Sarah Edwards is a seasoned legal writer with more than a decade of experience. Edwards has a deep understanding of advanced legal concepts and a knack for conveying complex topics in simple language. She currently resides in Southern California with her husband and two children.
Sarah Edwards
Sarah Edwards is a seasoned legal writer with more than a decade of experience. Edwards has a deep understanding of advanced legal concepts and a knack for conveying complex topics in simple language. She currently resides in Southern California with her husband and two children.
Jeffrey Johnson has written novels and movies in addition to legal analyses of eminent domain and immigration law. His experience in writing engaging fiction makes him uniquely capable of making the most dry and academic legal topics interesting (or as interesting as possible).
Reviewed
Jeffrey Johnson, J.D.
Jeffrey Johnson has written novels and movies in addition to legal analyses of eminent domain and immigration law. His experience in writing engaging fiction makes him uniquely capable of making the most dry and academic legal topics interesting (or as interesting as possible).
Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.
In 2022, there were nearly 25,000 car accidents in Davidson County, where Nashville is the county seat and largest city. Of these, 9,227 resulted in an injury to someone, and another 136 crashes that year led to at least one fatality. The only Tennessee county with more accidents in that year was Shelby County.
With statistics like these, if you drive around Nashville long enough, you are at risk of being involved in a crash. When that happens, your ability to receive compensation could be dependent on hiring one of the best car accident lawyers in Nashville.
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Best Car Accident Attorneys in Nashville
Compare Top Car Accident Attorneys
| Lawyer Name | TN Bar Association Status | Year Admitted to TN Bar | Law School Attended | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiffany W. Carpenter | Active | 2012 | Get matched with legal services near you | Get Matched | University of Alabama School of Law |
| Matthew Hardin | Active | 2001 | Get matched with legal services near you | Get Matched | University of Tennessee College of Law |
| David Hagy | Active | 2008 | Get matched with legal services near you | Get Matched | Duke University School of Law |
| Jim Higgins | Active | 1993 | Get matched with legal services near you | Get Matched | University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law |
| David E. High | Active | 1980 | Get matched with legal services near you | Get Matched | Nashville School of Law |
| Burke Keaty | Active | 2008 | Get matched with legal services near you | Get Matched | University of Tennessee College of Law |
| Philip H. Miller | Active | 1979 | Get matched with legal services near you | Get Matched | Nashville School of Law |
| Susan Neal Wiley | Active | 2011 | Get matched with legal services near you | Get Matched | Wake Forest University School of Law |
| Zachary Wiley | Active | 2011 | Get matched with legal services near you | Get Matched | Tulane University School of Law |
| Keith Williams | Active | 1993 | Get matched with legal services near you | Get Matched | Nashville School of Law |
Filing a Car Accident Lawsuit in Tennessee
Bringing a claim following an injury car accident in Nashville is the best way to protect your legal rights and obtain compensation for any injuries and losses you suffer in the crash. Taking this step can be intimidating, but one of the best car accident lawyers in Nashville from this list can do much of the legal preparation, filing and advocacy work for you.
Tennessee Statute of Limitations
A statute of limitations‘ single purpose is to tell you how long you have to bring a legal claim after you have been injured. Tennessee has one of the strictest statutes of limitations for car accident victims in the United States. In most cases, you must file your claim for damages within one year of your car accident or forever lose your right to seek compensation for your injuries.
Tennessee Laws for Car Drivers
Tennessee law has some key provisions motorists must be aware of:
- No texting: It is illegal to drive while texting
- Move Over Law: Motorists must pull over to let emergency vehicles go by
- Seat belts: Drivers and all passengers must wear seat belts
- Car seats: Children under age eight must be in a booster or car seat
- No open containers: Open containers of alcohol are not permitted in a moving vehicle.
In addition, Tennessee law requires drivers to have minimum auto insurance coverage that pays at least $25,000 per injury or death in a crash and at least $50,000 for multiple injuries or deaths in a single accident. The policy must also provide at least $25,000 in coverage for all property damaged in a single accident.
Identifying Fault for a Car Crash
In Tennessee, the party responsible for causing an injury crash is the one who pays compensation to others hurt in that wreck. Therefore, establishing which driver or other party bears the primary responsibility for causing the crash is imperative to obtaining compensation.
Fault can be shown through witness statements, data in a car’s event data recorder, photographs and analysis of marks and debris at a crash scene. As long as you are not 50% or more responsible for causing the crash and your injuries, you can recover some compensation. However, your damages are reduced by your own level of responsibility. So if you are determined to be 20% at fault and your damages are $100,000, you are only able to recover $80,000, or 80% of the damages.
