Robertson County Personal Injury Lawyers

Personal Injury Practice Areas

Personal Injury

If you have been injured due to the negligence of another, contact our Springfield personal injury lawyers to discuss your case. We have collected millions for our injured clients and will fight to collect the maximum value of your case. We handle all types of personal injury claims, including car accidents, semi-truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, DUI accidents, pedestrian accidents, wrongful death, premises liability/slip & fall, dog bites, nursing home abuse, and work injuries.

What you should do after an accident

For many of us, the last thing on our minds after being injured in an accident is taking the appropriate measures to protect a personal injury claim. However, this is one of the most important things that you can do for your case. If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident, following these steps can improve your chances of a successful claim:

Gather evidence at the scene One of the best ways to protect your claim after an accident is to gather as much information as you can at the scene. After calling the police, officers arriving on the scene will create a report for the incident which can provide important details about the accident. Having a third-party account of the scene is a great way to present unbiased information about the accident.

You or someone present taking pictures of the scene, your injuries, and any property damage is another way to strengthen your case. Providing photographic evidence is critical to show the severity of your injuries and the extent of the damages at the time of the incident. Our team will be at the scene when called to preserve the evidence.

Finally, be sure to get names, contact details, and other information pertaining to the crash from the other party(s) involved, as well as any witnesses. This can paint a clear picture of the accident and help to determine liability for the accident.

Seek medical treatment: Receiving treatment for your injuries as soon as possible should be your priority after an accident. Not only does receiving care after an accident provide documentation for your injuries, but many victims have hidden or delayed symptoms that may not appear for days or weeks after the incident. Establishing the severity of your injuries and linking those injuries to the accident is the key to a successful personal injury claim.

Keep important documents and records: Throughout the claims process, be sure to collect any and all documents or records that could be used to support your case. This includes all of the evidence gathered at the scene, employment records that specify lost wages during your recovery period, and any documents pertaining to the treatment you received for your injuries.

Be careful what you say: Before speaking with an insurance adjustor or making any statements about your case, speak with our Springfield personal injury lawyers and Flora Templeton Stuart personally. Adjustors ultimately determine the amount of compensation that you should receive for your injuries. By speaking to them without an attorney present, you may accidentally make a statement that can damage the value of your claim.

Consult with an attorney: The best way to protect yourself after being injured due to someone else’s negligence is to speak with Flora Stuart and her team of experienced Springfield personal injury lawyers personally. We understand that your health should come first, so we do all of the heavy lifting so you can focus on healing. Flora Stuart will be by your side throughout the claims process and her team will handle all communication with the at-fault party and their representatives.

Car Accidents

At Flora Templeton Stuart Accident Injury Lawyers, we use our extensive knowledge of Tennessee law and decades of car accident experience to assist our Robertson County clients. Our Portland and Springfield car accident attorneys will discuss your options with you and determine which steps to take to secure a favorable outcome.

As the leading cause of personal injuries in the United States, car accidents can often have a lasting impact on a victim’s health and finances. Springfield alone averages more than 500 car accidents each year, with the majority of those accidents resulting in serious injury or death. If you or a loved one have been injured in an auto accident, contact our Robertson County car accident lawyers today for a free case evaluation.

How do I prove the other driver was liable?

When a wreck occurs, it is usually the result of negligence by one of the drivers.  Even in straight-forward scenarios where the cause of the accident seems obvious, proving liability can be more challenging than you might think. In a successful auto accident claim, you must be able prove that the other driver’s negligence caused the crash in four areas:

• Duty: The driver that caused the accident had a duty to act reasonably to avoid injury to others on the road. All drivers have the duty of care to safely operate their vehicles, pay attention when driving, avoid collisions, and follow the rules of the road.
• Breach: If a vehicle operator does not follow the duty of care and fails to act as a reasonable person would under similar circumstances, their duty has been breached.
• Causation: The actions of the driver who was behaving negligently directly caused the accident.
• Damages: The accident caused by the driver who was behaving negligently caused you some sort of damages, either in the form of bodily injury or monetary loss.

All four of these elements must be proven for the other driver to be held liable for damages caused in a car accident. For example, a driver has a duty to other drivers on the road to avoid using drugs or alcohol before operating a vehicle. A driver who gets behind the wheel after using an illicit substance or consuming alcohol has breached the duty of care. By proving that using drugs or alcohol before driving was a breach of the duty of care and that the breach directly caused the accident resulting in damages to the victim, we can successfully establish liability due to negligence in a car accident claim. This scenario is more common than you may realize, with Robertson County alone experiencing over 100 accidents involving alcohol impaired drivers each year, according to the TDSHS. Our Springfield car accident lawyers are well-versed in Tennessee law and have been proving liability for our injured clients for our 44 years.

