Truck Accident Lawyer Franklin
If you’ve suffered serious injuries in a trucking accident caused by the careless actions of truck drivers or their company, you deserve justice. A Franklin truck accident lawyer from Mitch Grissim & Associates will ensure that those liable for your pain are held responsible, leveraging a deep understanding of Tennessee law on your behalf.
Contact us today at (615) 255-9999 or through our online contact form to take the first step toward healing and recovery.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Franklin, TN
Franklin truck accidents happen due to a variety of reasons, most often due to truck driver negligence. Some common truck accident causes include the following:
- Driver fatigue
- Improper loading
- Road rage
- Poor weather conditions
- Driving under the influence
- Mechanical failures
- Trucking companies’ overworking drivers
- Other vehicles’ entering a truck’s blind spots
- Poor road conditions
Truck Accident Injury Claims We Handle in Franklin, Tennessee
Our Franklin truck accident lawyers handle all types of accidents and injuries, whether you’re dealing with a serious truck accident or another type of personal injury. Common types of claims we handle for truck accident victims include the following:
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Amputations
- Burns
- Broken bones
- Paralysis
- Disfigurement
- Wrongful death
The Role of an Attorney in Truck Accident Claims
Franklin truck accident attorneys provide you with the resources you need to receive fair compensation. Our goal is to represent your interests and seek compensation on your behalf, reducing your stress as you recuperate.
A truck accident attorney can perform a thorough investigation of your case, utilizing our contacts with other professionals to analyze all aspects of the trucking accident. This can include accident reconstructionists, expert witnesses from the trucking industry, and medical professionals.
Using our extensive experience in trucking accidents, our accident lawyers will assess how much your case is worth and negotiate with insurance companies to ensure you get everything you are entitled to.
As commercial truck accidents often involve multiple parties, negotiations can become quite complicated, but we have a proven track record of success in getting fair settlements for our clients.
Should negotiations fail, a Franklin truck accident attorney from our team will represent you in court, utilizing our evidence to hold the trucking company and driver accountable.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire an Attorney?
Our truck accident lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, meaning that we deduct our legal fees from your settlement. From the free case evaluation to court representation, you will pay nothing out of pocket.
What to Do After a Truck Accident in Franklin?
Tractor-trailer crashes are often very serious accidents, so it’s crucial that you take care of your physical safety right away. Call 911 and move out of the way of oncoming traffic, then gather witness contact information so that our truck accident lawyers can contact them later for statements.
Get the insurance information and driver’s license information of the truck driver, as well as the contact information of the trucking company. Your lawyer will need this in order to submit a demand letter asking for compensation.
Once the police have arrived, provide your statement, then seek medical attention. Be sure to ask for copies of any exams performed, as we will use these copies to substantiate your claim.
It’s crucial that you do not admit fault to anyone. Instead, call our Franklin truck accident attorneys, who will help you through each step of the process and ensure that your legal rights are protected at all times.
Truck Accident Statistics in Franklin, TN
While Tennessee is not in the top ten states with the most truck accidents, this does not mean that Franklin residents are perfectly safe whenever they get into a motor vehicle.
Sadly, fatalities are on the rise throughout the state. In 2018, there were only 135 deaths related to a large truck, but this number jumped to 161 in 2022.
Most fatalities in truck accidents are not the truck drivers but the other party—whether that is a driver or a passenger in a smaller vehicle—due to the fact that commercial trucks are larger and provide more protection for a trucker. [1]
Thankfully, trucking companies are attempting to reduce the danger of their vehicles, mostly because they are often held liable in truck accident cases. We hope that this means Franklin and the surrounding area will see a reduction in truck accident fatalities in the future.
Who Can Be Liable for Your Truck Accident?
Three main parties are typically held liable for a truck accident: the driver, their company, and a product manufacturer.
- Truck drivers – Professionals who fail to act responsibly on the road will be held accountable, whether that is due to reckless driving or driving while intoxicated, but their company may also share part of the blame.
- Trucking Companies – If the trucker was working beyond their legally allowed hours in one day, or the truck had a mechanical failure due to inadequate maintenance, the company may be to blame.
- Product Manufacturers – Companies that produce trucks or vehicle parts must be held accountable should their products fail due to manufacturing defects, such as faulty brakes.
This is not an exhaustive list, so make sure to contact us to discuss the specifics of your case during a free case evaluation.
Proving Negligence in Tennessee
There is a four-step process to proving negligence in Tennessee, which involves the following:
- Duty of Care – The other party had an obligation to act with a reasonable standard of caution in order to prevent harm to other individuals, such as obeying traffic laws.
- Breach of Care – The liable party did not fulfill their duty of care, whether that was manufacturing safe automobiles or driving at the speed limit.
- Causation – Their breach of care was the primary cause of the accident.
- Damages – You suffered some loss as a result of the accident, whether that was lost wages, medical bills, property damage, or emotional trauma.
How Much Is My Franklin Truck Accident Claim Worth?
Settlements for truck accidents do not have a set amount. The amount of compensation you can receive depends on many factors, including the willingness of the other parties to negotiate.
Factors such as the severity of your injuries, the relevant parties that can be held liable, and the amount of insurance available will all impact how much you may receive. Accident victims with high medical expenses, significant lost income, or life-changing injuries are more likely to receive a high settlement.
Your case will be impacted by Tennessee’s modified comparative negligence law, which assigns blame to every party involved in order to determine liability. If you are less than 50% responsible, you can still recover compensation, but your settlement will be reduced by the percentage for which you are to blame.
For example, if you are found 15% responsible, you will receive 15% less than if you were entirely faultless.
How Long Do I Have to File a Truck Accident Claim?
The Tennessee statute of limitations for a car accident is one year, which includes most wrongful death claims for truck accident cases.
As the legal process generally starts with insurance company negotiations, it’s crucial that you call a Franklin, TN, personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after a truck crash.
This ensures that your accident lawyers have adequate time to prepare your case, negotiate with the insurance company, and file a lawsuit should we fail to come to an agreement with the responsible parties.
Injured in a Truck Accident? Call Mitch Grissim & Associates
Our attorneys will fight hard for your rights, ensuring that you get all the compensation to which you are entitled. We work on a contingency-fee-basis and have an excellent track record of success in personal injury suits, including trucking accidents.
We serve clients throughout Williamson County, including in Franklin, Spring Hill, and Brentwood from our office right in downtown Nashville. Call us at (615) 255-9999 or use our online form to contact us for a free consultation.
Ressources: [1] TN.GOV
