What should I do if I am in an accident?

If you were in an accident that was the fault of someone else, then you have reason to consider filing a case against them. A lawyer for personal injury Memphis TN residents trust at Patterson Bray, PLLC believe that victims should not have to suffer because someone else chose to act recklessly that day. Victims must seek medical attention, gather evidence, notify their insurance company, and then contact a lawyer for guidance from there on out. It is imperative to the outcome of your case that you do not accept a settlement offer quite yet, and that you learn more about your options and the true value of your case.

Who are the best witnesses for my case?

As your Memphis personal injury team can review, there are many witnesses that you may want to use for your personal injury case. Let’s say you were involved in a car accident and a bystander rushed over to help. This person may have seen the accident unfold and the aftermath of it too. Their statement can be incredibly influential in proving that you were the victim and how the other party had been at-fault. Other examples of witnesses that can be useful in your case include those who were with you during the accident, loved ones who saw the severity of your injuries, expert or medical professional testimonies, and more.

How do I know if I have grounds for a lawsuit?

Many people don’t even realize that they are victims in a serious accident and that their circumstances make them eligible for compensation. For instance, someone may slip and fall while shopping at a store and get seriously hurt, but are too embarrassed to report it to the store manager. However, it was a leaky ceiling that caused a puddle to accumulate on the floor. The store owner may have been privy to the leak, but didn’t properly attend to the hazard. So the person who fell may leave without filing a report and end up with medical bills and other losses that they wouldn’t have accrued if someone had attended to that leak sooner.

How do I know if someone else was at-fault?

Figuring out whether someone was responsible for an accident or not will depend on the type of incident. It is possible that more than one individual or party was at-fault. As a real life scenario, a truck accident that appears to have been the fault of a truck driver may have entailed other influencing factors that are not readily apparent yet. The trucker may have been speeding, but was he speeding because his employer was pressuring him to drive excessive hours and meet a strict deadline? Was there a truck part that was defective and caused the truck to become out of control? Your lawyer can investigate the situation to uncover all the possible parties who should be included in your lawsuit.

Do I need a lawyer to get compensation?

After reporting the accident to your insurance company, you will probably be contacted by an insurance adjuster and offered a settlement amount. While accepting these funds may sound immediately appealing, it’s important to recognize that this amount is likely only a small fraction of what your claim is worth. Insurance companies are still for-profit, which means they are for the money they can make and not the money they have to spend on victim’s claims. Your Memphis injury personal lawyer team can protect you from being tricked by settlements and fight for an amount that is fair.

Law Blog by Patterson Bray | Memphis Probate & Injury Attorneys

Medical Malpractice — No Wonder the Problem Persists

Medical Malpractice Problems "There's a medical malpractice litigation crisis!" That's the rally cry we hear over and over again. It gets pounded into our collective pyche by the public relations...

Read This Blog

How to Detect Non-Answers

Over the past week or so, I've touched on the theme of lying. First, I posted about an interesting question raised over at the Winning Trial Advocacy Tips blog: Should...

Read This Blog

The Consequences of Crime and Punishment

There was a good article in the April 2010 edition of the Tennessee Bar Journal by Nashville attorney Vincent P. Wyatt titled Crime and Punishment...and Punishment. While none of the lawyers...

Read This Blog

Perspectives — Should You Call a Witness a ‘Liar’?

I follow the Winning Trial Advocacy Tips blog, and recently there was a gem of a post titled Should You Call a Witness a 'Liar'? It was particularly interesting because...

Read This Blog

What’s a Public Adjuster? Ask the Insurance Lawyer

Have you ever heard of a public adjuster? Most people have not. When you file a claim with your homeowner's insurance carrier, the company assigns an employee--called an "adjuster"-- to...

Read This Blog

Conversation with a Doctor Who Wanted to file Malpractice Suit

John Day is one of the most well-known medical malpractice attorneys in Tennessee. He is also one of the leaders in our profession when it comes to exploding the myths...

Read This Blog

The Worst Question for Direct Examination at Trial

In law school, you're told over and over again in trial advocacy class -- "Don't lead the witness. Let him/her tell the story. The lawyer isn't supposed to be the...

Read This Blog

Chris Patterson quoted in Memphis Daily News

Quoted in Memphis Daily News Chris serves on the Memphis/Shelby County Charter Commission. In the most recent Commission meeting, the members were discussing how to handle hiring/firing issues (i.e. civil...

Read This Blog

Estate Planning Case Studies — Some Success Stories

Our website contains a host of information where you can learn about estate planning and some of the services and strategies we use to protect our client.

Read This Blog