Knoxville Personal Injury Lawyers

If you have been injured due to the negligence of another person, you may be eligible to obtain compensation for medical bills, lost income, pain, suffering and more. The team of licensed personal injury attorneys at Greg Coleman Law can help to pursue fair compensation on your behalf, through an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit. We have recovered hundreds of millions in compensation for our clients, and we know how to deal with insurance company representatives and other organizations when pursuing a damages claim.

We offer a 100 percent free case review and we only get paid when we win.

Our Founder and Managing Partner Greg Coleman is a graduate of The University of Tennessee College of Law and admitted to practice in numerous courts in Tennessee, including the Tennessee Supreme Court. Greg also has active memberships in the Knoxville Bar Association and the American Bar Association.

As a lifetime member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum - an honor only available to attorneys that have won multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements - Greg was also named Best Lawyers' Lawyer of the Year in 2018 for product liability litigation in Knoxville.

Our law firm offers a free, initial review of your claim and we only get paid if we win.

We are located on 800 S Gay St in Knoxville, TN, just across the street from the Bijou Theatre and the Howard H. Baker, Jr. Courthouse.

FREE consultation. (865) 247-0080

Benefits of Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer

When people suffer personal injuries they often ask themselves if they need a lawyer. Unfortunately, most injury victims do not understand many aspects of the legal process, much less the benefits of being represented by a qualified, experienced, reputable attorney. This often leads to victims making an uninformed decision about hiring a lawyer.

Before you decide whether to work with an attorney on your personal injury claim, you should review some of the benefits of having an attorney. There is no guarantee that working with an attorney will result in you receiving compensation. However, the legal knowledge and know-how of an experienced attorney can be invaluable throughout every stage of the legal process.

The advantages of having qualified legal representation include:

Managing Your Case from Start to Finish

Our attorneys know that the most important thing after a personal injury is the victim's recovery. We do not want you to be stressed out about talking to the insurance company, filling out forms, meeting deadlines or negotiating fair compensation. We want you to be focused on meeting with doctors, resting and avoiding activities your doctor tells you to avoid.

Our Knoxville personal injury lawyers will manage every stage of the legal process on your behalf. We will be focused on your best interests every step of the way. We will keep you informed and let you know what you can do to help us out, including providing medical reports, updates on your recovery or documentation of your damages.

Representing You on Contingency

One of the main reasons why injury victims do not work with a lawyer, or decide not to even talk to a lawyer, is because they are concerned about what legal representation will cost. They are afraid there is no way they can afford an attorney, even if they think having one would help.

However, as responsible members of our local community in Knox County, the team of attorneys at our firm strongly believes that everyone should be able to obtain legal counsel. With that in mind, we proudly take cases on contingency. This means that we do not charge for our fees and services unless we obtain a settlement or verdict for our clients.

Your consultation is completely free and comes with no obligation to pursue legal action. We will collect a percentage of the recovery to cover our costs for investigating the accident and taking your case through the legal process.

Dealing with the Insurance Company

While some personal injury cases are resolved through lawsuits, many others, particularly those involving motor vehicle accidents (car, truck and motorcycle crashes), are resolved by filing an insurance claim.

The key thing to always remember about insurance companies, even your own insurance company, is that they are not concerned with helping you. Do not be fooled by clever TV commercials or catchy slogans - insurance companies are businesses, and businesses exist to make money. That means insurance companies have a strong incentive to pay out as little compensation as possible and look for any reason to deny claims, even legitimate claims.

These are reasons why insurance companies do not want you to hire a lawyer. They would much rather just deal with you because they know you are inexperienced and do not have detailed knowledge of the legal process or how to properly evaluate the damages caused by a personal injury. They believe you are more likely to accept an unfair settlement, admit fault for the accident, or do things that are in the best interests of the insurance company.

When you hire an attorney from our firm, such as a Knoxville car accident lawyer or truck crash attorney, he or she can deal with the insurance company exclusively on your behalf. We have handled numerous insurance claims over the years and know how to protect your best interests. We know the tricks and strategies insurance companies like to use and we will not be fooled.

We can negotiate for a favorable settlement, but we will not accept any unfair offers. We are prepared for a tough negotiation if that is what it takes to secure the compensation you are entitled. Greg Coleman has taken many cases to trial and if that is what it will take to secure the result you deserve, we are fully prepared to do that. One of the advantages of having a reputable attorney from our firm who has achieved results in the courtroom is that it can motivate insurance companies to reach a favorable resolution.

Thoroughly Investigating Your Accident and Injury

Accidents need to be thoroughly investigated to gather evidence and build a case against the at-fault party. There are no guarantees of recovering fair compensation, but, conducting a detailed investigation will help you build a stronger case. It will also help to ensure you have accurately documented the fair value of the different types of damages you are experiencing.