How Can an Attorney Help You?
Your life can quickly become complicated following a car accident, but car accident lawyers in Nashville can carry many of the burdens for you. These include handling calls and inquiries from insurance companies, law enforcement agencies and other attorneys about the crash.
A resourceful lawyer can also direct you to services and providers who will support you during your recovery. Your attorney might connect you with doctors, specialists, counselors and others who can competently evaluate you and provide appropriate services.
Finally, when it comes time to file a claim, your attorney can investigate your case to determine who is at fault, prepare legal pleadings and have them served upon the responsible party. You can expect your lawyer to engage in settlement talks, advise you as to whether you should accept a settlement offer and be prepared to take your case to trial.
How to Find the Best Car Accident Lawyer in Nashville, TN
This list is a good starting point for looking for the best car accident lawyer in Nashville. However, it’s a good idea to interview several attorneys to find the ideal legal advocate for your case. Take advantage of free consultations from attorneys to get to know them and their firms. You should ask:
- What experience do you have handling car accidents in Tennessee? Laws vary from state to state, and even a state’s own laws are routinely updated and amended. To stay abreast of these changes, you want an attorney who regularly practices in this area of the law.
- How much do you charge for your services? The cost of an attorney’s representation can vary wildly depending on the attorney’s location, experience and reputation. Be certain you know up front how your attorney will bill you and how much you can expect to pay.
- Do you work on a contingency fee basis? Most car accident attorneys will bill according to a contingency fee arrangement; these attorneys will keep a small portion of any recovery they obtain for you as payment for their services. If they do not recover anything for you, then you do not owe any fees.
- What will you do for me as my attorney? Not all car accident lawyers undertake the same steps and actions for you, especially when they are working on a contingency fee basis. Ask what your attorney will do to represent you and if there are any tasks that you will be expected to address in some other way.
- How do you keep in touch with your clients? Lastly, ask yourself how you feel about the attorney and how they communicate. You’ll be working with this attorney for several weeks or months, and you must trust them to communicate with you and look out for your interests.
Methodology
To determine this list of the Best Car Accident Lawyers Nashville, TN Of 2024, Forbes Advisor considered many factors. Forbes Advisor’s mathematical module considers and weighs the information collected to calculate a specific rating and reviews these results to find the best attorneys in a given practice area.
Within the model, we consider factors that legal professionals and consumers value in an attorney’s qualifications. After assigning weighted scores to hundreds of data points, we narrowed the field down to our top choices based on:
- Legal experience
- Special licenses & certifications
- Ethics and bar disciplinary measures
- Legal thought leadership
- Education and employment background
- Scholarly lectures & writings
- Awards and honors
Forbes Advisory collects public data from a variety of sources, including state bar associations, court records and other published sources on the internet. This information should not be considered comprehensive, however. It might not include additional relevant information on an attorney’s legal skills and experience.
Each lawyer listed here has their own merits. Remember that our list relates to these lawyers’ legal backgrounds but does not evaluate their personalities or knowledge of the law. One attorney may be more suitable than another for your specific legal situation.
One thing that can’t be quantified, though, is the rapport you establish with your attorney. Personality goes a long way when teaming up with an attorney, especially when going through a potentially tricky legal situation. These rankings should serve as a reference and potential starting point in your search for the right lawyer for you and your legal concerns.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How much can I sue for a car accident in Tennessee?
Tennessee allows people injured in a car accident to sue and recover damages. This includes both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include compensation for things like medical bills, lost wages and destroyed property. You are entitled to sue to recover the full amount of losses you sustained.
Non-economic damages include compensation for pain and suffering and the loss of enjoyment of life activities. Tennessee law generally limits awards for non-economic damages to $750,000.
Punitive damages are not always available in car accident cases. If the facts of your case allow you to pursue punitive damages, you may seek up to double the amount of your economic damages or $500,000, whichever is greater.
Is Tennessee a no-fault state?
No. Instead, Tennessee is an at-fault car insurance state. This means that the insurer of a driver who causes a car crash resulting in injuries, death or damage to others’ property is responsible for paying the claims of those injured.
If that driver’s insurance policy does not sufficiently cover all the expenses and costs of the injured parties, then the responsible driver can be held personally liable for the remaining amount.
What happens if the person at fault in an accident has no insurance in TN?
If the person responsible for causing a car crash is uninsured, the victim can sue that person and hold them personally responsible for any losses. As a practical matter, you may have to first file a claim with your insurance provider to access the benefits you need immediately. You can then sue the at-fault driver, and your insurance company may join your suit to recoup the compensation it paid to you.
