Memphis Car Accident Lawyer

Experienced car accident lawyers serving Memphis and Shelby County for over 20 years.

Patterson Bray PLLC has represented car accident victims across Memphis and Tennessee for more than 20 years. Our Memphis, TN car accident lawyer knows how to deal with insurance adjusters, calculate what a claim is really worth, and take a case to trial when the other side won’t be reasonable. Call us for a free consultation.

Car Accident Lawyer Memphis, TN

If someone else caused the collision and you were hurt, you likely have a legal claim for compensation. That is true whether you were driving, riding as a passenger, walking, or on a bicycle when the wreck happened.

Car accident cases in Memphis involve more than just filing a claim with an insurance company. The at-fault driver’s insurer is not working for you. Their adjusters are trained to minimize what they pay. A Memphis car accident attorney levels the playing field by investigating the crash, preserving evidence, calculating the true cost of your injuries, and making sure you are not pressured into a settlement that falls short of what your case is worth.

Types of Car Accident Cases We Handle in Memphis

Memphis has some of the busiest roads in Tennessee. Poplar Avenue, I-240, and the I-40/I-240 interchange see heavy traffic daily, and according to NHTSA crash statistics, motor vehicle crashes remain a leading cause of injury nationwide. Patterson Bray PLLC handles all types of car accident claims in Shelby County.

Head-on collisions. These are among the most dangerous types of crashes. They often happen when a driver crosses the center line due to distraction, impairment, or fatigue, and the injuries are frequently catastrophic.
T-bone accidents. Side-impact crashes at intersections leave occupants especially vulnerable because the side of a vehicle offers far less protection than the front or rear. Red-light violations and failure to yield are the most common causes.
Hit and run. When the at-fault driver flees, tracking them down and holding them accountable requires a different approach. We work with law enforcement records and surveillance footage to identify the responsible party, and pursue uninsured motorist claims when the driver cannot be found.
Distracted driving. Texting, phone calls, navigation apps, passengers. Distracted driving crashes account for a growing share of serious accidents in Memphis and throughout Tennessee.
Drunk driving. Impaired drivers cause some of the most violent collisions on Memphis roads. These cases may involve both criminal charges against the driver and a civil claim for compensation on behalf of the victim. Tennessee law allows a two-year filing window when criminal charges are brought in connection with the same incident.
Reckless driving. Excessive speeding, aggressive lane changes, and street racing all fall under reckless driving. These crashes tend to produce severe injuries because of the speeds involved.
Multi-car accidents. Pileups and chain-reaction crashes complicate liability. Multiple drivers, multiple insurers, and conflicting accounts of what happened. We sort through the evidence and identify every responsible party.
Uber accidents. Rideshare crashes introduce an extra layer of insurance complexity. Uber carries commercial policies, but coverage depends on the driver’s status at the time of the accident, and the company’s adjusters do not make the process easy.
SUV rollover accidents. High-center-of-gravity vehicles are more prone to rollovers, and these crashes often involve roof crush injuries, ejection, and fatalities. Some rollover cases also involve product liability claims against the vehicle manufacturer.

Why Choose Patterson Bray PLLC for Car Accident Cases in Memphis, TN?

A Track Record in Memphis Courtrooms

Will Patterson handles tort litigation, personal injury, and construction disputes at Patterson Bray PLLC. He has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America for Personal Injury Litigation (Plaintiffs) from the 27th through 32nd editions and for Commercial Litigation from the 30th through 32nd editions. Will Patterson earned his J.D. from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law and is admitted to practice in Tennessee, Mississippi, and multiple federal courts including the Sixth and Eighth Circuit Courts of Appeals.

Chris Patterson, the firm’s Managing Partner, has spent more than two decades handling catastrophic injury and complex litigation cases. He is a member of the American Bar Association and the National Crime Victim Bar Association, and was appointed to the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees by Governor Bill Lee.

Fighting for Full Compensation

As a Memphis personal injury lawyer, Patterson Bray PLLC has helped car accident victims across Shelby County recover millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts. We provide free consultations for car accident cases, so you can learn about your rights and options without any financial commitment.

Car Accident Case Overview

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Car Accident Cases

If another driver caused your crash, Tennessee law entitles you to pursue compensation for your losses. Those losses break into two categories: economic and non-economic.