Our Knoxville personal injury attorneys have investigated numerous personal injury cases and know what steps to take to develop an accurate picture of what happened, how the other party was at fault, and the damages victims suffered.

Some of the steps we may take to build a case may include:

• Visiting the scene to take pictures
• Reviewing police/accident reports
• Talking to witnesses
• Obtaining video footage of the accident, if it is available
• Consulting medical experts about your injuries to determine their severity
• Reviewing your medical records
• Using technology to reconstruct the accident scene
• Asking you to keep an injury journal to document the emotional and psychological effects of your injuries

Investigating can take a lot of time and we want you to be focused on your recovery.

Our Knoxville personal injury lawyers are ready to meet with you to review what happened and discuss your legal options. We are prepared to answer any questions you have about the legal process and explain more of the benefits of having us represent you.

Submit a Free Case Evaluation form today.

The Types of Claims We Handle

Greg Coleman Law Firm represents people who were injured or lost loved ones in the following types of accidents:

Our personal injury lawyers in Knoxville also take on cases involving injuries from dangerous drugs, defective medical devices and defective products. Greg Coleman has recovered millions on behalf of victims of defective products, including a $35.5 million settlement for consumers who bought defective clothes dryers from Electrolux that had a high risk of causing fires.

If you were injured and you think the situation was caused by someone else's negligence, you may have legal options. Contact our firm for a free legal consultation to determine if you have a case and if we can help you.

Need legal help? Call: (865) 247-0080

What is the Statute of Limitations for a Personal Injury Case in TN?

One thing that injury victims may not realize is there is a limited amount of time to pursue compensation for their injuries. If you are filing an insurance claim, the insurance company may have a deadline for doing so.

If you are filing a lawsuit, Tennessee has a deadline, or statute of limitations. Once the statute of limitations runs out, you lose the right to pursue compensation.

The statute of limitations for most personal injury claims is one year from the date of the accident or injury. This includes lawsuits over motor vehicle accidents, wrongful death, and slip and fall accidents.

The statute of limitations for most personal injury claims is one year from the date of the accident or injury.

There are a variety of exceptions to the statute of limitations. For example, legal action must be commenced within two years if criminal charges are filed against anyone who is alleged to have caused the injury. This exception also applies when the actions that gave rise to your claim are the subject of criminal prosecution that is started within one year by a grand jury, law enforcement officer or district attorney general, and the claim is brought by the person who was injured by the criminal conduct of the party being prosecuted.  

Like the personal injury statute of limitations, Tennessee's medical malpractice statute of limitations is set at one year as well. However, the statute does not begin to run until you discover the injury. You have one year from that date to file a lawsuit. The statute also says medical malpractice claims cannot be filed more than three years from the date of malpractice, no matter when malpractice was discovered by the victim.

Product liability actions, such as lawsuits over defective drugs, must be filed within six years of the date of injury. However, these lawsuits cannot be filed more than 10 years from the date the product was purchased for use or consumption or within one year of the expiration of the anticipated life of the product, whichever comes first. Minors who are bringing legal action for an injury from a defective product must file a lawsuit within one year of turning 18.

As you can see, statutes of limitations are very complicated and it is difficult to determine when they begin to run and if any exceptions apply. This is why it helps to have an experienced Knoxville personal injury lawyer representing you.

Contact us right away so we can determine how much time we have to file a lawsuit and ensure it is filed on time. We do not want you to lose the chance to pursue fair compensation.

We are here to help. Ph: (865) 247-0080

Steps Involved in a Lawsuit

One of the many things you can count on from our attorneys is to keep you informed throughout the legal process. There are many steps involved, and each case is different, but most cases tend to progress with the general steps below. Understanding the process a little better can help lessen the anxiety about taking legal action. It also shows why having an attorney can be such an advantage.

Step One: Free Consultation

The first step in filing a lawsuit is meeting with an attorney for a free, no obligation consultation. This gives you the chance to explain what happened, your injuries and why you think you may have a case. You can ask us questions and we will ask you questions to gain a better understanding of what happened and if you have a viable claim.

We will determine if we think you should consider taking legal action and the forms of compensation you may be able to recover from legal action. If you decide to move forward, things will progress to the next step.

Step Two: Filing a Complaint

The next step is filing a complaint listing the at-fault party, your injuries and an explanation of the accident, the legal basis for holding the other party liable, and the damages you are seeking. The other party will respond to the complaint.

Step Three: Discovery

This is the name for the process of gathering evidence. Your attorney will send a list of questions to the at-fault party, request documents and take sworn statements. This is also the stage where an attorney may consult medical experts or other relevant experts to develop a deeper understanding of the case.

Step Four: Pretrial Motions and Hearings

At this stage, both sides use motions to compel the other to provide evidence. There may also be motions from the other side to end the case before a trial begins. Our attorneys may be able to file a motion for summary judgment, arguing that the facts are undisputed.

