Chattanooga Interstate Truck Accidents
Lawyers Fighting for Big Rig Crash Victims in Chattanooga
Interstates in Tennessee are flooded with 18-wheelers and commercial trucks, and Chattanooga is no exception. Compared to other areas of Tennessee, Hamilton County sees more than its fair share of interstate truck drivers on I-24, I-75, and I-59, considering its proximity to large metropolitan areas like Nashville, Knoxville, and Atlanta. Commercial truckers who are in a rush to make their next delivery or pick up their next load may choose to disregard safety precautions, which leads to a high rate of interstate truck accidents involving serious injuries. The Chattanooga truck accident attorneys at Nahon, Saharovich &Trotz know the impact a wreck can have on you and your loved ones. If you have been injured by the negligent driving of a truck driver in Chattanooga, call us today for a free consultation. With over 30 years of experience handling trucking crash cases in Tennessee, we are the largest plaintiff’s personal injury law firm based in Tennessee.
Pursuing Fair Compensation for Your Losses After an Interstate Truck Accident
Interstate wrecks often occur at high speeds, as the speed limit on a Tennessee interstate will normally be 65 or 70 miles per hour. Proving liability for an auto accident in Tennessee involves establishing negligence. For a trucking accident, fault can be established against the truck driver, trucking company, or both. With lots of moving parts in play, consulting with an experienced lawyer who handles truck accident cases in Chattanooga can be instrumental in protecting your rights under the law.
Proving negligence in Tennessee consists of establishing the following: duty owed to plaintiff, breach of that duty by defendant, direct causation, proximate causation, and damages. To establish duty against a truck driver, you basically need to prove that the truck driver owed you a duty to drive safely on the road. Generally, all drivers owe this duty to others on the road. That duty can be breached when a trucker fails to drive in a reasonable manner, which could be the result of speeding, failing to yield the right-of-way, driving while impaired, or driving while fatigued, to name a few. Causation includes what caused the accident to happen and linking your injuries to the collision itself. For your claim to be successful, you must prove that the trucker’s conduct caused the collision and your resulting injuries. And lastly, you must prove that you suffered damages resulting from the auto accident.
It is not uncommon for the victim of an 18-wheeler crash to suffer injuries that require immediate emergency room treatment. Commercial trucks are significantly larger, in both size and weight, than the cars driven by most people on Chattanooga interstates. Thus, the force of such a large vehicle striking your car can cause you to suffer catastrophic injuries. Two types of damages can potentially be recovered after an accident with an interstate trucker – compensatory and punitive. Compensatory damages are generally your tangible and intangible damages awarded to make you whole, such as your lost wages (past and future), medical bills (past and future), and pain and suffering. Punitive damages, on the other hand, are awarded to punish the defendant and are only awarded if it is found that the trucker or truck company acted fraudulently, intentionally, maliciously, or recklessly, per Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-39-104.
Consult with Our Chattanooga Attorneys Today
Interstate truck accidents are not forgiving. Many times, those involved are unable to support themselves or their family due to the injuries they sustained. To make matters worse, the large trucking company may not be willing to admit responsibility and instead, could try to shift the blame to you. At Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz, our Chattanooga lawyers are ready to fight for you. We represent injured parties throughout Tennessee, Missouri, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Arkansas, including in Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis, Nashville, Caruthersville, Hayti, Oxford, Starkville, Grenada, Columbus, Tupelo, Meridian, Jackson, Little Rock, and Jonesboro. Please call Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz at 800-529-4004 or complete our online form to schedule a free consultation with one of our semi-truck accident attorneys. NST is the way to go.