Economic damages are the ones you can put a number to. Medical bills from the emergency room, surgery, physical therapy, and any future treatment you’ll need. Lost wages for the time you missed work, and diminished earning capacity if the injury affects your ability to do your job going forward. The cost to repair or replace your vehicle. These are documented, calculated, and provable.

Non-economic damages are harder to quantify, but they are no less real. Pain and suffering. Emotional distress. The loss of activities or hobbies you can no longer enjoy. Tennessee law recognizes these losses, and juries award compensation for them regularly.

Liability in a car wreck case centers on negligence. The elements of negligence require proving that the other driver owed you a duty of care, failed to meet it, and that failure directly caused your injuries and financial harm.

Tennessee’s modified comparative fault rule applies to car accident cases. If you share some fault for the collision, your award is reduced by your percentage of responsibility. And if a jury finds you 50 percent or more at fault, you recover nothing. This is why early investigation and evidence preservation matter so much.

Important Aspects in Your Car Accident Case

Car accident claims have moving parts that people underestimate.

The first 72 hours after a crash are critical. Documenting the accident with photos, getting a police report, and seeking medical attention immediately creates a record that protects your claim later.

Insurance adjusters will contact you quickly, often before you’ve had time to understand the full extent of your injuries. Early settlement offers almost always undervalue the claim. They are designed to close the file cheaply.

Medical treatment gaps hurt your case. If you stop seeing a doctor and then resume treatment weeks later, the insurer will argue you were not really injured, or that something else caused your condition. Consistent treatment with thorough records is the single best thing you can do for your claim.

Tennessee’s one-year statute of limitations for car accident injury claims is among the shortest in the nation. Filing an insurance claim does not stop the clock. Only a lawsuit filed in court preserves your right to compensation.

Property damage and bodily injury are handled separately. You can settle one without settling the other, and you should not let an adjuster pressure you into resolving both at once.

Car Accident Case Timeline

The timeline of a car accident case depends on the severity of the injuries, the complexity of the liability issues, and the insurer’s willingness to negotiate in good faith.

Medical treatment comes first. You should not settle a car wreck claim until you understand the full scope of your injuries and future medical needs. Settling before reaching maximum medical improvement means guessing at future costs, and that guess almost always favors the insurer.

Once treatment stabilizes, your attorney calculates the total damages and sends a demand to the at-fault driver’s insurance company. The negotiation phase can last anywhere from a few weeks to several months.

If the insurance company refuses a fair offer, a lawsuit gets filed. Tennessee requires that the complaint be filed within one year of the accident for personal injury and within three years for property damage.

During litigation, both sides exchange documents, take depositions, and prepare for trial. Settlement discussions often continue during this phase, and many car accident cases resolve before a jury ever hears the evidence.

What to Bring to Your Car Accident Consultation

Come prepared with as much of the following as you can gather:

The police accident report or the report number so we can obtain it
Medical records and bills related to treatment for your injuries
Photos of the accident scene, vehicle damage, and your injuries
Insurance information for all parties involved, including your own policy
Any written or recorded communication from the other driver’s insurer

This meeting lets us evaluate the facts, estimate the value of your claim, and explain what the process looks like going forward. Patterson Bray PLLC provides these consultations at no charge.

Tennessee Legal Resources for Car Accidents

Tennessee law sets the rules for how car accident claims are filed, how liability is determined, and what deadlines apply. The following resources help you understand the legal framework.

The Tennessee General Assembly website provides access to Tennessee Code Annotated, including the one-year statute of limitations for personal injury actions and the three-year window for property damage claims.
Tennessee Courts lists filing procedures, court rules, and local information for Shelby County courts where Memphis car accident lawsuits are heard.
Tennessee follows a modified comparative fault standard that reduces or eliminates recovery based on the injured party’s share of responsibility for the accident.
The CDC injury prevention page publishes national data on motor vehicle crash injuries and prevention strategies.
NHTSA safety research provides detailed crash data, vehicle safety information, and traffic fatality reports.

Reach Out to Patterson Bray PLLC to Schedule a Consultation

If you were hurt in a car wreck in Memphis, TN, do not let the filing deadline pass without getting legal advice. Tennessee gives you only one year, and insurance companies count on that clock running out. Patterson Bray PLLC offers free consultations for car accident cases. Contact us to schedule a time that works for you.