Tennessee Injury Lawyer Blog

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 www.joebakerlaw.com or call us anytime at 865-428-2888.

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Each year thousands of injuries occur as a result of motor vehicle accidents. East Tennessee roads are subject to heavy traffic and road work that continues almost year round. Heavy traffic coupled with constant road construction creates dangerous driving conditions that Tennessee motorists have to contend with on a daily basis.

Listed below are some road closures provided by highwayconditions.com. The closures listed below provide an example of how congested the roads in East Tennessee are. This is why motorists in Knoxville, Sevierville, Gatlinburg, and Pigeon Forge must take every precaution necessary to ensure their safety while driving throughout East Tennessee.

Interstates through Knoxville and Knox County

SmartFIX40 Project: I-40 between I-275 and Rutledge Pike

City surface streets throughout the SmartFIX 40 Project:
Motorists should be alert for possible lane closures and changing conditions through this area for roadway widening and utility work.

James White Parkway is open.

Northbound James White Parkway will only carry traffic to I-40 EAST. Motorists wishing to access I-40 West should continue to follow Hall of Fame Drive to I-40 West. Motorists in the Downtown area may also access I-40 West from Alcoa Highway and Henley Street. Access to I-40 West from Northbound JWP will be made available in May 2008.

I-40 East & West between I-275 & Cherry Street Exits:

Motorists should be alert for lane shifts, slowed traffic, sudden stops and use extreme caution through this area. Thru traffic on I-40 may use I-640 to avoid this work zone.

I-40 West between Cherry Street & Hall of Fame Drive Exits:

December 5: There will be a right lane closure, 7 p.m.-6 a.m., as crews reset barrier rails. Bbe alert for sudden stops, use extreme caution, and expect minor delays. Thru traffic on I-40 may use I-640 to by-pass this area.

For information on the SmartFIX40 project and maps of detours, motorists can go to the SmartFIX40 website at www.smartfix40.com

Personal injury attorneys at Baker Associates will fight for adequate compensation for you or a loved ones losses. We have offices located in both: Knoxville and Sevierville, but conduct investigations, trials, and interviews throughout East Tennessee.

If you have been injured as a result of a car or truck accident call Baker Associates today and receive the legal guidance you deserve. Our licensed Tennessee attorneys are standing by to help you immediately.

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Licensed attorneys at Baker Associates are standing by to assist you throughout your recovery process. Baker Associates have handled hundreds of personal injury cases and know when and how to settle cases in an approach that best represents your needs. In most personal injury cases, including motor vehicle accident cases of all types, you may be entitled to recover general damages for your pain and suffering, emotional distress, disability, permanent disfigurement, scarring, loss of opportunity to enjoy life, interference with the husband/wife or parent/child relationship, wrongful death, loss of services, dismemberment and any other type of general damage that deals with an injury which you can think of. You may also be entitled to recover special damages which are past, present and future medical bills, wage loss, loss of earnings potential and other out-of-pocket expenses. It is your attorney's obligation to properly prepare your case and determine what these damages are. This usually takes place after your medical condition is stabilized.

At the point when your medical condition stabilizes, which means you will not get any better or worse, your attorney should speak to your doctors and obtain medical reports regarding your prognosis. At the conclusion of your recovery, the attorney shall put together a settlement demand package to try and resolve your case with the insurance company. From that point forward, negotiations will take place. Your attorney should be goal oriented to maximize your RECOVERY.

If your case does not settle, your attorney will file suit and proceed to trial. Many times an insurance company will not pay you what you deserve to recover until your case is set for trial or close to trial. Insurance companies know which attorneys take cases to trial and which attorneys settle cases. Those attorneys, who proceed and prepare a case as though it shall proceed to trial, will likely recover more money for you than a settlement lawyer. It behooves all attorneys to try and settle cases. However, if cases do not settle in a reasonable period of time, it behooves everyone to file suit and prosecute your case, preparing for trial.

The above mentioned facts are just some of the reasons that it is important to contact a licensed Tennessee attorney. Attorneys at Baker Associates are willing to fight for the compensation you deserve. You may visit our web-site at www.joebakerlaw.com or call us at 865-428-2888.

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Thousands of speeding tickets are issued every year in Tennessee. Drivers should be particularly careful while driving through Knoxville, Sevierville, and Gatlinburg Tennessee. Local police are aware of the high volume of traffic that passes through the region and understand the potential risks associated with a high volume of traffic as it relates to accidents. Automobile accidents are a threat that should not be overlooked. If you have been injured in an automobile accident, call Baker Associates for a free consultation. Our attorneys understand the law and know how confusing the law may be. Let us help you through the hard times.

In 1996, the cost of crashes involving speeding was estimated to be $28.8 billion. However, only limited information is available on driver attitudes and behavior regarding speeding and other forms of unsafe driving behavior, including those typically identified as aggressive driving, e.g., tailgating, weaving, running red lights, and making angry, insulting, or obscene gestures to other drivers. To help provide information in this important area, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) commissioned a national survey of the driving public to determine:

• the wide range of driver attitudes about speeding and other forms of aggressive/unsafe driving behavior;

• commonly occurring situations in which unsafe driving occurs;

• driver characteristics associated with those who commit these types of infractions; and

• the types of countermeasures the public believes are acceptable and effective for countering such behaviors.