Step Five: Settlement Negotiations

Oftentimes, attorneys for either side will attempt to settle the case before it goes to trial. Typically what happens is the victim agrees to release the other party from liable if the other party pays out compensation. Sometimes a mediator is brought in to help facilitate an agreement.

Our Knoxville personal injury lawyers are fully prepared to settle but we will not accept any unfair offers for compensation. We will carefully evaluate your damages to determine the amount of compensation you are entitled. If the other side offers less than you deserve, we will explain that we think you are entitled to more compensation.

Step Six: Trial

If we are not able to agree on a settlement, the case will go to trial. Both sides will present their case, which will involve the presentation of evidence and testimony from you, the at-fault party and witnesses.

The trial begins with the selection of a jury. Potential jurors are questioned about matters related to the case, including personal beliefs and life experiences that may be relevant to the case. After the jury is chosen, both sides deliver opening statements. Your Knoxville personal injury lawyer will present the facts of the case and explain the allegations against the other party. The other side makes an opening statement about their interpretation of the facts and explains how they will rebut our case.

The next stage is when each side presents its case in detail, including pictures, documents, medical reports and other evidence. Witnesses are also called to testify, including medical experts and other types of experts. The other side has the chance to cross-examine each person we call to testify and we can cross-examine each person called to testify by the other side.

Step Seven: Jury Deliberation and Verdict

After both sides present their case, closing arguments are made by both sides to recap the cases they presented in the trial. The next step is for the judge presiding over the trial to give the jury instructions on the process for reaching a decision. The judge will explain the legal standards that apply to the case to determine if the other party is liable for your injuries.

The last step is for the jury to deliberate and come to a decision. The jury will decide if the other party is liable and the amount of compensation you are owed, if any.

Experienced Lawyers. No Upfront Costs. Millions Recovered.

How to Prove Negligence

Personal injury claims are about proving that one party was negligent, and this negligence led to the victim's injury.

There can be different requirements for proving negligence depending on the case. For instance, in a medical malpractice case you must establish that accepted standards of care were violated. In a slip and fall case, the property owner of a Knoxville business can only be held liable if he or she did not take the proper steps to ensure the victim's safety, based on the victim's legal status when he or she entered the property.

However, no matter the case, there are some basic elements of negligence in every personal injury case. When you meet with our personal injury lawyers in Knoxville, we will determine if we think these elements are present and if you have a viable personal injury claim.

Duty of Care

The law places an obligation on people to take reasonable steps to help prevent others from suffering injuries. The most obvious example of a duty of care is the duty to follow the rules of the road when you are behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. This is a reasonable way to help keep yourself and others safe on the road. Our attorneys will work to determine the duty of care that applied in your specific situation.

Breach of Duty of Care

This simply means the party that caused your accident did not uphold the duty of care that applied in the situation. Sometimes this means he or she acted negligently, other times this means he or she failed to act. Either way, the at-fault party failed to uphold his or her legal obligation to you.

Causal Link

You must be able to show that your injuries resulted from the breached duty of care. In other words, there must be a causal link between the breached duty of care and your injuries. This can be one of the most difficult things to prove and become a contentious issue with insurance companies or the at-fault party, as they will try to argue you were injured because of something else, like a pre-existing condition.

Damages

Your injury must have resulted in damages, such as medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, or emotional pain and suffering. The purpose of a personal injury claim is to try to recover compensation for damages created by an injury that resulted from another party breaching his or her duty of care.

Our personal injury lawyers in Knoxville have detailed knowledge about what it takes to prove negligence occurred. We have helped victims of a variety of personal injuries in various situations prove they were victims of negligence.

We are ready to help. Ph: (865) 247-0080

Comparative Fault

There are sometimes situations where the victim of an accident is partially at fault for what happened. This often happens in motor vehicle crashes when the victim made an illegal or dangerous maneuver moments before the accident.

These situations are governed by Tennessee's comparative fault law, which says that you cannot recover any compensation if you are 50 percent or more at fault for the accident. If you are less than 50 percent responsible, your compensation award will be reduced based on the percentage of fault you are assigned. For instance, a victim who is 30 percent at fault would see his total award be reduced by 30 percent.

This law is applied in lawsuits but may also be applied by insurance companies as they look to reduce the amount of compensation they pay out to victims.

This law serves as another reason why it can help to have an attorney managing your case. Our trusted Knoxville personal injury lawyers understand how to apply this law fairly because we do not want you to be denied compensation that is rightfully yours. We are committed to building a strong case and working to prevent you from being assigned any percentage of fault that is unfair.

Get legal help today. Ph: (865) 247-0080

Types of Personal Injury Damages

Personal injuries can have a devastating effect on peoples' lives, affecting them physically, emotionally and financially, sometimes for many years into the future. Personal injury damages can be broken into four main categories:

Physical Injuries

Accidents can cause many types of physical injuries to various parts of the body. People associate long-term problems with some of these injuries, but even the ones that sound less severe can cause significant impairment for prolonged periods of time.