Semi-Truck Accidents

Due to their size and weight, semi-trucks are much more dangerous than other vehicles on the roads. Accidents involving commercial trucks often result in the most serious injuries to both drivers and passengers. Victims can spend extensive periods of time receiving medical treatment, leading to a loss of income and steep medical bills. All of these expenses can add up quickly which is why determining who was liable for the collision is crucial. Call our experienced Springfield semi-truck accident lawyers as soon as possible so we can begin work on your case and identify those responsible for your injuries.

Who can be held liable for the injuries I sustained?

One of the major differences between a semi-truck accident and other vehicle collisions is that several parties can be liable for the damages in a commercial truck accident. Furthermore, each party involved is often their own separate entity with different insurance coverage and protective measures to limit their financial responsibility in the event of an accident.

This is a major challenge for those who have been injured by a big truck, especially when many of these parties deny fault or avoid liability all together as to avoid paying compensation for your injuries. Some of the parties that can be held liable in a semi-truck accident include:

• Truck driver
• Trucking company
• Owner of the truck/trailer
• Truck manufacturer
• Leaser
• Truck loader
• Owner of the cargo
• Maintenance company

Without the necessary qualifications and experience in Tennessee trucking litigation, receiving adequate compensation is next to impossible. As a Springfield semi-truck accident lawyer, Flora Templeton Stuart Accident Injury Lawyers has over 45 years of experience and has recovered millions in commercial truck accidents. We have the expertise to maximize your recovery.

Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycle riders are faced with various dangers on the roadway and have little to protect themselves in the event of a crash. Because of this, motorcycle accident victims can easily sustain serious or fatal injuries in even the smallest collision. We understand that the aftermath of a motorcycle accident can be overwhelming but having a team of skilled accident specialists on your side can make the process much more manageable.

Although Robertson County has one of the lowest rates of motorcycle crashes in Tennessee, around 25 motorcyclists are seriously injured or killed each year in the county, according to the TDSOHS. We are dedicated to helping our injured clients move forward with their lives through fair legal representation and our passion for defending the rights of those in Robertson County. Contact us today to discuss your claim for free with one of our Springfield motorcycle accident lawyers. 

When should I contact an attorney?

 If you have been in a motorcycle accident, the sooner that you can get in contact with our lawyers the sooner we can get to work on your case. As time passes details can be forgotten, evidence can be lost or destroyed, and the window to file a claim becomes smaller and smaller due to the statute of limitations.

The statute of limitations places a deadline on the amount of time you have to file a claim in a court of law. In Tennessee, victims aged eighteen and over have one year from the date in which the accident occurred to file a claim. If a claim is not submitted within this timeframe, you forfeit your right to pursue damages against the at-fault party.

Wrongful Death

The unexpected loss of a loved one leaves a void that can never be filled. On top of that, surviving family members may be left with the financial and emotional burdens that can amplify their grief. There may also be concerns about how to recover from the loss of income that the family member provided and other practical hurdles. When a family member dies to the negligence or carelessness of another, our Springfield wrongful death lawyers do everything in our power to make the surviving family members whole again. We understand that no amount of money can bring back your loved one, but we believe in getting justice for the family and holding the negligent party responsible for their actions.

Who can file a wrongful death lawsuit?

Wrongful death lawsuits provide surviving loved ones with financial assistance or familial stability after an unexpected loss. This includes compensation for lost wages, lost companionship, funeral expenses, and other expenses resulting from the tragic loss. Pursuant to Tennessee Code 20-5-107, the following parties have the option to file wrongful death claims:

• Surviving Spouse: Initially, the surviving spouse or personal representative has the right to file a wrongful death claim for the deceased. This may be a husband, wife, or domestic partner but does not include an unmarried couple or an ex-spouse. If there is no surviving spouse of the deceased, the right to file is passed to the children or next of kin.
• Children or Next of Kin: The deceased’s children or next of kin are able to file a wrongful death claim. If the children are minors, a personal representative may file the claim on their behalf. If the deceased has no living children, the right to file moves to the next closest-living relative. This is known as the ‘next of kin’ and can include an aunt, uncle, sibling, or cousin.
• Surviving Parent(s): In the absence of a surviving spouse or children, both naturally and legally adoptive parents may file a wrongful death claim if the deceased was in their custody at the time of death.

Talk to A Tennessee Injury Lawyer Today

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured, don’t wait. Contact Flora Templeton Stuart Accident Injury Lawyers in Tennessee immediately. When we receive a call from a client who has been injured, we go to work immediately to protect their rights to full and fair compensation. Our law firm goes the extra mile, using our 45-plus years of experience to right the wrongs and make our clients whole again. If you’ve been injured, contact us now. You can call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 888-782-9090. We travel to our injured clients and provide personal representation. Flora Templeton Stuart is a local attorney practicing law in your community. Personal representation is our promise.