Research of this nature supports NHTSA-sponsored efforts to more precisely specify targets (e.g., drivers, situations), and develop new or refine existing countermeasures that, ultimately, may reduce the occurrence of fatalities and injuries resulting from unsafe driving practices.
Speeding has been implicated as a contributing factor in about one-third of all fatal motor-vehicle crashes. In addition, increased attention has been given to other unsafe driving actions -- running red lights, tailgating, cutting other drivers off, etc. -- that may lead to crashes.

Source: www.fmcsa.dot.gov

Call Baker Associates today for a free consultation. Our attorneys understand the law and are standing by to help you immediately.

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School buses are the safest way to travel to school. Nonetheless, an average of 20 students are killed every year — five while riding the bus and 15 run over by buses while getting on or off them. The image of students killed or injured in bus accidents can make parents shudder. Below are a few short descriptions of accidents involving buses in Tennessee within the past year.

See www.knoxnews.com to read more regarding the injured Tennessee child.

• Two students were killed April 28 in Arlington, Va., when a school bus collided with a garbage truck.

• A school bus equipped with seat belts in New York City flipped April 26. The 44 sixth-graders on board suffered minor injuries.

• A 16-year-old high school sophomore died March 29 in Ripley, Okla., when a bus struck a flatbed truck. The driver of the truck also died. The bus driver faces charges of negligent homicide.

New national data show school bus-related accidents send 17,000 U.S. children to emergency rooms each year, more than double the number in previous estimates that only included crashes. Nearly one-fourth of the accidents occur when children are boarding or leaving school buses, while crashes account for 42 percent, the new research shows.

Slips and falls on buses, getting jostled when buses stop or turn suddenly, and injuries from roughhousing are among other ways kids get hurt on school buses, the data found. Injuries range from cuts and sprains to broken bones, but most are not life-threatening and don’t require hospitalization. And while the numbers are higher than previously reported, they represent a small fraction of the 23.5 million children who travel on school buses nationwide each year.

Source: MSNBC.com
Link to article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15581273/

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident involving a school bus, do not hesitate to call our accident attorneys at Baker Associates. Attorneys at Baker Associates understand how the law may be confusing and difficult to understand. Call (865) 428-2888 or visit our web-site today, and let us help you through the difficult times.

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People often wonder, "what exactly is a personal injury lawyer?" A personal injury lawyer is one who accepts cases wherein a claimant or "plaintiff" is a victim of an injury. The injury is alleged to have been caused by the fault of another and through no fault of the victim. A personal injury lawyer will either work with the opposing party or their insurance company to achieve a resolution of a personal injury claim by settlement.

However, if settlement is not possible, a personal injury lawyer will take the personal injury claim to trial in front of a jury. A personal injury lawyer may accept the following types of personal injury cases: auto accidents; trucking accidents; bicycle accidents; motorcycle accidents; boating accidents; product liability claims; medical malpractice claims; slip and fall cases; falling merchandise cases; food poisoning cases; and many others. To speak with a licensed Tennessee personal injury lawyer...

Trust your case to Baker Associates if you or a loved one has been injured in an automobile accident. Our experienced attorneys have handled these types of cases before and are willing to fight for the compensation you deserve. Call Baker Associates at 865-428-2888 or visit our web site at www.joebakerlaw.com for you free, no hassle, consultation.

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An automobile accident is always stressful. You are not alone. Licensed Tennessee attorneys located near Sevierville Tennessee have prepared some steps to help guide you through some of the precautions you should take to insure that your property damage claim is handled speedily and that your interests are protected.

- You may have the right to have your car repaired at the body shop of your choice. You need not accept the insurance company's property damage appraisal of the actual repair costs. Take your car to your selected body shop, and present a written estimate to the insurance company. Make sure you retain 2 or 3 written estimates from different body shops. Do not rely solely on an insurance company's estimate.

- Be satisfied that your car is returned to pre-collision condition before signing any insurance company check or property damage release. Otherwise, you may waive your right to further repairs.

- Total loss means that the cost of repair exceeds the reasonable retail market value for "your" car in the condition it was in at the time of the accident.

When an accident is someone else's fault, generally that person's insurance company will compensate you directly. Otherwise, your own insurance company may reimburse you for your vehicle, e.g. property damage, if you have the appropriate insurance coverage. A property damage claim is resolved in one of two ways: either your car can be repaired or it will be considered a total loss - meaning that the cost of the repair exceeds the actual value of the vehicle.

Accidents near Knoxville, Tennessee occur daily and it is important that you take the appropriate measures to protect your rights. Knoxville accident attorneys at Baker Associates are experienced litigators that will not settle for less than you deserve. Baker Associates understand that injuries affect you as well as your entire family and friends. Our goal is to help put your life back where it was before the accident.

Contact an Auto Accident Lawyer - An experienced auto accident lawyer will be invaluable in assisting you when filing your auto accident claim.

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