Tennessee Civil Law Blog

Truck Accidents / 18-Wheeler Crashes

Large commercial trucks, also known as 18-wheelers, semis, and tractor-trailers, account for more than their share of serious injuries and traffic deaths on America’s highways. According to the National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA), large trucks are responsible for 12 percent of all traffic fatalities, even though only 3 percent of all registered vehicles are trucks and trucks account for only 7 percent of vehicle miles traveled. In Missouri alone, trucks were involved in 102 fatal crashes in 2004. In addition, in 2004 trucks were involved in 150 fatal crashes. Large trucks are also more likely to be involved in fatal multiple-vehicle crashes.

If you have been injured or a loved one has been killed in an accident involving a truck, please contact our attorneys at Baker and Associates for legal assistance as soon as possible. Our lawyers will investigate if the trucking company, the driver, or the trailer owner is responsible for causing the accident and, if so, seek compensation for past and future medical expenses, past and future wages, pain and suffering, disability, and other damages.

Call Baker Associates at (865) 428-2888 or visit our web-site at www.joebakerlaw.com today.

Fatal Car Accident Claims and Causes in Tennessee

A wrongful death claim normally has two main features in order to succeed.

1) The accident must have been caused by someone else (driver of deceased car, another vehicle etc) who acted negligently usually through bad driving, in some claims this will mean the auto maker who designed a vehicle poorly, such as an SUV with a defective design.

2) There must be adequate insurance or assets to provide the basis of a recoverable legal claim. Many, many fatal car accidents that are the result of bad driving remain uncompensated because there is no money to compensate the victim’s family. Many cars are under insured with small policies ranging from $10,000 to $30,000. An attorney will know how and where to look for available insurance or assets using investigators and asset searches. Often times trucking insurance, homeowners policies, business insurance may be available to compensate the family millions of dollars.

Experienced wrongful death attorneys understand the complex legal issues and emotional trauma involved in handling these claims. A lawyer can help survivors by providing representation to the estate of the deceased, dealing with insurance recovery and any potential lawsuits.

Call Baker Associates today at 865-428-2888 and speak with a licensed Tennessee attorney or visit www.joebakerlaw.com.

Fatal Car Accidents in Tennessee

When wrongful death lawsuits arise as a result of reckless, careless or negligent driving the family may often be so traumatized they fail to pursue any legal action. Contrary to popular belief, promulgated by insurance companies, many people who suffer the death of a family member in an auto accident never file a claim or lawsuit. The family is often so overwhelmed that any legal action is out of the question, because no lawsuit or amount of money is going to bring the deceased back.

While understandable, the decision to forego legal action means that the family and survivors are deprived of the income lost and a sense of what many victims call closure, or justice. Often a family member will seek out a lawyer many months or years after the loss, only to find out that evidence has been lost, insurance adjusters are reluctant to open old claims, legal deadlines have elapsed etc. Indeed, one of the most common causes of our lawyers rejecting a claim is that it is too old. Thus, it is advisable to contact counsel as soon as possible after a fatal accident.

Although every state has different laws, fatal auto accident claims all share several common features:

1) The death means that there will be police involvement and records that need to be secured right away.

2) In all likelihood one of the operators will be found at fault; an accident cause will be found.

3) The severity of the loss will trigger an aggressive response by insurers to protect themselves from any liability.

4) The case will, as with any claim over one million dollars, require the help of an attorney experienced with complex injury litigation. The attorney will need to hire an independent expert in accident reconstruction to establish the cause of the death.

If you have lost someone special in your life because of a vehicle accident let Baker Associates help you today. We have experienced attorneys standing by ready to provide legal assistance. Visit our web-site at http://www.joebakerlaw.com or call us anytime at 865-428-2888.