901.372.5003 24/7 Live Call Answering

Car Accident Lawyer Memphis, TN

Have you been injured in an auto accident? Are you trying to figure out how you will cover the costs of your medical care, while at the same time, coping with the inability to work? Perhaps you are concerned about losing your job position or your rental because, after the accident, you can no longer afford it. This is a common scenario that many car injury victims face. At Patterson Bray PLLC, our Memphis, TN car accident lawyer understands what you are going through and can help you seek justice.

For years, our firm has been acting as the voice and legal advocate for car accident victims. We know that insurance companies have a tendency to take advantage of you and we don’t want that to happen. Let us listen to your story and help you to decide whether you have a case. We are committed to providing our clients with the legal representation they deserve in order to get the compensation they are entitled to. Personal injury victims deserve to be compensated for their medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. We work hard on behalf of our clients to help them seek a fair financial settlement. Contact us today to get set up with an initial consultation and learn how we can support you.

Table of Contents

Proving Negligence After A Car Accident

To secure compensation, you will need to prove the collision was a result of another’s negligence. Now, negligence is a broad term, but in the case of car accidents, there are common factors that often indicate this careless or reckless behavior such as failure to signal, driving in the wrong lane, speeding, ignoring road hazards, driving too fast in poor weather conditions, ignoring stop signs, driving while impaired, driving while intoxicated, and driving while distracted.

In some cases, reckless driving may have contributed to the accident. In the event this is true, we may choose to include both negligence and reckless driving in the claim. Although similar, there are differences, and a greater amount of compensation may be available. It is also possible for police to issue a traffic ticket or citation to the negligent driver. Rest assured, this should not affect your ability to file a claim.

In general, a car accident will leave its traces. This physical evidence can be very useful to an injury claim; thus, should be gathered as quickly as possible. Our Tennessee car accident lawyer can help you investigate the scene of the accident, talk with eyewitnesses, review the police report, and determine who was at fault. If, through the available evidence and data, it is found that another party caused you to crash, you may be able to pursue a civil claim for compensation. No two accidents are exactly alike, and some are very difficult to prove. For this reason, you should not pursue a case without the help of our team at Patterson Bray PLLC.

When No Other Party Caused Your Accident

Sometimes a car accident will involve no other cars or drivers. In this case, you might wonder whether you can still file a claim. In short, it depends on the circumstances of what happened. It is certainly possible for a vehicular defect, malfunction, or road defect to have caused the accident.

Special Considerations For Work-Related Crashes

If your car accident occurred while you were engaged in work-related activities, it is important to communicate that fact to our Memphis car accident attorney. Once you do, we’ll be able to provide you with personalized guidance concerning your legal options. If you are a full-time or part-time employee of a private business or public entity, you are likely entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits as a result of your injuries. Your employer benefits from limited liability regarding work-related injuries, so you won’t be able to sue your employer if you are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. However, you may still be able to successfully sue other parties that have directly contributed to the cause(s) of your injuries by virtue of their negligent, reckless, or intentionally harmful conduct.

If you are not eligible for workers’ comp benefits, you may be able to sue any party that may be held legally and financially accountable for the harm that you have suffered.

Factors That Determine The Value Of A Claim

Settlement negotiations are typically the first step before filing a personal injury lawsuit. Naturally, our clients often wonder how much their claim is actually worth. The question is both a means of determining how much they can expect to recover and whether the case is worth fighting in court. However, if we’ve taken on your case, then you can expect that your case is worth fighting for. There is a core of four factors that help to determine recovery:

Lost Wages

While the idea of lost wages seems straightforward, it can be challenging to determine. For example, if you are an hourly employee and you miss five, 40-hour work weeks, then you figure the total hours missed, 200, and multiply that by your hourly rate, resulting in your current lost wages. However, when you take that and extrapolate on it because you are no longer able to work in your chosen career field, the math gets a little more confusing for calculating future lost earnings. To make sure that your calculations are accurate so that you are able to get your rightful compensation, hire a lawyer and they can do the math. Missed wages are not something that you want to figure out incorrectly. With the right legal representation, these numbers can be worked out for you.

Medical Bills

Medical bills, again, can seem straightforward. Although, that all depends on the extent of your injuries. Complex or severe injuries that require extensive treatment can be hard to calculate. For example, sustained injuries that allow for complete recovery and no future treatments are easy to figure out because you only need to compile the bills. However, if your injuries are more severe and require lifelong treatments and assistance, the calculations could get more complicated once again. Calculating medical bills can be difficult so it may be helpful to hire a lawyer so that they find the full cost of your medical expenses.

Pain And Suffering

While an abstract term with no concrete valuation, pain, and suffering is something you should be compensated for, especially when your injuries are severe and life-altering. Pain and suffering fall under non-economic damages, which are a category of damages that are not assigned an objective value because they apply to every victim differently. Sometimes determining the extent of pain and suffering can be challenging to figure out. Therefore, your lawyer may ask medical professionals and other expert resources to speak about the trauma you endured and the effects of that trauma on your daily life and relationships.

Loss Of Consortium

While similar to pain and suffering, loss of consortium is more related to the plight of a spouse or significant other. Accidents affect not only the injured party but those closest to them. If you are unable to work, then your spouse may need to find different or additional work opportunities. You may not be able to offer the same level of companionship as before your accident. All these things and more may equate to more damages and compensation. While there is no finite way to define specific dollar amounts for particular injuries, the four factors above help the legal system create some level of balance in the recovery process.