Some of the common injuries caused by accidents can include:

No matter what injuries you suffered, we can pursue compensation if we can prove they were the result of another party's negligence. Compensation would cover the medical expenses from your injuries, which could include the cost of:

Our Knoxville personal injury lawyers will pursue compensation for past, current and future medical expenses created by the treatment of your injuries.

Pain and Suffering

This refers to the physical pain you experience because of your injury and the physical limitations and side effects that you suffer. It is much more difficult to determine an accurate value of physical pain and suffering than medical expenses because there are bills and receipts for medical expenses.

Our attorneys will review a variety of factors, including the treatments required, the medication needed, the length of your recovery and treatment period, your personal account of the pain you experience and accounts from family and friends who can speak to how your injury has lowered your quality of life.

The more severe the injury, the more your pain and suffering claim will be worth. However, some injuries are thought to be minor when they can be very serious, such as whiplash. That is why our personal injury attorneys in Knoxville will thoroughly evaluate all documentation of pain and suffering so we can fight for the fair compensation you deserve.  

Emotional Damages

Emotional stress can often be a more debilitating injury than a physical wound. Emotional stress can include things like terror, shock, humiliation, sorrow, anxiety and depression. These issues can lead to physical problems, such as weight loss, loss of appetite and ulcers. People may also struggle to socialize or perform basic, daily activities, which can have a profound impact on their overall health and wellbeing.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of this type of damage, it can be very difficult to prove, and often requires the services of a medical or psychological practitioner to validate the amount of damages.

Financial Damages

This includes the medical expenses that you incur for treating your injuries. The impact of financial damages is often felt by more people than just the victim alone. An important element to consider is that the families and loved ones of the injured may be dependent on that person as a source of income or for the tasks that they perform (as a sole provider, or perhaps a caregiver to an elderly family member).

Frequent examples of financial loss can include loss of wages, loss of earning capacity, cost of repairing or replacing damaged property, cost of hiring help around the house because the injured can no longer perform household tasks.

Another common type of damage from a personal injury is loss of consortium, which refers to the loss of the ability to engage in certain activities involved in companionship with the spouse or children. This could refer to difficulties in the romantic relationship between spouses caused by impairments from the injury.

At Greg Coleman Law, we are compassionate to injury victims and their families, and will fight for the MAXIMUM compensation that they may be eligible to receive.

Call our Knoxville personal injury lawyers. Ph: (865) 247-0080

Important Things to Remember After an Injury Occurs

If you have suffered any damage as a result of the negligence of another person - or due to a defective product - there are some simple, quick tips to follow, to ensure that your best interests are protected immediately following the incident.

Some of these include:

• Not signing any releases or giving any written or recorded statements until consulting a lawyer
• Not hesitating to contact a law firm for advice and possible representation
• Keeping copies of any documents or records related to your case
• Not admitting fault to the insurance company
• Getting treatment right away at a Knoxville hospital and continuing treatment
• Taking pictures at the scene of the accident if you are physically able and it is safe to do so
• Talking to any witnesses at the scene to find out what they remember
• Filing an accident report or police report

While a lawyer will be able to explain the best path to take moving forward, these pointers can help to make sure that your interests are not compromised in the interim. Our attorneys will conduct an in-depth investigation into the accident, but anything you can collect at the scene in the moments after the accident can be very important in helping us build a strong case.

Independent Medical Examiners

If the insurance company wants you to submit to an independent medical examination, our attorneys can explain how to protect your claim when you go through this process. Independent medical examiners (IMEs) often work for the insurance companies on a regular basis, so the report may be biased in favor of the insurance company's best interests and not your own.

Make sure to ask for a copy of the report from the IME and avoid discussing anything about the report with the insurance company until you have a copy of the report. Our attorneys can review the report with you to determine if anything is wrong or misrepresents your injuries or any aspects of your claim.

Our personal injury attorneys can set up an appointment with another doctor to counter the IME report to try to prevent the insurance company from treating you unfairly.

Need Help? Contact Our Knoxville Personal Injury Lawyers Today

Personal injury law is complex, and negligence can be very difficult to prove. If you or your loved ones have suffered an injury in Knoxville that was caused by the reckless actions of another, you are entitled to pursue compensation for your losses.

The Knoxville personal injury lawyers at Greg Coleman Law proudly serve victims throughout Knox County - with our team of attorneys being licensed to practice law across the entire state of Tennessee. We have decades of combined experience that we will bring to bear on your claim.

To find out how we can help you, please contact us today and our intake staff will quickly collect information about your accident and refer you to one of our lawyers to discuss the merits of your claim.

We are here to help. Call: (865) 247-0080