Murfreesboro Personal Injury Lawyer

Personal injury law in Tennessee allows individuals to recover monetary compensation, in the form of damages, for injuries sustained as a direct result of someone else’s carelessness or negligence.

The individual filing the claim or lawsuit, otherwise known as the plaintiff, has the burden of proving that the other party was at fault for the accident and that injuries and damages were sustained as a result.

If you have suffered personal injuries in Murfreesboro as a result of someone else’s carelessness, recklessness, or negligence, you may be entitled to monetary recovery under Tennessee law.

In all personal injury cases, there is a statute of limitations to file a claim. If you miss this deadline, there is a chance that your case will be dismissed. The quicker you consult a Murfreesboro personal injury lawyer, the better they can investigate what happened and build a defense that supports your claim.

How to Prove a Personal Injury Case

In Tennessee, personal injury law is based on the common laws of negligence. To recover compensation, your Murfreesboro personal injury lawyer from The Higgins Firm will need to demonstrate the following:

• The defendant owed the plaintiff a certain standard of care, or in other words, a duty of care.
• This duty of care was breached by the defendant.
• The breach was the actual and legal cause of the plaintiff’s injuries.
• The injuries sustained led to damages, and both are the proximate result of the defendant’s negligence.

Level of Care Owed to a Personal Injury Plaintiff

Murfreesboro personal injury lawyers know that every personal injury plaintiff is different. The level of care owed by a defendant to a plaintiff depends upon the type of case, as well as the circumstances surrounding the accident. In the motor vehicle context, Tennessee drivers owe all other drivers on the road a duty to act as reasonably prudent drivers under the same or similar circumstances.

In the slip-and-fall context, premises owners and operators owe a duty of care to their guests or business invitees to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition and to warn of known, hidden dangers and defects on the premises.

In the medical context, healthcare providers, such as doctors, nurses, surgeons, and specialists, owe their patients a duty of care to act as reasonable health care providers in the geographical area. A medical specialist, such as an orthopedist or cardiologist, is usually held to a national standard of care.

Proving Damages in Personal Injury Cases

Personal injuries sustained in a car, truck or motorcycle accident can range from relatively mild soft tissue injuries to serious fractures, multiple broken bones, paralysis, or even death.

Once an injured plaintiff has proven the duty, breach, and causation elements of negligence, then the plaintiff must prove the amount, nature, and extent of the injuries and damages sustained as a result of the at-fault party’s negligence.

Contacting a Lawyer

Potential damages available to injured personal injury plaintiffs in Tennessee include payment of medical bills and lost wages, as well as monetary compensation for pain and suffering, mental anguish, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of earning capacity, permanent disability, or loss of spousal or family support. A knowledgeable Murfreesboro personal injury lawyer can be an invaluable asset when it comes to proving your personal injury case and maximizing its value.

If you have been injured in any accident that may have been the result of negligence, it may be in your best interest to contact a personal injury lawyer in Murfreesboro. At The Higgins Firm, we are ready to listen to what happened and help you determine what your best legal options may be. Call us today.