant contribution to potential compensation in a car accident claim. They include intangible losses that don’t come with a precise price attached, such as pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and emotional trauma, for example.

What to Do After a Car Accident in Johnson City, TN

It’s understandable to feel overwhelmed in the aftermath of a car accident and unsure of what to do next. However, there are a few critical steps to remember after a car accident, which protect your health and preserve your legal rights. Here’s a general guideline:

  • Move to a safe location, call authorities to report the accident, and request medical assistance.
  • Exchange contact and insurance information with all involved parties. Obtain names and contact details of any witnesses.
  • Take photos and videos of the accident scene, vehicle damage, and any visible injuries.
  • Get a medical evaluation to diagnose any potential injuries, even if you don’t feel hurt.
  • Contact your insurer as soon as possible to report the accident.
  • Save your bills, receipts, and other records of expenses you incur due to the crash.
  • Keep a journal about your injuries and how they have impacted your life emotionally.
  • Consult with our experienced car accident attorneys to discuss your legal options for pursuing fair compensation.

Contact our Experienced Johnson City Car Accident Lawyers Today for Help

Our personal injury legal team in Johnson City will thoroughly document all the losses you have suffered as a result of your crash, and we will work with experts to determine how you will be affected in the future. We handle car accidents that were caused by pedestrians, bicycles, trucks, motorcycles, and much more. Our attorneys can help you seek compensation for past and future medical bills, lost income and capacity, property damages, loss of pension, wrongful death, loss of household services, pain and suffering, and loss of consortium (damage to family relationships resulting from the accident). Our goal is to pursue the compensation you may be entitled to under Tennessee law.