Injuries Caused By A Government Entity
An accident can happen anywhere, at any time, and be caused by anyone. Most Tennessee personal injury cases are fairly straightforward if they are handled by an experienced personal injury lawyer. However, if the accident was caused by a government entity, the laws and procedures are completely different. You need a skilled Nashville personal injury lawyer to handle your case if you or a loved one was injured by a local or state government entity. To learn more about the differences in this type of personal injury case, call or contact Mitch Grissim & Associates today to schedule a free consultation.
What is a Government Entity?
A government entity refers to any local, state, or federal agency and the employees who work for it. A person can be hurt on a government entity’s property, by their vehicle, or by one of their workers. Some government entities have sovereign immunity against certain types of personal injury cases, which means that even if you are injured you cannot file a lawsuit for compensation, but in Tennessee the laws have been relaxed to allow for more claims against government entities that cause accidents and injuries.
Compensation for Injuries Caused by a Government Entity
Tennessee’s laws regarding personal injury claims involving government entities fall under the Tennessee Governmental Tort Liability Act. This act allows for personal injury victims to file lawsuits against a government entity that are caused by negligence. However, the act limits the amount of compensation that an injury victim can collect if their damages were caused by a government entity. In a regular personal injury case, a victim can collect up to $750,000 in noneconomic damages or $1,000,000 for catastrophic loss in addition to punitive damages up to $500,000. However, under the Tennessee Governmental Tort Liability Act, damages are capped for victims at $300,000.
If the accident was caused by a federal governmental entity in the Nashville area, the case is governed by the Federal Tort Claims Act. The first step in a personal injury case caused by a federal agency is filing a claim with the entity itself. The agency has six months to determine whether it will pay damages on the claim, and if the claim is denied the victim then has six months to file a lawsuit in court for compensation. Compensation is typically based on state law, but the Federal Tort Claims Act does not allow for punitive damages if the injuries are caused by a federal agency.
The rules and procedures for personal injury cases caused by government entities are complex and nuanced. You should only trust an attorney experienced in personal injury claims to handle your case if you are injured by a government entity.
Call or Contact Mitch Grissim Now
If you would like to talk with a legal professional in the Nashville area, call the office or contact us today at Mitch Grissim & Associates to schedule a free evaluation of your case now.
Resource:
casetext.com/statute/tennessee-code/title-29-remedies-and-special-proceedings/chapter-20-governmental-tort-liability/part-1-general-provisions/section-29-20-101-title
https://mitchgrissim.com/what-to-know-about-amputation-injuries/
