Tennessee Injury Law Center

June 9, 2010

Should I Settle My Case on My Own?

I was hurt in a car wreck last year. I having been talking with the other driver’s insurance company and they tell me that they are going to make me a settlement offer. How much time do I have to file a lawsuit in the event I don’t get the case settled on my own?

In Tennessee you ordinarily have one year from the date of a car or truck accident to file suit against the responsible parties. Do not assume you have more time unless a lawyer familiar with all of the facts advises you that you have more than one year. Failure to file suit on time will result in a loss of your rights.

However, you should not wait until the eve of the one-year deadline to contact a lawyer. A lawyer needs time to conduct an investigation and do the paperwork necessary to file a lawsuit.

June 8, 2010

Hiring a Lawyer for an Out-of-State Accident

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

I was in Chicago and riding in a taxicab that got hit by another driver from Chicago. I spent four days in the hospital in Chicago and have been continuing to see a doctor in Tennessee. What rights do I have? Do I have to go to Chicago to hold the people who hit me responsible?

People in other states have to follow the same basic rules as drivers in Tennessee, and they are responsible for the harm they cause if they are negligent in the operation of their vehicle.

However, usually a lawsuit for such claims must be brought in the place where the accident occurred or where the other driver resides. (There are some exceptions to this rule – an experienced personal injury lawyer can tell you if the driver or the driver’s employer can be sued in Tennessee.)

June 7, 2010

Negligent Transmission of Herpes

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

My wife gave me herpes. She did not have herpes when we got married. She confessed that she has been sleeping around. We are getting divorced. Can I sue her for giving me herpes?

Yes. A person can sue another for negligent (or intentional) transmission of a sexual disease. If you prove that you contracted the disease from her, you can recover damages for your medical expenses, future medical costs, and pain, suffering and loss of enjoyment of life.

One practical problem with this type of lawsuit is that any money you win can only be collected out of your wife’s assets and future income. If she doesn’t have any money and won’t be making much in the future you will have difficulty collecting any money from her. In addition, filing this type of suit can greatly increase tension in the divorce proceeding and, if children are involved, may impact your relationship with your wife as the two of you work to parent your children. These factors and others need to be considered before filing this type of lawsuit.

June 4, 2010

Professional Basketball Career Lost Because of Wreck

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

My son was hurt in a wreck with a big truck. He had a severe injury to his knee and is missing the basketball season. He is the best player on his sixth grade team. I worry that he will never be able to play professional basketball. Can he receive damages for the loss of income from a professional basketball salary and endorsements?

Questions like this are quite frequent. Tennessee law says that damages must be reasonably certain and not speculative. Damages need not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, but the damages sought must be reasonably likely to occur because of the defendant’s negligence.

It would be very difficult to prove that a sixth grader would have played professional basketball. It is possible – almost all professional basketball ball players played basketball in sixth grade and, if I had to guess, most of them were better-than-average players in sixth grade.

June 3, 2010

Do I Have to Be Released By My Doctor Before I Try My Personal Injury Case?

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

Why do I have to get released from medical care before my case can go to trial?

There is no law that says you must. However, most lawyers would agree that in cases where there is an injury that is likely to completely heal or one that will reach a certain stable level within a reasonable period of time it makes sense to not have a trial until the doctor says you have reached “maximum medical recovery.”

This is necessary because a jury must be able to determine whether it is likely you are going to have permanent injuries and whether those injuries will affect your income. Also, it is important that the jury have a handle on your medical bills, and it you are still actively seeking treatment it will be difficult to get a grasp on the amount of the bills you will incur.

June 2, 2010

Why Does My Opponent Get To See My Tax Records?

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

I am a plaintiff in a personal injury lawsuit. Why does my opponent get to see my tax records?

If you are claiming you lost income as a result of the injuries you received in the incident that gave rise to the lawsuit, the defendant has a right to determine if you lost the income you say you lost. One way of determining that is looking at your income tax records.

However, the fact that tax records may reveal whether you lost income that does not mean that your entire tax return can be seen by the defendant. Tax returns contain lots of information other than income, and that information has nothing to do with whether you lost income.

An experienced personal injury lawyer will determine whether it is appropriate to release your entire tax return to the defendant or whether only some portions of it (such as your W-2, which is a statement of income from your employer) is appropriate.

May 29, 2010

How to Persuade My Kids to Stop Texting While Driving?

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

My daughter refuses to stop texting while she is driving. I know it is unsafe, but she won’t stop. What do I do?

I was listening to the Kim Komando show recently and she identified some great software packages for cell phones that could prevent a teenager (or anyone else) from receiving or sending texts or call while a vehicle was moving. .

The life you save could be your daughter’s.

May 27, 2010

Average Verdicts in Tennessee Car Accident Cases

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

I got hurt in a car wreck. What is the average jury verdict in car wreck cases in Tennessee?

I can give you that number, but it is meaningless.

Why do I say that? Assume there were just two car wreck verdicts in Tennessee in 2009. One was a case where the person who filed suit had no treatment in the emergency room, $3000 in chiropractic treatment, and a history of prior neck and back pain. Assume that the verdict in that case was $3500.

May 26, 2010

Why Do Judges Whisper to Lawyers?

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

Why do lawyers and the judge whisper between one another during a trial up by the judge’s bench?

Usually, they are discussing whether certain testimony or other evidence should be heard or seen by the jury. The law of evidence governs what jurors should hear and see during a trial. When the lawyers are trying to introduce evidence before a jury or keep the jury from hearing it the discussions of the evidence will often reveal what the evidence is. If the law says that the jury shouldn’t hear or see that evidence then it would be foolish to have the jury hear the discussion about the evidence. This type of conference is called a “side bar.”

Sometimes, the judge will ask the jury to leave the courtroom during these discussions. This is called a “jury-out hearing.”

May 25, 2010

Rights of Sex Abuse Victims

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

I was sexually abused for five years by my step-father, staring when I was 5 years old. I am 18 years old now. Can I sue him for what he did to me?

Yes. Under Tennessee law sexual abuse is the tort of battery and the tort of outrageous conduct. However, you must file suit before your 19^th birthday if you want to seek damages for what happened when you were under the age of 18. The failure to file suit by your 19^th birthday will likely result in a loss of rights for all that happened before you turned 18. Talk to an experienced personal injury lawyer to gain an understanding of whether there are any exceptions in the law that may give you more time to take legal action.

We have represented people who have been victims of sexual abuse. The cases are very sad, but we have found professional satisfaction helping our clients and imposing financial responsibility on the perpetrators of these horrible crimes. One challenging factor in these cases is collecting money from the perpetrator – homeowner’s insurance will not cover this type of act. However, we have been successful identifying assets from which to obtain a settlement in this type of case.