Car Accident Lawyer in Chattanooga

If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident in Chattanooga, you may be entitled to significant financial compensation from those at fault for causing the crash.

Drivers have a responsibility to operate their vehicles in a safe and responsible manner. If another driver is distracted, drowsy, overly aggressive, under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or is otherwise reckless or negligent, they put themselves and others at risk of catastrophic or fatal injuries.

If another driver causes an accident that results in severe injuries, you have the right to seek compensation through an injury claim. To bring a successful claim, however, you will likely need the assistance of an experienced personal injury attorney.

Our firm founder, Scott N. Davis, has 25 years of experience working on both sides of insurance law cases. That means he has the experience and knowledge necessary to aggressively pursue the money you need. If you are in the Chattanooga area, including Tennessee and Georgia, our firm is ready to take on your car accident case and help you fight the insurance companies to seek the compensation you deserve.

Contact us today by phone or online to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your claim today.

How Our Chattanooga Traffic Collision Lawyers Can Help You

If you’ve been injured in a serious car accident, the thought of adding more stress to your life by pursuing a lawsuit can seem overwhelming. But, with unexpected expenses piling up, you should consider filing an injury claim sooner rather than later. Remember that time is of the essence when pursuing compensation for losses in a car crash.

In Tennessee, the statute of limitations for filing a personal injury claim is one year from the date of the accident. Georgia’s statute of limitations is two years from the date of the accident. However, it’s critical to get started on a car accident claim long before that deadline approaches.

This is why hiring Chattanooga car accident attorneys is essential. While you focus on getting treatment and putting your life back together, your lawyer will begin working on your case to make sure that you don’t miss any crucial deadlines.

Our Chattanooga injury attorneys at Davis Firm, LLC understand how the compensation process works. They know how to investigate your crash, gather evidence, consult with expert witnesses, and negotiate with insurance adjusters. They can protect you from accidentally making statements that might damage your claim.

It is important to note that in car accident injury cases, Davis Firm, LLC is paid on a contingency basis. This means that the attorney does not get paid unless you recover compensation for your injury, either through a car accident settlement or verdict. At that point, the attorney is entitled to a certain percentage of your award. You never pay the attorney directly out of your pocket.

Not only is our firm founder a seasoned trial attorney, but he also spent 15 years working as an insurance defense lawyer. Because most injury claims start with the negotiation of a fair settlement with an insurance company, Attorney Davis is uniquely capable of understanding and answering the tactics that the insurance company will likely use.

Insurance companies are notorious for trying to get out of paying for injury claims from car accidents such as yours. However, Attorney Davis brings a wealth of experience with negotiation and settlement and is widely respected in the field. He will do everything in his power to reach a satisfactory settlement. If negotiation and settlement are not right for your case, he will be prepared to take your case to trial.

Compensation for a Auto Accident Injury

The goal of filing an injury claim against the responsible party is to help you rebuild your life and put the accident behind you. You never intended for this crash to happen, and you should not be set back financially because of something that wasn’t your fault.

Your compensation may include the following:

• Medical bills and treatments – Any treatment you receive for injuries stemming from the accident could be reimbursed. This may include anything from ambulance rides, emergency room visits, doctor appointments, medication, surgery, physical therapy, and more.
• Pain and suffering – Though this damage is subjective, you could recover significant compensation for physical and mental pain and loss of quality of life due to the accident. If you are unable to do activities you once enjoyed, are experiencing harm to your interpersonal relationships, or more, you may deserve compensation.
• Property damage – If your car was damaged during the car crash, you could be compensated for the cost to repair or replace it. This compensation may also include repair or replacement costs for items inside the vehicle that sustained damage.
• Lost wages – To recover lost wages, you will need to be able to prove that you could not work or missed work due to the accident and injuries you sustained in the accident. As with medical bills and other damages, you must be able to show that the reason you have missed work or could not work was due to the accident itself. Even if you were able to take paid sick leave, you may still be entitled to compensation.
• Out of pocket expenses – You may also be compensated for any other expense that you have been forced to take on due to the accident. Transportation costs, adjustments to your living situation, and more may fall into this category.

The exact amount of money you may be entitled to after an accident will vary depending on the details of your crash. Our attorney can help you better understand what types of losses you suffered by reviewing your claim and fully calculating all your damages.

Tips for Protecting Your Rights After a Car Accident

As long as the accident was caused by someone else’s negligence, you should be entitled to compensation for your losses. However, insurance adjusters for the at-fault party often do everything they can to prevent you from recovering full and fair compensation. Their goal is to pay out as little as possible, and ideally nothing at all if they can get away with it.

