Whether you incurred damages because of an auto accident, slip and fall, or other incident caused by negligence, you can likely file a lawsuit to recover compensation in Bristol.
After being injured because of negligence in Bristol, you should prioritize reporting and documenting the accident in question. You can do this in several different ways, such as by calling the police. Involving law enforcement might be required for certain incidents, such as car accidents that result in injury, death, or $50 or more in property damage. To document your injuries, go to the hospital and continue getting medical care as necessary. As you focus on your physical health, our lawyers can focus on your financial recovery and obtain evidence of negligence, such as surveillance footage from nearby security cameras. Doing all of this as quickly as possible will be important since you will only have one year from the date of the accident to sue for injury in Tennessee.
To get a free case assessment from the Bristol, TN personal injury lawyers of Howe Law, call us today at (844) 876-4357.
Reporting and Documenting Accidents and Personal Injuries in Bristol, TN
Taking the necessary steps to report and document an accident that caused you injury is important, especially if you plan to sue for compensatory damages in Bristol. Doing so will allow you to start building evidence of the accident in question immediately after it takes place.
For certain personal injuries, calling the police to report an accident is necessary. For example, if you were harmed in an auto accident in Bristol, you have to call the police, according to T.C.A. § 55-10-106. If you were instead injured on someone else’s property, inform the property owner of the accident. Our personal injury lawyers can help you do this in writing so that there is sufficient documentation of the incident.
While you are still at the scene of the accident, take photos of your visible injuries. You can also photograph the cause of your injuries, whether that might be a broken floorboard or other hazard. We can use these photos as evidence of negligence in your claim.
Then, turn your focus to documenting your personal injuries. This will require you to go to the hospital and seek continuous medical care. Upon your initial visit to the emergency room, medical professionals will assess and diagnose your injuries. Then, over the course of your physical recovery, you can build further medical evidence of your injuries by seeking continuous treatment in Bristol. You can also photograph any visible injuries immediately after you sustain them.
Obtaining Surveillance Footage of Accidents and Personal Injuries in Bristol, TN
Proving fault requires evidence, which our lawyers can gather during the course of our investigation into your accident in Bristol. Some types of evidence might be more compelling than others, such as surveillance footage.
Video footage of the defendant acting negligently and causing your injuries can be especially useful to your compensation claim in Bristol. To obtain such evidence, our lawyers will assess the location of your recent accident to confirm whether or not surveillance cameras are in the area. For example, if you were injured in an auto accident, security cameras owned by local businesses or homeowners might have captured the incident. We can contact the owners of nearby surveillance cameras in the days after your accident to access such footage before it is deleted.
If you were injured in a slip and fall or other accident on someone else’s property, we might need to subpoena surveillance footage in order to obtain it. For example, if you got injured in the stairwell of your apartment building, we might subpoena footage from the cameras in that stairwell, if any exists.
Surveillance footage of accidents is not always available. In such instances, our attorneys will rely on other evidence, such as eyewitness testimony, to strengthen your claim and prove that the defendant is liable for your damages in Bristol.
Statute of Limitations for Filing Personal Injury Claims in Bristol, TN
Tennessee has a relatively short statute of limitations for injury lawsuits compared to most states. This means it is even more important for victims in Bristol to initiate their claims immediately after an accident takes place.
According to T.C.A. § 28-3-104(a)(1)(A), victims only have one year to file an injury lawsuit in Tennessee. If you attempt to file past the deadline, the court will likely dismiss your claim. One year is a very short time to bring a case, especially if you are in the process of recovering from serious injuries caused by a negligent party.
Since the filing deadline is so short from the date of injury, it is even more important for victims in Tennessee to start the recovery process right away. As soon as we have a good understanding of the extent of your injuries, your financial damages, and the impact the accident may have on your life moving forward, we can file your lawsuit with the court. Once your claim has been brought, you no longer have to be concerned about how the statute of limitations factors into your case. The filing deadline refers to how long victims have to sue negligent parties and does not restrict how long claims might take to complete.
The exact length of your claim will depend on various factors, such as whether it settles out of court or goes to trial in Bristol. Regardless of which path your case takes, our lawyers can guide you through the process so that you recover the compensatory damages you need following an accident. Compensation should cover your financial losses due to an accident, as well as your emotional damages.
Call Our Lawyers About Your Bristol, TN Personal Injury Case Today
Call Howe Law at (844) 876-4357 to get a free case review from our Knoxville personal injury lawyers.
