Chattanooga Injured Truck Passengers
Legal Representation for Injured Motor Vehicle Passengers in Chattanooga
In Hamilton County, trucking collisions happen. In some of those crashes, a truck driver may have a passenger with him – usually a co-worker – who is injured in the accident. After the collision, the injured truck passenger will likely know if he or she is injured or not, but they may not be aware of the circumstances surrounding the accident – circumstances which dictate what types of compensation the injured passenger may or may not be able to recover. If you sustained injuries in the collision while riding as a passenger, you will likely need the assistance of the Chattanooga truck accident attorneys of Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz to identify which legal theories are applicable to your case and to recover damages for your injuries and losses deriving from the collision. Our firm is comprised of more than 30 lawyers and upwards of 120 support staff members, making us the largest plaintiff’s personal injury law firm based in Tennessee. We bring our resources and our 25+ years of experience to every case we take on for a client, so call us today for a free consultation to see if we may be able to assist you.
How to Recover Damages After Being Injured While Riding in a Large Truck
Injured truck passengers can suffer serious injuries. When those truck crashes occur in the Chattanooga area, many victims receive medical treatment at nearby hospitals, such as Kindred Hospital Chattanooga – located at 709 Walnut Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402 – or Parkridge East Hospital – located at 941 Spring Creek Road, Chattanooga, TN 37412. Trucking collisions can occur due to a number of reasons, but a leading cause of collisions is negligence, which can take many forms, such as driving while fatigued, speeding, driving while under the influence of alcohol and drugs, distracted driving, and more. When trying to establish negligence, identify applicable legal theories for a collision, and maximize one’s recovery, among other things, it pays to have a skilled truck accident lawyer in the Chattanooga area on your side.
While you are riding with your co-worker as he drives his commercial truck down McCallie Avenue, for example, near the Chattanooga Zoo located at 301 North Holtzclaw Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37404, you notice that he appears to be falling asleep at the wheel and not aware that he is now swerving. Before you can wake him up, the truck has run over the back of the vehicle in front of both of you, resulting in an override accident. A workers’ compensation claim would be your likely avenue to recovering medical and wage benefits in this context.
At the time of the accident, what if the injured passenger in the truck was not working for the trucking company and the truck driver was responsible for the collision? If that is the case, then the injured passenger may be able to bring a claim of negligence against the truck driver. When the fault of the accident lies with the driver of another vehicle, however, a negligence claim against the third party driver may be brought by the injured passenger. The situation surrounding the collision as well as the manner in which it occurred both affect the types of damages an injured truck passenger can recover for his or her injuries and losses, as third party claims can include pain and suffering and other non-economic damages.
NST Attorneys Can Fight for Your Rightful Compensation
When truck passengers are injured in collisions and unsure of what to do or how to obtain compensation for their injuries and losses, they should get in touch with the personal injury lawyers of Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz. Our truck wreck lawyers assist people injured in Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis, Nashville, Jonesboro, Little Rock, Jackson, Meridian, Tupelo, Columbus, Grenada, Starkville, Oxford, Hayti, Caruthersville, and throughout other communities in Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, and Kentucky. Contact our office by calling us toll-free at 800-529-4004 or by completing our online form to schedule a free appointment. For people seeking a truck collision attorney after an accident in Chattanooga, NST is the way to go.
Most car accidents are preventable and occur as a result of errors by one or more drivers. To prove liability, you will need to establish by a preponderance of the evidence that the driver owed you a duty of care, which was breached, and that your injuries resulted from the driver’s carelessness. Damages that may be available in these cases often include medical expenses, lost income, mental anguish, loss of consortium, and pain and suffering.
Truck drivers are required to follow numerous detailed regulations, including rules related to hours of service, keeping a logbook, and maintenance procedures. Many of these regulations are intended to protect other people on the road from harm. In some states, if a driver violated a law that was enacted to protect the public, the violation can create a rebuttable presumption of negligence. Trucking companies are also required to follow a number of regulations, including rules related to background checks of drivers and proper supervision. They often may be held directly or indirectly liable for a truck accident.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) evaluates applications for disability benefits. Although many people pay into this system throughout their lives, many legitimate claims are initially denied, and this process may be less straightforward than claimants expect. The SSA uses a five-step sequential evaluation to determine whether to grant benefits to an applicant. Each step is considered in a set order. We can present your case in a persuasive manner and help you appeal a denial of a meritorious claim if needed. This could include representing you in a hearing before an administrative law judge.
Workers’ compensation functions slightly differently in each state. In Tennessee, for example, businesses that employ five or more employees must carry workers’ compensation insurance. If you are injured on the job, you may recover benefits, such as medical costs and disability. Neither your employer’s nor your own culpability for your injuries will prevent you from collecting these benefits. However, it may still be a struggle to obtain benefits from your employer’s insurer. We can help you navigate this challenging process.
If you were harmed by a health care professional’s failure to use the appropriate level of care in providing treatment to you, you may be able to recover compensation. Most medical malpractice lawsuits require retaining an expert to determine the accepted standard of care and explain what the defendant did that fell short of this standard, as well as how the inappropriate conduct caused the patient’s injuries.
When you buy a toy, car, medication, or other product, you do not expect to be hurt. If you are injured, you may have grounds to file a product liability lawsuit. There are three types of defects that may be actionable: manufacturing, design, and marketing (also known as failure to warn). Manufacturers may be held accountable under multiple different theories, including strict liability, negligence, breach of warranty, and concealment. For example, if you take a drug that causes you to develop cancer, but you were not told that a potential side effect of the drug was developing cancer, you may have grounds to hold the manufacturer strictly liable for its failure to warn you of the risk.
Nursing home residents are often elderly or disabled, and thus they are especially vulnerable to neglect, physical abuse, and exploitation by staff members. Unfortunately, many nursing homes are understaffed or employ staff members who are inadequately trained to deal with potentially frustrating situations. Nursing homes are required to protect their residents from physical, mental, and emotional harm by providing a safe environment, as well as adequately training and supervising staff. A failure to do so may be grounds for a nursing home negligence lawsuit for damages.
Property owners have a duty to keep their property reasonably safe. In most situations, this includes an obligation to inspect the property for dangerous conditions and fix them or provide warnings about them so that visitors are not harmed. One type of dangerous condition, which may present a particular problem in apartment complexes or shopping centers, consists of inadequate security measures such as broken locks, poor lighting, or a lack of security guards. A failure to take security measures when appropriate may allow third-party criminals to assault, rob, rape, or otherwise harm visitors and tenants. You may be able to recover damages if you can prove that the defendant knew or should have known about a history of attacks similar to yours and taken appropriate security measures to reduce the risk of further incidents.
Consult a Personal Injury Lawyer in Memphis or the Surrounding Regions
If you are dealing with a devastating injury or medical condition, the Memphis personal injury attorneys at Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz can evaluate and explain your options. Our firm has 30 attorneys and more than 100 staff members, and we serve injured people in many areas of Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, and Kentucky, including Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Jonesboro, Little Rock, Jackson, Meridian, Tupelo, Columbus, Grenada, Starkville, Oxford, Hayti, and Caruthersville. Contact our office toll-free by calling 800-529-4004 or by completing our online form to set up a free consultation with a personal injury, workers’ compensation, or Social Security Disability lawyer. Once you have learned more about our vigorous advocacy for the rights of the injured, you will realize that NST is the way to go.