To protect your right to compensation after a car accident, follow these steps:

• Make a record of the scene of the car accident – Take pictures of the accident scene, including road conditions, property damage, and injuries. Exchange information with anyone involved in the accident, including any witnesses. Try to write down or record what people say and not rely only on your memory. Always call the police after an accident that causes injuries or property damage to have the legal police accident report available. When you are speaking about the accident, stick to the facts and never speculate about how the accident occurred or the extent of your injuries. Do not apologize for the accident in any way.
• Seek medical attention – Any emergency medical issues should be taken care of immediately. Even if you do not feel as if you are injured immediately after an accident, you should visit your doctor soon after the accident. Many serious injuries involve delayed symptoms. If left untreated, these medical conditions could become life-threatening. Medical evidence is the best way to prove your injury claim since a medical professional can clarify what the injury is and how it was caused. In the days and weeks after the accident, follow your treatment plan as directed.
• Property damage repair and replacement estimates – You need to obtain estimates of the replacement costs for your vehicle and other items of value that were damaged or destroyed in a car accident. These values should be included in any settlement negotiations.
• Contact a car accident attorney – Our experienced car accident attorneys will assist you in making sure you have done as much as possible to preserve your rights and make the best case you can make to pursue compensation.

What You Need to Know About Dealing with Insurance Companies After a Crash

Insurance companies always want to pay out as little money as possible. Keep this in mind when thinking about how to deal with insurance companies after you have been in a car accident. If the other driver gives their insurer a different account of what happened, the insurance company is going to believe whichever account saves them money.

This is why documenting your accident and gathering evidence is so important. Make sure that you have photographs of the scene and as many witnesses as you can to bolster your view of how the accident happened. Hold on to your receipts so that you have a paper trail of how much money the accident has cost you. This can help put pressure on the insurance company to pay you what you deserve.

When speaking with insurance representatives, be careful of what you say. Insurance adjusters use sneaky tactics to trick accident victims into taking responsibility for crashes they didn’t cause. To protect yourself from damaging your claim in this way, refuse to make any kind of recorded statement about the crash until you have spoken to an attorney.

An experienced car accident attorney can deal with the insurance companies on your behalf. Attorneys understand the laws surrounding car accident claims and can protect your rights to compensation.

Statute of Limitations on Car Accident Claims

A statute of limitations refers to how long you have to file a lawsuit after you are injured in a car accident.

In Georgia, the statute of limitations is typically two years. The two years you have to file a lawsuit starts to count down from the date of the crash.

In Tennessee, you have only one year from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit.

Whether you are in Georgia or Tennessee, the period of time is not very long, and it is in your best interest to act quickly in gathering all the documentation needed and hiring a Chattanooga car accident attorney to work on your behalf.

Common Causes of Car Accidents

Some common causes of car accidents that result in successful claims include:

• Aggressive Driving – Speeding, weaving in and out of cars, running red lights, tailgating, and failing to yield the right-of-way are all forms of aggressive driving. They can all cause serious accidents.
• Distracted Driving – Anything that takes a driver’s attention away from the road is dangerous. Though the most common cause of distracted driving is certainly cellphone use, other examples of possible distractions include changing the radio, eating, drinking, applying makeup, and even talking to other passengers in the vehicle.
• Driving Under the Influence (DUI) – Intoxicated drivers have trouble controlling their vehicles, making smart choices, and staying alert, all of which can put others on the road at serious risk. It is illegal to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, including prescription drugs.
• Violation of traffic laws – Traffic laws are there for a reason: to protect everyone on the road. When a driver fails to follow traffic laws or does not drive in a manner that is safe for the conditions of the road, and you are injured as a result, you may be entitled to compensation.
• Vehicle malfunction – Some car accidents are caused or made worse due to issues with the vehicle itself. If your car malfunctioned, you may be able to hold the manufacturer responsible for your injuries.
• Road defects – Some accidents are caused by issues in the road, such as potholes, missing guardrails, and pooling water. If your accident was caused by a road issue, you may be able to file a claim against the government agency or contractor responsible for the roadway.

Contact our Car Accident Attorneys in Chattanooga

Davis Firm, LLC, represents people who have been hurt in car accidents across Georgia and Tennessee. Attorney Scott N. Davis and his team have a wealth of experience to bring to the negotiation table and to trial if required.

Please contact us right away on our website or by phone to schedule a free consultation to discuss your accident and your rights.

Car Accidents FAQs