Contact Our Memphis Car Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation Today

What To Do After A Car Accident

If you were injured in a car accident caused by another driver, you deserve to be compensated for your losses. However, in order to obtain fair compensation, you must take the proper steps after the accident. Here are the things you need to do following a vehicle accident.

Contact The Police

If a car accident resulted in injuries, it is important to call the police. They will arrive at the scene of the accident to make a police report. The report will include important information about the accident, such as when and where it occurred and the names of the people involved. Do not forget to obtain a copy of this report for your records.

Take Photos Of The Accident Scene

Photos are one of the best pieces of evidence you can have for your car accident case. If you are physically able to do so, take photos of the accident scene, including all the vehicles involved in the collision, traffic signs, and skid marks on the road. You don’t need a high-tech camera to do this. A smartphone camera will suffice.

Seek Medical Care

Your health is of the utmost importance. Go to the emergency room immediately after a car accident to get your injuries checked out. A doctor will give you a proper diagnosis and recommend a treatment plan. Be honest about symptoms and don’t leave any details out.

Consult A Lawyer

If you want to obtain fair compensation for your injuries, it is essential to have a our skilled car accident lawyer on your side. We will handle all negotiations with the insurance company and make sure that you file all your paperwork within the deadline.

Follow Your Doctor’s Instructions

Whether your doctor advises physical therapy or medication for your injury, you should follow his or her advice. If you stop treatment early, you could jeopardize your health and injury case.

Keep A Journal

It is a good idea to write everything you remember about the car accident in a journal right away. For instance, if you noticed that the other driver was looking at a smartphone right before the accident occurred, you should write that information down. You may also want to write about the symptoms you’ve been experiencing and how they’ve affected your life.

Memphis Car Accident Infographic

4 Factors That Determine The Worth of A Personal Injury Claim

Accident Statistics

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an estimated 2.3 million people are injured in car accidents each year in the United States. This number has been decreasing in recent years, but it is still a significant number of people who are injured in car accidents each year.

According to state statistics, there are more than 175,000 car accidents in Tennessee each year. These crashes are responsible for killing almost 6,000 victims. These are some startling statistics about automobile accidents on the state’s highways and roadways. It is dangerous to be on the road, and anyone could be involved in an auto accident at any time.

FAQs

Can I Refuse Medical Treatment If My Injuries Are Not Bad?

It is absolutely vital that you do not refuse any medical attention from on-scene medical responders. Even if you think your injuries are not extensive, you could be putting yourself in a very tough situation. Your shock could be masking the pain of your injuries and then later when you realize the severity, you might not be able to get the settlement you’re actually entitled to. If you refuse medical attention, the insurance company can see that as your affirmation that, since your injuries weren’t significant enough to receive medical care, they aren’t significant enough to receive a settlement. It’s also important that you see your own doctor as well to provide an independent review of your injuries. Once you’ve received medical attention, our Memphis car accident lawyer can help you explore your legal options. 

Can I Recover Damages If My Car Accident Happened on Ice?

For many, winter is the best time of year as the world is blanketed in snow and everyone visits friends and families for the many holidays celebrated around the world. But it is unfortunately also the most dangerous time of year for travel, as snow and ice lead to a sharp increase in bad accidents. It would be understandable to assume that inclement weather exempts a driver from liability if they are involved in an accident due to ice. But does the law see it that way?

What Should I Do After An Accident?

The very first thing that you should do after an accident is to seek medical attention. Check for injuries and even if they aren’t immediately visible, contact your doctor. There are injuries that may be present but not instantly felt because your body is experiencing a rush of adrenaline following the accident. Injuries like whiplash and herniated discs may not hurt right after but the day after an accident you can feel them.

In most cases, if your injuries aren’t severe you won’t need to go to the hospital. However, getting yourself checked out is a great way to catch silent killers like internal bleeding. If you aren’t in need of an ambulance then dial 911 to report the accident to the police. If possible take pictures of the accident and the circumstances of the accident. This could be road conditions, traffic signs that aren’t labeled, and any damage to the vehicles.

You should refrain from giving a statement to the insurance company of the at-fault driver. They could use your words against you and that is why you should only speak to your lawyer.

What Should I Do If An Adjuster From The At-Fault Party’s Insurance Calls?

You should always refer the opposing insurance calls to your insurance company or to your lawyer. In most scenarios, the insurance company of the at-fault individual is looking to have you agree to a settlement. Typically this is done before they even attempt to calculate your damages. Until your lawyer has given you their expert opinion on what to do, the best thing to do is not rush it. You could end up settling for far less than what you are worth if you do.

What Kind Of Damages Could I Be Entitled to?

If you suffered injuries due to a car accident caused by someone else’s negligence there are two main types of damages you can recover. The first is compensatory. These damages are typically property damages, current and future medical bills, lost wages, and emotional distress. The second is punitive damages. These are pretty rare in auto accidents though and not many people see anything from punitive damages.

If you have been in a car accident it is often in your best interest to contact our car accident attorneys for more information.

Patterson Bray PLLC, Memphis Car Accident Lawyer

8001 Centerview Pkwy, Suite 103, Cordova, TN 38018

Contact Our Firm Today

Regardless of how big or small your case may be, Patterson Bray PLLC has the experience and resources to obtain the maximum possible recovery for you. We are here to help you get through this difficult time by pursuing the compensation you deserve for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain, and suffering. Reach out today to schedule a consultation with our reputable firm.

Client Review

“We needed Estate Planning and based on the recommendation from our Financial Planner we chose Patterson Bray. It was a GREAT decision. And, we would recommend them over and over again.”

–Penny Estes    Client Review